FARGO - The tempo of the rising Red River is picking up pace as the latest forecast now predicts the river will surpass 37 feet by Sunday.
Saturday's forecast predicted the river, approaching 23 feet Sunday evening, would reach 32.8 feet in seven days.
The National Weather Service prediction now calls for the river to reach 30.3 feet Wednesday, reaching major flood stage, rising to 37.1 feet by Sunday evening.
The forecast suggests the river will rise an average of about 2 feet a day over the next week, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters have yet to issue a crest prediction for the spring flood, but the latest outlook gave a 50 percent chance of topping 40.5 feet.
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Today's weather should be cool, dry and breezy, but the forecast calls for high temperatures in the 40s this week, with lows below freezing or right around freezing.
Some rain could fall Tuesday night or early Wednesday.
"It doesn't look like much, maybe a tenth of an inch or so," said John Hoppes, a meteorologist for the weather service in Grand Forks.
There's another chance of rain late Thursday into early Friday.
"It might be a little more," Hoppes said. "There could be up to a quarter inch maybe. Nothing really significant."
Fargo plans to start delivering sandbags Tuesday and start placing sandbags Wednesday in flood-prone neighborhoods.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Patrick Springer at (701) 241-5522
