It might not comfort you to know that snowfall this winter is running ahead of last winter's total through this date by about 2 feet.
But this may have relatively little importance with regard to this spring's flood potential. Last year's flood ranks as the sixth-highest crest on record. However, snowfall last winter was a very average 46.6 inches.
Last spring's flood was due not to heavy snow but to a wet fall, a fast snow melt and rain at melting time.
At present, we are running about a foot ahead of the 2009 snow total, but the record 2009 flood was also greatly enhanced by a fast melt and heavy spring rainfall.
We are running about a foot behind the record pace of snowfall set back in 1997. The final 1997 snowfall of 117 inches was more than 2 feet more than what fell in the 2009 winter, but the 2009 flood was the higher crest.
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The point is this: Spring flooding this year is certain, but the severity of the flood cannot be determined yet.
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