The 41 inches of snow that has fallen so far this winter is an interesting statistic, but people often read more into that number than they should.
It does not work to compare seasonal snow to date with other years in order to make inferences about spring flooding. Some snow is dry and some snow is wet. In 1994, our region had already accumulated 50 to 60 inches of snow (53 inches here in Fargo-Moorhead), but the spring flood remained below 30 feet because the snow water content was not very high and there was a favorable melt.
Last winter, snow to today's date did not have anyone thinking flood, but then it started snowing in February and didn't quit until April. The very wet fall and the water content in the snowpack have already made spring flooding certain, but the weather for the remainder of the winter will determine how serious the flooding will be.
