Record temps trigger rapid river rises

It's crunch time for river residents and flood forecasters this week.

Rain, record weekend temperatures and the warmest start to March in a decade have combined to shock rivers in the Upper Midwest into flood satge this week.

The Red River at Fargo has risen nearly 10 feet since Friday.

The Crow River in Mayer is forecast to reach flood stage tonight.

Temperatures in the mid 60s in eastern Minnesota and western Wisconsin pretty much took care of the bulk of the snow cover this weekend. But there's still plenty of snow, and future runoff stored in the remaining snow pack in western Minnesota.

NOHRSC snow water equivalent shows 2" to 8" of water equivalent still trapped in snow cover in western Minnesota. Weekend temperatures in the 60s took care of much of the snow cover in eastern Minnesota and Wisconsin.

Most of the remaining snow cover and runoff potential is loaded in the Minnesota and Red River watersheds. It's that water that will lead to headaches for river towns and flood forecasters this week.

Red dots show major flooding already in smaller rivers feeding into the Red near Fargo.

The first half of March has been a nightmare for the flood scenario in the Upper Midwest. Unseasonable rain and record warm temperatures have combined to spike river levels toward flood stage.

March temperatures in the Twin Cities are running 8.5 degrees above average so far. Every day this month has been above average, and temps will continue to run 10 to 15 dgerees above average until a cold front sweeps through Friday. By then it may be too late to stem the rising tide of rivers in the region. Most area rivers are forecast exceed flood stage this week.

Here are some links to keep track of the flooding.

Twin Cities NWS river forecasts

Red River Valley NWS flood forecasts

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