The National Weather Service’s Hydrologic Outlook:
HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA
322 PM EST THU MAR 7 2013 /222 PM CST THU MAR 7 2013/…FLOODING REMAINS POSSIBLE NEXT WEEK…
MANY AREAS ACROSS NORTHERN INDIANA…NORTHWEST OHIO AND PARTS OF SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN RECEIVED BETWEEN 5 AND 12 INCHES OF SNOW TUESDAY NIGHT. THIS WAS A VERY WET SNOW WITH AN AVERAGE LIQUID EQUIVALENT RATIO OF 10 TO 1. THIS MEANS THE LIQUID CONTENT OF THE SNOW PACK IS LIKELY BETWEEN 0.50 INCHES AND 1.20 INCHES. THIS SNOW WILL MELT THROUGH THE WEEKEND…RELEASING WATER INTO THE GROUND WHICH IS ALREADY MOIST AND NEARLY SATURATED AND LEADING TO INCREASED RUNOFF AND RISING RIVER FLOWS.
A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL APPROACH THE REGION LATE SATURDAY AND MOVE THROUGH ON SUNDAY. SEVERAL DISTURBANCES ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM MAY BRING MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF RAINFALL TO THE AREA…WITH SOME INDICATIONS OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS THAT COULD EXCEED ONE OR EVEN TWO INCHES FROM SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF AN INCH COUPLED WITH THE MELTING SNOW WOULD LEAD TO SUBSTANTIAL RISES ON AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS WITH FLOODING DEVELOPING IN LOW LYING AREAS. IF RAINFALL AMOUNTS APPROACH OR EXCEED TWO INCHES…SIGNIFICANT FLOODING WOULD DEVELOP NEXT WEEK.
THIS IS STILL A DEVELOPING SYSTEM WITH UNCERTAIN DETAILS AT THIS TIME. STAY TUNED TO UPDATED FORECASTS THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND LISTEN FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES AND WARNINGS EARLY NEXT WEEK. NOW IS THE TIME TO BEGIN THINKING ABOUT YOUR PREPARATIONS IF YOU LIVE IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS.