Perhaps one of the only benefits of drought conditions is not having to worry about spring flooding.
According to the National Weather Service’s latest spring flood outlook… the risk of flooding from late winter into spring is currently below normal in the Raccoon River Valley.
The report says the combination of frozen ground as well as ice under the upper-most layer of the ground has produced a concrete frost situation. As a result, runoff from snow melt and rainfall will be higher than normal until the ground thaws.
Before the storm hit, snow pack was below normal in the area. Stream flows and soil moisture levels are also below normal. The next updated outlook will be released on March 7th.