Note that if drought conditions are not being experienced, or in the case of river flooding or heavy rain, this statement may be used to indicate river flows or flood potential.
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FGUS71 KBOX 191817
ESFBOX
CTZ002>004-MAZ002>024-026-NHZ011-012-015-RIZ001>008-022000-
WINTER/SPRING FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TAUNTON MA
215 PM EST FRI MAR 19 2010
...WINTER/SPRING FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK...
THIS IS THE SIXTH IN A SERIES OF WINTER AND SPRING FLOOD OUTLOOKS
THAT ARE ISSUED BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON MA DURING
JANUARY THROUGH APRIL. THESE OUTLOOKS PERTAIN TO THE FLOOD POTENTIAL
IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND INCLUDING SOUTHWEST NEW HAMPSHIRE...ALL OF
MASSACHUSETTS EXCEPT FOR BERKSHIRE COUNTY...ALL OF RHODE ISLAND...
AND NORTHERN CONNECTICUT.
FLOODING WAS ONGOING ALONG SEVERAL RIVERS IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AND ADJACENT SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THE FLOOD POTENTIAL FROM RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT IS ABOVE NORMAL...
BUT MUCH ABOVE NORMAL IN RHODE ISLAND...EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND
ADJACENT SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THE ICE JAM FLOOD POTENTIAL FOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND IS OVER FOR THE
SEASON. RIVER ICE WAS NON EXISTENT.
...PRECIPITATION...
MARCH PRECIPITATION TO DATE AVERAGED 2 TO 6 INCHES ACROSS MOST OF
THE REGION...WITH AS MUCH AS 7 TO 9 INCHES IN PARTS OF EASTERN
MASSACHUSETTS. THESE TOTALS WERE AS MUCH AS 2 TO 5 INCHES ABOVE
NORMAL.
LOWER MONTHLY TOTALS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES HAVE BEEN OBSERVED NEAR THE
CONNECTICUT RIVER VALLEY...WHICH WERE AS MUCH AS ONE INCH BELOW
NORMAL.
THE MAJORITY OF THIS PRECIPITATION OCCURRED WITH A SIGNIFICANT
COASTAL STORM FROM MARCH 13 TO 15.
...SOIL CONDITIONS...
SOIL MOISTURE WAS WELL ABOVE NORMAL. THE GROUND HAS THAWED OUT IN
MOST OF THE REGION.
...RIVER LEVELS AND RIVER ICE...
RIVER AND STREAM FLOWS WERE RUNNING WELL ABOVE NORMAL. FLOODING WAS
STILL OCCURRING ALONG SEVERAL RIVERS IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND
ADJACENT SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THE ICE JAM FLOOD THREAT IS OVER FOR THE SEASON IN SOUTHERN NEW
ENGLAND. RIVER ICE WAS NON EXISTENT.
...SNOW COVER AND LIQUID CONTENT...
SNOW PACK IS NEAR OR BELOW NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR IN SOUTHERN
NEW ENGLAND.
THE ONLY AREAS WITH ANY APPRECIABLE SNOW COVER INCLUDE SOME WOODED
AREAS IN NORTH CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS...WHERE A FEW INCHES OF SNOW
REMAIN ON THE GROUND. PORTIONS OF WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS ABOVE 1500
FT HAVE AS MUCH AS 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW LEFT ON THE GROUND.
SNOW WATER EQUIVALENTS WERE UNDER ONE INCH ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL
MASSACHUSETTS...AND AS MUCH AS 1 TO 2 INCHES IN PORTIONS OF WESTERN
MASSACHUSETTS ABOVE 1500 FT. THIS IS NEAR NORMAL FOR MID MARCH.
...FORECAST...
DRY CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND...ALLOWING FOR A
SLOW RECESSION ON RIVERS AND STREAMS.
THEREAFTER...A COASTAL STORM IS EXPECTED TO BRING PERIODS OF RAIN
LATE SUNDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. RAINFALL TOTALS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO
BE NEARLY AS MUCH AS THEY WERE LAST WEEK...AND THE RAIN WILL ALSO BE
SPREAD OUT OVER AT LEAST A COUPLE OF DAYS.
AMOUNTS OF UP TO ONE INCH ARE FORECAST AT THIS TIME...WITH A LOW
RISK OF AS MUCH AS 2 INCHES ACROSS RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEAST
MASSACHUSETTS. IT IS TOO EARLY TO DETERMINE THE EFFECTS ON RIVERS
AND STREAMS.
DRY WEATHER SHOULD RETURN FOR MID TO LATE WEEK...ALTHOUGH AN
APPROACHING COLD FRONT COULD BRING AT LEAST SCATTERED SHOWERS TOWARD
THE END OF THE WEEK.
THE LONGER RANGE OUTLOOK FOR MARCH 26 TO APRIL 1 FROM THE CLIMATE
PREDICTION CENTER CALLS FOR ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND NEAR
NORMAL PRECIPITATION.
...SUMMARY...
FLOODING WAS ONGOING ALONG SEVERAL RIVERS IN EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS
AND ADJACENT SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THE FLOOD POTENTIAL FROM RAINFALL AND SNOWMELT IS ABOVE NORMAL...
BUT MUCH ABOVE NORMAL IN RHODE ISLAND...EASTERN MASSACHUSETTS AND
ADJACENT SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE.
THE ICE JAM FLOOD POTENTIAL FOR SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND IS OVER FOR THE
SEASON. RIVER ICE WAS NON EXISTENT.
RIVER AND STREAM FLOWS WHICH WERE WELL ABOVE NORMAL WERE BEING
OFFSET SOMEWHAT BY SNOW COVER WHICH WAS NEAR OR BELOW NORMAL FOR
THIS TIME OF YEAR.
DRY WEATHER THROUGH THE WEEKEND WILL GIVE WAY TO PERIODS OF RAIN
FROM SUNDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY. EARLY INDICATIONS ARE FOR UP TO ONE
INCH OF RAIN IN MOST OF THE AREA...WITH A LOW RISK OF 2 INCHES IN
RHODE ISLAND AND SOUTHEAST MASSACHUSETTS. IT IS TOO EARLY TO
DETERMINE THE EFFECTS ON RIVERS AND STREAMS.
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND IS MOST VULNERABLE TO FLOODING DURING THE LATE
WINTER AND EARLY SPRING. HOWEVER...IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT HEAVY
RAINFALL CAN PRODUCE FLOODING DURING ANY TIME OF YEAR...EVEN IN
AREAS THAT HAVE A BELOW NORMAL POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN TAUNTON ISSUES DAILY HAZARDOUS
WEATHER OUTLOOKS THAT INDICATE THE POTENTIAL FOR WEATHER RELATED
HAZARDS...INCLUDING FLOODING...OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT 7 DAYS.
THIS PRODUCT CAN BE ACCESSED AT HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/BOSTON...LOOK ON
THE LEFT SIDE OF THE PAGE FOR HAZARDOUS OUTLOOKS.
THE NEXT SCHEDULED WINTER/SPRING FLOOD OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED ON
FRIDAY APRIL 2.
$$
JWD
