Record US snowfall may cause spring floods in Fargo, Grand Falls ND, Winnipeg MB

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2008/12/30/spring-floods.html?ref=rss

"Record snowfalls in North Dakota have left Manitoba water experts nervous about the potential for significant flooding in the Red River Valley in the spring of 2009.

The United States National Weather Service predicts a 66 per cent chance of major flooding and a more than 90 per cent chance of minor to moderate flooding in the Fargo area to the end of April 2009.

Fargo and Grand Forks, N.D., like Winnipeg to the north, sit on the banks of the Red River, which last brought catastrophic floods to the region in 1997...."

that's quite a long range prediction.

It's also a lot of snow that needs to go somewhere when it melts.

The approx 24 inches of snow we had on the ground in my area on Dec 23 all melted with the rain of Dec 24th, and the amazing 60 degree day of Dec 27th. One of the nearby rivers rose 12 feet (according to the local paper) and was still very high yesterday when I went along it. That amount of snow, especially if it melts quickly can cause all sorts of trouble.