IOWA IS AMONG MANY STATES IN OUR REGION SEEING SNOWFALL WELL BELOW NORMAL THIS WINTER, AND THE LACK OF SNOWPACK OUT WEST IS BRINGING A BELOW-NORMAL RUNOFF FORECAST FOR THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN.
RYAN LARSEN, WITH THE U-S ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS, SAYS WITH BELOW-NORMAL MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK AND LITTLE-TO-NO PLAINS SNOWPACK, ANY RUNOFF OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS WILL DEPEND ON RAINFALL.
RUNOFF15 OC……..”RUNOFF TO OCCUR” :20
FEBRUARY RUNOFF IN THE MISSOURI RIVER BASIN ABOVE SIOUX CITY WAS 113% OF AVERAGE DUE TO THE WARMTH, BUT THE RUNOFF FORECAST REMAINS AT 80% OF AVERAGE.
DOUG KLUCK, A CLIMATOLOGIST WITH THE NATIONAL DROUGHT MITIGATION CENTER, SAYS THE LACK OF MOUNTAIN SNOWPACK COMES DESPITE AVERAGE TO ABOVE-AVERAGE PRECIPITATION IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OF THE BASIN.
RUNOFF16 OC……. “MELT SEASON” :19
HE SAYS LITTLE-TO-NO SNOWPACK HAS ACCUMULATED ON THE PLAINS.
LISA HOLTS, A HYDROLOGIST WITH THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE, SAYS DROUGHT CONDITIONS ARE EXPANDING, WITH MORE THAN 57% OF THE BASIN EXPERIENCING AT LEAST MODERATE DROUGHT.
SHE SAYS WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE BASIN ARE FACING THE HARSHEST DROUGHT CONDITIONS.
RUNOFF17 OC……….”LAST YEAR” :11
RELEASES FROM GAVINS POINT DAM IN YANKTON, SOUTH DAKOTA, WILL SOON BE INCREASED FROM ITS CURRENT RATE OF 12,000 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND TO BEGIN PROVIDING MINIMUM SERVICE NAVIGATION FLOW SUPPORT ON THE LOWER MISSOURI RIVER.
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