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VALLEY CITY, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Valley City, Barnes County and State Emergency Management officials held a meeting in Valley City to discuss the necessary steps to prepare for possible major flooding in the spring of 2019.

US Army Corps of Engineers Baldhill Dam Resource Manager Rich Schueneman said conditions are drier in the Upper Sheyenne River Basin near Maddock, ND but in the middle portion of the basin near Cooperstown, ND there is more moisture content with the snow base.

He told those attending the meeting that there is a 50 percent chance that the Sheyenne River in Valley City could reach 18 feet this spring. But he said melting condition this week are favorable to reducing that forecast if no major snowfall or rainfall event hits the river basin this year. He added that the storage capacity at Lake Ashtabula is at a good level this week.

Valley City Administrator David Schelkoph said the city hosted the meeting on March 18th to make sure all of the key agencies are on the same page if the city needs to declare an emergency and mobilize their flood fighting efforts. Schelkoph said the city has reduced the need for sandbags after several properties near the river have been a part of the flood buyout process over the last seven years.

The following is information about the 2019 Flood Outlook issued by the National Weather Service office in Grand Forks on Friday, March 15 and on Monday, March 18.

Hydrologic Outlook
National Weather Service Grand Forks ND
114 PM CDT Mon Mar 18 2019

Generally favorable melt conditions are expected to persist through the week. Temperatures will top out in the mid to upper 30s at the beginning of the work week but will gradually warm into the 40s by the weekend. Weekend temperatures could potentially reach into the lower 50s across the far southern Red River Valley and the upland valley fringes. These temperatures will aid in ripening the snowpack across the region but with low temperatures dipping back well below the freezing mark, water is not yet expected to begin making its way into the river system.

No major weather systems are expected to impact the region through the end of the work week.

A switch to a more active weather pattern is possible heading into the last week of March. Trends are being monitored for a weather system to potentially impact the region late in the weekend/early
next week. This system could bring snow, rain, or a mix of precipitation types to somewhere across the Northern Plains but it is far too soon to pinpoint any specifics at this time.

An updated thaw progress statement will be issued on Thursday, March 21st regarding the status of the spring snowmelt and future flood potential.

Flood-Outlook