HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
Warning Issue Date: 259 PM CST TUE DEC 22 2009
SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AND SNOW MELT POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY...
AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG SURGE OF MOISTURE IS EXPECTED INTO THE
STATE ON WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THIS IS FORECAST TO PUSH
TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON...PRIMARILY
ALONG AND SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 80. THEREFORE...RAIN IS THE PRIMARY
PRECIPITATION TYPE EXPECTED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN THIRD TO HALF OF
CENTRAL IOWA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY. BETWEEN THREE-
QUARTERS AND AN INCH AND A HALF OF RAIN IS FORECAST DURING THIS
TIME. IN ADDITION...THE SNOW ON THE GROUND CONTAINS AROUND AN INCH
TO INCH AND A HALF OF WATER. THE COMBINATION OF THE RAINFALL AND
SNOW MELT WILL LEAD TO LARGE AMOUNTS OF RUNOFF.
TEMPERATURES WILL BE THE BIG FACTOR IN THE EFFICIENCY OF THE
RUNOFF FROM SNOW MELT. SHOULD READING STAY JUST ABOVE
FREEZING...SNOW MELT WILL NOT BE AS QUICK AND RUNOFF WILL BE
MUTED. HOWEVER...SHOULD TEMPERATURES REACH 40 OR HIGHER...THEN
SNOW MELT WILL BE MUCH FASTER WITH A BIGGER RESPONSE IN RUNOFF.
AREA STREAMS AND RIVERS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF IOWA WILL
LIKELY EXPERIENCE LARGE RISES DUE TO THE COMBINATION OF RAINFALL
AND SNOW MELT BY THURSDAY AND RIVER FLOODING MAY BECOME
PROBLEMATIC. BASINS WHICH APPEAR MOST LIKELY TO BE AFFECTED
INCLUDE THE CHARITON...LOWER DES MOINES...SOUTH SKUNK...CEDAR
CREEK...AND THE THOMPSON RIVERS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HALF OF
CENTRAL IOWA.
$$
COGIL
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