While it may still feel like winter, spring has arrived and the snow is melting up north and that could lead to flooding. Minor flooding is predicted in some eastern Iowa river locations this spring. Moderate to major flooding is possible in a few of those areas. That’s according to the latest snow melt flood outlook from the National Weather Service office in Davenport. The outlook is for the Mississippi River from Dubuque to above Canton, Mo., and tributary rivers in eastern Iowa, northwest Illinois and extreme northeast Missouri. The outlook is based on soil moisture, snowpack magnitude and stream flow conditions. Since the outlook considers flooding resulting solely from snow melt, the Weather Service warns that heavy or pro longed rains could produce higher crests. As of March 23, the date of the latest outlook, the Mississippi River and its Illinois tributaries were below flood stage at all locations in eastern Iowa. Many of the Mississippi’s tributaries in Iowa were experiencing minor flooding.
