Home

May 26, 2011--Weather Service wary of June flooding in Colorado (Denver Post)

As heavy piles of snow wait in the mountains and most rivers are still running at or below normal — at a time they should be raging — the National Weather Service warns that June could bring flooding to Colorado. The state's spring runoff normally begins in early to mid-May and peaks by the second week of June, but some parts of the high country are still buried by up to 16 feet of snow. National Weather Service hydrologist Treste Huse said a spate of warm temperatures in June could send water over the banks of many rivers and streams in the week ahead. To help residents and others monitor flooding, the U.S. Geological Survey has established its WaterAlert system, which allows those who sign up to set parameters for specific rivers and receive an alert by text or e-mail when the waterway passes that threshold. The site is at http://water.usgs.gov/wateralert/. Colorado's statewide snowpack today is at 232 percent, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service. Snowpack is even higher in the mountains — 261 percent in the Colorado River basin.

To view the full article, visit the Denver Post. For a copy of the original article contact the WIP at (970) 247-1302 or stop by the office at 841 East Second Avenue in Durango.


Published in