Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Heavy Rain & Flash Flood Forecast

FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF 10 STATES
FLOOD WATCH GOES INTO EFFECT FOR MOST OF OHIO FROM SATURDAY MORNING UNTIL SUNDAY EVENING...

Temps will slowly rise into the 40s with a possible 50+ by Sunday. The boundary between the milder air and the winter cold push next week will be very close to northern Ohio.

A stalled front will set up shop along the sharp temperature boundary. Rainfall will be heavy and extensive across the midwest and Ohio.
 
 Initial projections give northern Ohio over 2" by Sunday afternoon.
What about flooding? The snow cover is anywhere from 3 inches south up to a foot in the snowbelt. The liquid equivalent of the snow is around an inch to locally higher amounts.

6 hour Flash Flood guidance for Ohio shows we would need at least 2 inches of rain over a 6 hour time to create flash flood conditions. This does not take into account the snow melt however.

Combining the snow melt and the heavy rainfall, the National Weather Service has included much of Ohio in a "Potential Flash Flood" area for late Sunday. 

Here are some river water stage forecasts for the next 10 days. All rivers below except the Tuscarawas River near Massillon show minor flooding late Sunday into Monday. For current forecasts, here is the site RIVER FORECASTS

Cuyahoga River at Independence - Peak early Monday 12/23

Grand River at Painseville - Peak Sunday night 12/22
Huron River at Milan - Peak Sunday morning 12/22

Tuscarawas River at Massillon - Peak late Sunday through Tuesday

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