February 20, 2025
Caution Advised as Streams and Rivers聽Continue to Rise
The 糖心直播 (UTRCA) reports local streams and rivers are continuing to rise and will stay high over the weekend and early next week, with water spilling into low lying聽floodplain聽areas that typically flood in the鈥痵pring.
The UTRCA reminds everyone to use聽extreme聽caution near聽all聽streams, rivers, ditches, and ponds.聽Stream banks聽may聽be slippery and unstable,聽and the water is聽very聽cold and fast-moving.聽Any聽ice cover聽is聽weakened and unstable.聽Ice on flood control reservoirs is especially hazardous due to fluctuating water levels.
Stay out of any flooded areas and do not drive through flooded roadways. Caregivers are reminded to keep children and pets away from watercourses.聽It is not safe to take shelter along riverbanks or in low lying areas that are prone to flooding.
This week鈥檚聽above freezing聽temperatures and rain have started melting the snowpack in the聽Upper Thames River聽watershed. So聽far,聽the area has received about 10 mm of rain,聽with daytime temperatures rising above 0掳听Celsius but generally remaining below聽6掳 C聽and聽returning聽to freezing or below聽overnight.
Five to聽15 mm of聽rain is still in the forecast聽with similar temperature patterns聽as聽seen during the week, before cooler temperatures return Sunday. These conditions will continue to聽erode聽the snowpack聽and聽cause聽water levels to rise further.
The聽UTRCA聽snow survey聽on聽Tuesday, February 17,聽reported an average of 65 mm of snow-water equivalent in the watershed, with higher amounts north of Highway 7.聽Some of the snowpack is expected to remain聽at the end of this warming period.
The聽UTRCA聽is聽operating聽its flood control reservoirs at聽Fanshawe, Wildwood, and Pittock Conservation Areas to reduce downstream flooding.
- See Thames River water levels and flows
- Types of flood bulletins
- Find out how the UTRCA manages floods
颁辞苍迟补肠迟:听Eleanor Heagy,聽Communications and Marketing Coordinator