(source) – NWS La Crosse
*** FLOOD POTENTIAL HIGHLIGHTS *** OVERALL...NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED FROM THE FIRST OUTLOOK ISSUED TWO WEEKS AGO. THE FLOOD POTENTIAL FOR THIS SPRING LOOKS TO BE BELOW NORMAL AS COMPARED TO A TYPICAL YEAR. THE WIDESPREAD LACK OF WINTER PRECIPITATION HAS CONTINUED...AND CONTINUES TO BE WELL BELOW WHAT WE MIGHT NORMALLY SEE FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THIS CONTINUES TO POINT TO A VERY LOW LIKELIHOOD OF ANY SIGNIFICANT OR WIDESPREAD SPRING FLOODING FROM SNOWMELT RUNOFF AT THIS TIME. ONE AREA THAT REMAINS SOMEWHAT OF A CONCERN CONTINUES TO BE THE AMOUNT AND THICKNESS OF ICE IN AREA CREEKS AND RIVERS. THE RECENT COLD HAS HELPED TO THICKEN THE ICE. WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED THIS WEEKEND AND THROUGH NEXT WEEK...RUNOFF MAY BE SUFFICIENT TO RAISE WATER LEVELS ENOUGH TO BREAK THIS ICE UP ON SOME WATERWAYS. AS THIS OCCURS...ICE JAMS ARE A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY...ESPECIALLY IN TYPICAL PROBLEM SPOTS SUCH AS NEAR BRIDGES AND OTHER CONSTRICTIONS IN THE RIVER...OR WHERE THE RIVER MAKES SHARP TURNS OR MEANDERS. LARGE CHUNKS OF ICE MOVING DOWNSTREAM COULD GET HUNG UP IN THESE AREAS...LEADING TO JAMS AND POTENTIAL FLOODING. IF ICE FLOES OR ANY JAMMING IS OBSERVED...BE SURE TO REPORT THIS INFORMATION TO LOCAL OFFICIALS OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
Snow depth, temperature, and water equivalent as of March 5th, 2015:
Images courtesy National Snow Analysis