Spencer, New York

The National Weather Service has declared March 15th through 19th
flood safety awareness week. The National Weather Service in
Binghamton will feature a different educational topic each day
during the awareness week. Today's topic: ice jam and snow melt
flooding.

Each year, late winter and early Spring poses a flood threat to new
yorkers and pennsylvanians who work, live or have interests near
flood prone areas. Typically the Winters snowpack reaches its
maximum depths in upstate New York and northeast Pennsylvania late
in winter, just before the warmer temperatures of Spring arrive.

Statistically, almost every year there is at least some minor
flooding associated with snowmelt, especially if it is associated
with a rainstorm. Some years, if heavy rain combines with warm
temperatures, strong winds and high humidity, rapid snowmelt ensues
which can overwhelm our water systems and lead to major flooding.
Most recently this occurred in January 1996 in which much of the
area saw the worst flooding since hurricane Agnes, and again in
April 2005.

In addition, a typical winter brings ice on many area
streams and creeks and even portions of our larger rivers.
When warmer weather finally returns, melting snow and rain
lead to runoff into our ice clogged streams, creeks
and rivers increasing the risk for an ice jam flood. The
risk of ice jam flooding increases after a cold winter
when the amount of ice in our area water systems is
above normal. An ice jam restricts the natural flow
of a water system causing the water to backup upstream
from the jam often resulting in flooding. An ice jam flood
can occur quickly.

The ice and snowmelt of late winter and Spring leads to
a yearly maximum in flood occurrence. The peak of flood occurrence
varies from March to April across New York and Pennsylvania.

To help the public prepare for the potential of Spring
flooding, the National Weather Service in Binghamton
issues Spring flood potential outlooks every other
Friday which details current snowpack, ice and soil
moisture. The outlook determines the risk for Spring
flooding. This outlook can be found on the Binghamton
web site which is http://weather.Gov/bgm (all lower case).

As of the middle of March, the latest Spring flood potential outlook
is calling for normal chances for Spring flooding. High snowpack is
a big contributor to Spring flood potential. This year, snowpack is
now below normal... with water tables and groundwater supplies near
normal. Soil moisture conditions across the Chemung... upper
Susquehanna... and the upper Delaware basin ranged from unusually
moist to extremely moist. The combination of these conditions
have led to near normal chances for Spring flooding.

The final topic for this week is:

Friday: flood safety

For more information on flood awareness week
check out the following web site:

Http://www.Floodsafety.NOAA.Gov/ (all lower case)

You can also contact David nicosia warning coordination
meteorologist for noaa's National Weather Service in Binghamton at
607-770-9531 x 223 or via email at
David.Nicosia@noaa.Gov