[Targo]

I'd say they're about 100 to 1 in favor of some fine flooding this spring.

[vter]

I agree. Whats worse, a long drawn out snow melt, or a one day warm rain event?

[Targo]

A long./slow melt would mean less flooding but the closer we get to April without a good melt-down the more likely it is that we'll hit the 50s, with temperatures above freezing at night, resulting in some nasty flooding.

[vter]

I'll never forget Montpelier in 1992 (or was it 91?). That was crazy.

[Targo]

Yeah, that was ugly. I don't know what the river looks like there this year but they're always trying to keep it open in the late winter if they can.

[flu189]

Probably a good chance some areas will see flooding due to the existing snow pack and saturated ground. The next ten days out looks OK for a gradual thaw, but if we start getting steady rain then it will be a mess. As far as ice jams on the rivers it looks pretty unlikely this will be an issue as we did not have any extended periods of serious sub zero temps and if weather averages persist we are done with the bitter cold. I have three small streams which can become pretty swollen and back during the January thaw I cleaned out some blocks caused by accumulated branch and leaf debris. I also have two culverts which I make sure stay clear to keep water from rising up and over the driveway.

[vter]

We call our driveway "the glacier" this time of year as it turns into one big ice sheet due to the spring run off LOL.

[MRVphotog]

Even after the snow safely melts off you can have big floods from a couple of days of hard rain..... It was unreal, Rt 100 south in Granville Gulf looked like a roller coaster ride. Large field was filled with brown water with the white plastic covered hayrolls bobbing about looked like hot chocolate with those mini-mushrooms. It was also the day of the big Ben & Jerry Festival which was cancelled, of course.

From the Boston Globe:
VT. FLOODING TRAPS RESIDENTS, SWEEPS AWAY CARS, BRIDGES
Published on June 28, 1998
Author(s): Ellen O'Brien, Globe Staff and Lolly Bowean, Globe Correspondent

WARREN, Vt. -- A day of relentless rain forced riverbanks and bridges to collapse yesterday, spewing forth dangerous waters that swept away mobile homes and cars, forced residents into trees, and stranded hikers on mountaintops.

Governor Howard Dean declared a state of emergency in four counties -- Addison, Washington, Orange, and Windsor -- and said that he would be touring the sites by helicopter as early as today. He said he expects the area will be declared a federal disaster area.

[flu189]

I remember the '98 storm as I was preparing to hike the Long Trail section from Rte 4 to I 89 in Jonesville that summer. Luckily we came back in August and by then things had pretty well dried out. That storm was unique in that I believe it rained six or so inches in a very short period of time. I also remember that year seeing all the damage from the ice storm the previous January as there were extended sections of the forest where the canopy was virtually completely gone.

[Targo]

After today, day time highs only in the 30s till next Thurs forecast. The 27th of March with as much snow as is still going to be a round........How can it NOT bounce into the 50s before to long?