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FGUS75 KSLC 151915
ESFSLC
HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SALT LAKE CITY UTAH
110 PM MDT THU MAY 15 2008
...SIGNIFICANT RIVER RISES EXPECTED...
WITH THE ONSET OF TEMPERATURES 15 TO 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL
BEGINNING FRIDAY...MAY 16TH AND CONTINUING AT LEAST THROUGH TUESDAY
..MAY 21ST
SPRING SNOWMELT RUNOFF WILL DRAMATICALLY ACCELERATE
ALONG THE NORTHERN UTAH RIVERS. SOUTHERN UTAH STREAMS AND RIVERS
WILL RISE...BUT THE RISE WILL NOT BE NEARLY AS DRAMATIC AS THEIR
NORTHERN NEIGHBORS.
SNOWPACKS ARE CURRENTLY ISOTHERMAL AND READY TO PRODUCE MELTWATER
ON THE AVERAGE OF 1.5 TO 2.0 INCHES PER DAY WHEN THE HOTTEST
TEMPERATURES OCCUR BEGINNING ON THE WEEKEND OF MAY 17TH. MOST
NORTHERN MOUNTAIN SNOWPACKS ABOVE THE 8000 FOOT LEVEL ARE RECORDING
ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO 25 INCHES OF SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT...WITH LARGER
AMOUNTS AT THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS.
THE COMBINATION OF COPIOUS SNOWPACKS AND HOT TEMPERATURES ARE
EXPECTED TO INCREASE STREAMFLOW VOLUMES TO NEAR CHANNEL CAPACITY
THROUGHOUT THE NORTH. SOUTHERN UTAH STREAMFLOWS ARE EXPECTED TO
INCREASE...BUT ONLY REACH MODEST PEAK FLOW VOLUMES THIS SPRING.
WHILE SPRING SNOWMELT RUNOFF IS EXPECTED TO FLOW AT VERY HIGH
LEVELS...FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED DUE SOLELY TO MELTWATER. IT IS
POSSIBLE THAT INCREASED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MAY BRING SELECTED
WATERWAYS BRIEFLY OVER FLOOD STAGE...BUT AT THIS TIME IT IS NOT
PROBABLE.
SOME STREAMFLOWS TO WATCH AS OF THURSDAY...MAY 15TH INCLUDE CITY
CREEK AS IT FLOWS THROUGH MEMORY GROVE PARK NEAR DOWNTOWN SALT LAKE
CITY. CITY CREEK IS CURRENTLY FLOWING AT 16 CUBIC FEET PER SECOND
(CFS)...AND IS EXPECTED TO REACH 125 CFS BY MAY 22ND. FLOOD STAGE
FOR CITY CREEK IS 200 CFS. LITTLE COTTONWOOD CREEK AS IT EXITS THE
CANYON IS CURRENTLY FLOWING AT 40 CFS AND ANTICIPATED TO RISE TO 440
CFS BY MAY 21ST. FLOOD FLOW FOR LITTLE COTTONWOOD IS 800 CFS. THE
WEBER RIVER AS IT FLOWS NEAR OAKLEY, UTAH IS CURRENTLY FLOWING AT
412 CFS...AND EXPECTED TO REACH 1720 CFS BY MAY 22ND. FLOOD STAGE
FOR THE WEBER RIVER IN THIS AREA IS 2410 CFS. THE PROVO RIVER ABOVE
JORDANELLE RESERVOIR IS CURRENTLY FLOWING AT 516 CFS...AND
ANTICIPATED TO INCREASE TO 2400 CFS BY MAY 21ST. FLOOD STAGE FOR
THE PROVO RIVER IN THIS AREA IS 3160 CFS.
DURING THIS TIME...ALL WATERWAYS FED BY SPRING SNOWMELT RUNOFF WILL
RUN VERY SWIFT...COLD...AND DANGEROUS LEVELS. WATER TEMPERATURES IN
THE STREAMS AND RIVERS WILL BE NEAR FREEZING. AS A RESULT...
HYPOTHERMIA WILL OCCUR WITHIN MINUTES IF A PERSON WERE TO BECOME
IMMERSED. PLEASE MONITOR YOUR CHILDREN CLOSELY AND USE PRUDENT
JUDGEMENT WHEN VENTURING NEAR THESE WATERS.
ADDITIONAL OUTLOOKS WILL BE ISSUED AS CONDITIONS EVOLVE.
MCINERNEY
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