839  
FGUS73 KIWX 142042  
ESFIWX  
 
PROBABILISTIC HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORTHERN INDIANA  
442 PM EDT THU MAR 14 2024  
 
... ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE 90 DAY PROBABILISTIC  
FORECAST...  
 
THIS IS THE 90 DAY PROBABILISTIC FORECAST FOR LOCATIONS ALONG THE  
KANKAKEE RIVER BASIN IN NORTHERN INDIANA AND FOR THE SAINT  
JOSEPH RIVER BASIN IN NORTHERN INDIANA AND SOUTHERN MICHIGAN.  
 
IN THE TABLE BELOW THE 95 THROUGH 5 PERCENT COLUMNS INDICATE THE  
CHANCE THE RIVER COULD RISE TO OR ABOVE THE LISTED STAGE LEVELS IN  
THE NEXT 90 DAYS.  
 
FOR EXAMPLE, THE KANKAKEE RIVER AT DAVIS, INDIANA HAS A FLOOD STAGE  
OF 10 FEET. IN THE NEXT 90 DAYS THERE IS A 10 PERCENT CHANCE THE  
RIVER WILL RISE TO OR ABOVE 9.5 FEET.  
 
THE ST. JOSEPH RIVER AT SOUTH BEND, INDIANA HAS A FLOOD STAGE OF  
5.5 FEET. IN THE NEXT 90 DAYS THERE IS A 25 PERCENT CHANCE THE  
RIVER WILL RISE TO OR ABOVE 5.3 FEET.  
 
CHANCE OF EXCEEDING STAGES AT SPECIFIC LOCATIONS  
...VALID MARCH 14 2024 - MAY 31 2024...  
 
KANKAKEE RIVER BASIN...  
LOCATION FS(FT) 95% 90% 75% 50% 25% 10% 5%  
 
KANKAKEE RIVER  
DAVIS IN 10 6.9 7.0 7.4 8.1 8.9 9.5 10.0  
 
YELLOW RIVER  
PLYMOUTH IN 13 7.1 8.2 9.5 10.8 12.3 13.6 13.9  
KNOX IN 10 6.5 6.7 7.2 7.4 7.9 8.4 8.8  
 
SAINT JOSEPH RIVER MICHIGAN BASIN...  
LOCATION FS(FT) 95% 90% 75% 50% 25% 10% 5%  
 
SAINT JOSEPH RIVER MICHIGAN  
THREE RIVERS MI 7 5.0 5.3 5.6 6.4 7.1 7.7 8.6  
MOTTVILLE MI 8 4.6 4.8 5.3 5.9 6.6 7.1 7.9  
ELKHART IN 24 20.4 20.8 21.4 22.1 22.8 24.1 25.3  
SOUTH BEND IN 5.5 2.0 2.4 3.4 4.4 5.3 6.7 7.5  
NILES MI 11 7.0 7.4 8.3 9.2 10.2 11.9 12.8  
 
ELKHART RIVER  
GOSHEN IN 7 3.1 3.3 3.9 4.8 5.9 7.2 8.0  
COSPERVILLE IN 6 4.6 4.6 5.0 5.6 6.2 6.7 7.3  
 
THIS LONG-RANGE PROBABILISTIC OUTLOOK CONTAINS FORECAST VALUES THAT  
ARE CALCULATED USING MULTIPLE SEASON SCENARIOS FROM 30 OR MORE  
YEARS OF CLIMATOLOGICAL DATA INCLUDING CURRENT CONDITIONS OF THE  
RIVER, SOIL MOISTURE, SNOW MELT AND 30 TO 90 DAY LONG-RANGE  
OUTLOOKS OF TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION. BY PROVIDING THE COMPLETE  
RANGE OF PROBABILITIES, THE LEVEL OF RISK ASSOCIATED WITH  
LONG-RANGE PLANNING DECISIONS CAN BE DETERMINED. THESE  
PROBABILISTIC FORECASTS ARE A PART OF NOAA NATIONAL WEATHER  
SERVICES ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE.  
 
ADDITIONAL SUPPORTIVE DATA AND EXPLANATIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON  
AHPS AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/IWX, UNDER RIVERS AND LAKES.  
   
..SNOW COVER/SOIL CONDITIONS
 
 
GIVEN THE RECORD TO NEAR RECORD BREAKING MILD CONDTIONS WITH HIGHS  
IN THE 70S LAST WEEK, NO SNOW COVER OR ICE ON RIVERS WAS PRESENT.  
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS DURING THE PAST 60 DAYS HAVE BEEN ABOVE NORMAL  
WITH CALCULATED SOIL MOISTURE INCREASING WITH VALUES TODAY RISING  
ABOVE NORMAL WITH THE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TODAY.  
   
..WEATHER OUTLOOK
 
 
THE OVERAL MILD WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST, ALTHOUGH ENSO  
CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST TO RAPIDLY TRANSITION TO A LA NINA PATTERN  
BY MID TO LATE SUMMER, FAVORING A MORE ACTIVE PATTERN. RAINFALL AT  
TIME THROUGH THE END OF MAY IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR THE NORMAL  
AMOUNTS NEAR 9 INCHES.  
   
..RIVER CONDITIONS
 
 
AT THE ONSET, RIVERS WERE NEAR OR BELOW ACTION STAGE ALONG THE  
ST JOSEPH RIVER AND KANKAKEE RIVERS IN NORTHWEST INDIANA AND FAR  
SOUTHWEST LOWER MICHIGAN.  
   
..OVERALL FLOOD RISK
 
 
GIVEN THE MOIST SOIL STATE WITH RECENT RAINFALL, THE OVERALL FLOOD  
RISK IS EXPECTED TO BE NEAR NORMAL INTO MAY.  
 
   
..FLOOD TERMINOLOGY
 
 
THE TERM MINOR FLOODING IS USED TO INDICATE MINIMAL OR NO PROPERTY  
DAMAGE. HOWEVER, SOME PUBLIC INCONVENIENCE IS POSSIBLE.  
 
THE TERM MODERATE FLOODING IS USED TO INDICATE THE INUNDATION OF  
SECONDARY ROADS. TRANSFER TO A HIGHER ELEVATION MAY BE NECESSARY TO  
SAVE PROPERTY.  
 
THE TERM MAJOR FLOODING IS USED TO INDICATE EXTENSIVE INUNDATION  
AND PROPERTY DAMAGE, USUALLY CHARACTERIZED BY THE EVACUATION OF  
PEOPLE AND LIVESTOCK AND THE CLOSURE OF BOTH PRIMARY AND SECONDARY  
ROADS.  
 
THE NEXT LONG-RANGE PROBABILISTIC OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED IN  
INI FEBRUARY OF 2025 FOR THE KANKAKEE AND SAINT JOSEPH RIVER BASINS.  
 

 
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab IN Page
The Nexlab OH Page
The Nexlab MI Page Main Text Page