Minimal flooding danger is foreseen

As spring approaches, sometimes local residents' thoughts turn to the possibility of rivers and streams flooding on account of melting snow.

Given the snowfall the area received in February Ð not a record, but a higher level than in several years Ð it may seem that the threat of spring flooding is elevated this year.

Not so, according to the Susquehanna River Basin Commission, which monitors the river and its tributaries for potential flooding dangers.

"Short of getting a heavy rainfall, a slow melt of the snow pack is more likely, which makes flooding less of a possibility,'' according to Susan Obleski, the commission's press secretary.

Even an abrupt shift to much warmer weather in March would not speed the melting of snow to a point where it would trigger flooding, according to Obleski.

She said that during the river flooding of January 1996, all of the elements necessary for problems to occur were present: a large snow pack, heavy rains and a substantial ice build up on the river.

The current snow pack is much smaller and river ice has not been an issue this winter, Obleski stated.

The snow pack also has other benefits, she noted. It helps the groundwater levels to "recharge'' going into the early spring, an important factor in forestalling drought later in the year.

And just how much snow did we get in February?

The Sentinel's "weather bureau'' in Powell's Valley recorded 45.25 inches. Amounts may vary, depending on location.