NWS warns of potential floods, slides

March 27, 2012

The National Weather Service today issued warnings that atmospheric models from north central Idaho through northwest Montana Friday through Saturday bode ill. If the models hold true, we could see significant rainfall beginning Friday and lasting into Saturday which, combined with snowmelt from rapidly increasing temperatures, make it likely that the area will experience small-stream flooding, significant ponding on the more level surfaces and, worse yet, the threat of rock and mud slides. The National Weather Service is confident that the threat potential is high, but the specific placement of the areas of heaviest rainfall remains uncertain as conditions develop. Better data with which to back up forecasts and narrow the areas likely to be hardest hit will be available as the system develops, but deems it important to release warnings now so that those in more susceptible areas can better prepare.