The slush and the mud

A week has passed without sunshine. Instead, there are gray clouds releasing a slow but steady mist, which occasionally turns to rain. The frozen landscape is slowly thawing into a slushy, muddy mess. Some local farmers are still trying to get last year's corn out of the fields before the frost comes out of the ground. Meltwater flows on top of the ice in the rivers and ditches. Gravity waits for no one or no thing.

The National Weather Service updates the flood forecast with changing conditions. In this case, even a cold rain melts snow faster than warm and dry weather. Spring rains were accounted for in the flood models, so few adjustments are necessary until something unexpected occurs. Major flooding is still likely for most locations along the main stem of the Red River. Significant overland flooding is expected from the tributaries feeding the southern basin (that's us). Like last spring, the fields will fill up with water, roads will wash out, and conditions will change rapidly. And so it begins.