* WHAT…Flooding caused by snowmelt is possible.
* WHERE…Including the following areas, rivers and creeks draining
the Brooks Range including areas around the Central Arctic Plains,
Central Beaufort Sea Coast, Eastern Beaufort Sea Coast, and
Western Arctic Plains. This includes the Colville, Kuparuk, Sag,
and Canning Rivers.
* WHEN…From Friday morning through Tuesday afternoon.
* IMPACTS…Rapid snowmelt and ice jams could lead to flooding of
rivers and streams across the North Slope. Access to roads,
airstrips, and low-lying infrastructure may be affected. High
flows could lead to bank erosion that could threaten nearby roads.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…
– Flooding is possible across the North Slope due to an
unusually deep and persistent late-season snowpack combined
with a sharp and prolonged warming trend through the rest of
the week into the weekend. Snowpack remains largely intact
across the North Slope, with some sites reporting near record
snowpack levels for this time of year. A rapid onset of
snowmelt is expected as temperatures warm into the 50’s and
60’s across the north side of the Brooks Range, with interior
portions of the North Slope expected to potentially warm into
the 70s by the weekend. Intact ice remains on many of the
larger rivers, and the sudden influx of snowmelt runoff could
lead to ice jam formation. These jams can cause sudden and
severe rises in water levels, posing a significant threat to
roads or other infrastructure near the affected waterways.
River levels are expected to begin rising within the next 24
hours and will likely crest by the end of the weekend into
early next week.
– Http://www.weather.gov/aprfc