Whitebreast Creek Flooding on G-76 in 2015

The third of three flood outlooks issued by the National Weather Service shows the flood risk remains low overall for Central Iowa rivers and streams.

An extremely dry period starting in late January through the end of February has decreased the chances for excessive water flow issues and has returned much of the state in abnormally dry conditions on the U.S. Drought Monitor report. However, the U.S. Climate Prediction Center has a slight chance of above average precipitation this month — especially in the eastern half in Iowa.

Senior Hydrologist Jeff Zogg with the National Weather Service says that doesn’t rule out any localized concerns that come from excessive rainfall events, but the outlook is meant instead to give general conditions based on soil moisture, stream flows, winter snowpack/snowmelt, and long term climate trends.