(North Bay March 9, 2020 - 1:30 pm) It’s official. The spring melt has begun. With rain and warmer temperatures in the forecast, the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority (NBMCA) is issuing a Water Safety Statement to caution area residents of the growing risks near and around area watercourses due to the rain and melting snow.
The current forecast for the North Bay-Mattawa area is for 15-25mm of precipitation overnight, starting this afternoon and turning to snow tomorrow morning. The high will be around 8 degrees Celsius, and temperatures are expected to remain above zero overnight.
Water levels on watercourses within NBMCA jurisdiction are generally at or below their average ranges for this time of year. As of the last NBMCA snow survey (February 28), there was an average of 92.3mm of snow-water-equivalence (SWE) at the three survey sites, which is slightly below normal (78% of average) for that time of year.
“The anticipated rainfall combined with the warm temperatures will result in snowmelt and runoff. Flooding from rivers or lakes is not anticipated at this time, however, water is likely to accumulate on roadways, parking lots, and flat or low-lying areas,” said Kurtis Romanchuk, NBMCA’s Duty Officer.
All residents, especially those in low-lying areas, are encouraged to monitor the conditions that are developing. Banks adjacent to rivers and creeks become very slippery with precipitation and melting conditions. Parents are encouraged to keep their children and pets away from watercourses and water bodies with open water, and exercise caution around frozen areas as ice conditions will begin to deteriorate.
Municipalities are encouraged to monitor shorelines and water crossings and respond to high water levels as necessary.
A close watch on local conditions and updated forecasts and warnings from Environment Canada is also recommended. Staff at the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority will continue to monitor weather and watershed conditions and provide updates if conditions change.
The general public is advised of these messages through the www.nbmca.ca website with the flood status icon and a link to information about current conditions. NBMCA also circulates these messages to local media and social media, posting on Twitter (@theNBMCA), Instagram (nbmcainfo), and Facebook (theNBMCA).
The public is invited to share photos of watershed conditions on social media using #NBMCAFlood.
This message will be in effect until (or updated before) Thursday, March 12, 4:00 pm.
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CONTACT:
Kurtis Romanchuk, Duty Officer, 705 474-5420
Sue Buckle, Manager Communications & Outreach, 705 474-5420 ext 2010 cell: 705 497-4999