Wet weather causes worries

The Northern Panhandle region has received a record amount of precipitation for March and the colder weather could pose a problem for flooding.

Boundary County Emergency Incident Commander Bob Graham said the Panhandle’s mountain precipitation was 225 percent of average.

Graham also said in the Schweitzer basin where levels were measured at 18 inches of precipitation for the month of March, broke  it’s previous record by 11 inches.

The average snow pack for the northern Panhandle is 132 percent of its average.

One of Boundary County’s major creeks is also higher than average. Smith Creek near Porthill is  129 percent of its average, according to Graham.

“The month of March has significantly changed everything for the panhandle,” Graham said. “Now depending on what we see for April we could get problems as we should be peaked out by now for snowpack in the mountains.”

A major problem Graham said is, as it was last year, the area is receiving precipitation as well as colder temperatures particularly in the mountains and mid level areas and even in the valleys at night.

 This means the snow pack is melting slower and a rush of warm weather can cause problem flooding.

Warmer weather is predicted for the next week with colder weather to follow once again.

Graham said this also happened last year, but because of the higher percentage of precipitation averages, the flooding problems from melt off could be worse this year.

 Graham assures people that if problems begin that they will be taken care of as quickly as the county can get to them.

There are free sand bags located at the front fence of Boundary County Road and Bridge. The also can be picked up at the county landfill.

If a flooding-related problem arises that is out of your control, call the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office, 267-3151.

Short-term forecasts for Bonners Ferry can be found here:

www.nwrfc.noaa.gov/river/station/flowplow/flowplot.cgi?lid=BF BFEI1