national weather service warning

Here is the text of this afternoon’s warning bulletin. I separated it into paragraphs to facilitate reading, but didn’t bother translating the all caps “shouting”.

Event: Hydrologic Outlook
Alert:

…RIVERS AND STREAMS ON THE RISE LATER THIS WEEK AND WEEKEND…

TEMPERATURES WILL BE WARM THE REST OF THE WEEK WITH READINGS ON THURSDAY IN THE UPPER 70S TO LOWER 80S. THESE WARM TEMPERATURES WILL START TO ACCELERATE SNOWMELT FROM THE MUCH ABOVE NORMAL SNOWPACK IN THE MOUNTAINS.

THIS SNOW MELT WILL CAUSE SMALL STREAM LEVELS TO INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY. THE INCREASED FLOW IN THE SMALL STREAMS WILL CAUSE MAIN STEM RIVERS TO EXPERIENCE STEADY RISES LATER THIS WEEK AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

A COLD SYSTEM IS ANTICIPATED TO SWING THROUGH THE NORTHERN ROCKIES BY THE WEEKEND WHICH WILL HELP SLOW SNOW MELT. THE SLOWING OF THE SNOW MELT WILL HELP RIVERS CREST TEMPORARILY NEXT WEEK.

THE FOLLOWING RIVERS AND SMALL STREAMS THAT FEED THE RIVERS WILL SEE THE LARGEST INCREASE IN FLOWS LATER THIS WEEKEND AND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK AND WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY:

BITTERROOT RIVER IN RAVALLI AND MISSOULA COUNTIES

CLARK FORK RIVER IN MISSOULA COUNTY

YAAK RIVER IN LINCOLN COUNTY

FLATHEAD & STILLWATER RIVERS IN FLATHEAD COUNTY

You might note, well at least I did, the lag time between the slowing of the snow melt and the halting of the rivers’ rising. So while they are anticipating a cooling this weekend, that won’t translate into a relaxing of the flood watch until a much longer cool period.

Herein lies the one downside to our wonderful riverfront property. Of course it does not come as a surprise, but it has finally inspired the assembly of our bugout bags. Good job, Old Man River.