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911 

RWUS32 KBTV 100339

FFSBTV

NYZ026>031-034-035-VTZ001>012-101100-



FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BURLINGTON VT

1037 PM EST FRI FEB 9 2001



...ICE JAMS ARE A POSSIBILITY TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING...



A STRENGTHENING STORM SYSTEM WILL TRACK THROUGH THE ST. LAWRENCE

VALLEY OVERNIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED

WITH THIS STORM WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE NORTH COUNTRY LATE TONIGHT

AND EARLY SATURDAY. AS OF THIS EVENING...PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS FROM

THIS STORM AVERAGED AROUND A QUARTER INCH...WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS

BEING AROUND A HALF INCH. SOME OF THIS PRECIPITATION FELL AS SNOW...

SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN EARLIER TODAY.



RAIN SHOWERS OVERNIGHT ARE EXPECTED TO DEPOSIT ANOTHER QUARTER TO A

HALF AN INCH OF RAINFALL. THE RAIN WILL CHANGE OVER TO SNOW FROM WEST

TO EAST ACROSS NORTHERN NEW YORK AND VERMONT BY EARLY SATURDAY

MORNING AS THE COLD FRONT QUICKLY PASSES THROUGH.



AS OF THIS MORNING...GREATER THAN A FOOT OR TWO OF SNOW WAS ON THE

GROUND ACROSS MUCH OF NORTHERN NEW YORK AND VERMONT. AS MUCH AS TWO

TO FIVE INCHES OF WATER WAS LOCKED IN THIS SNOWPACK. WARMER

TEMPERATURES COMBINED WITH RAIN WILL CAUSE SOME OF THIS SNOW TO

MELT...AND THE WATER FROM THE SNOW WILL BE RUNNING OFF INTO AREA

WATERWAYS. THIS WILL CAUSE RIVERS AND STREAMS TO RISE SOME OVERNIGHT

AND MAY CAUSE ICE TO BREAKUP AND START TO MOVE...WHICH IN TURN MAY

LEAD TO THE FORMATION OF ICE JAMS.



ICE JAMS CAN RESULT IN A RAPID RISE IN WATER LEVELS UPSTREAM OF THE

JAM. ICE JAMS NORMALLY FORM IN AREAS WHERE THE RIVER BENDS OR NARROWS

OR WHERE THE FLOW OF WATER IS RESTRICTED BY MAN-MADE OBJECTS SUCH AS

A BRIDGE. THE ONSET OF FLOODING IS OFTEN RAPID AND CAN BE

DEVASTATING.



IN ADDITION...PONDING OF RAINFALL AND MELTWATER ON AREA ROADS WILL

BE A PROBLEM OVERNIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY BEFORE THE TEMPERATURE

DROPS BELOW FREEZING AND THINGS HARDEN UP.



BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE

DANGERS OF FLOODING. AVOID DRIVING INTO WATER OF UNKNOWN DEPTH...LOW

WATER CROSSINGS AND FLOOD PRONE AREAS. IF YOU ARE TRAVELING NEAR

RIVERS OR STREAMS...USE CAUTION AS SOME ROADS AND LOW-LYING AREAS

MAY BE COVERED BY WATER. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS A FLOODED ROAD.



STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR COMMERCIAL MEDIA FOR THE LATEST

INFORMATION ON THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

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