[T]he National Weather Service issued a flood watch for Friday and Saturday across the state caused by snow melt, as temperatures rise to the 50s over the next few days.
All Vermont counties except Bennington and Windham are at risk for flooding, the warning notes, as well as much of northern New York. Valley areas are at particular risk.
“So what we’re expecting is actually ice jam-related flooding, we’re not looking at enough rainfall to say widespread flooding,” said Robert Deal, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in Burlington.
River ice breakup will likely begin during the day on Friday and last through Saturday, with ice in excess of a foot thick potentially jamming rivers and streams.
Deal said there are a few places where they already know of jams, like Ausable Forks on the Ausable River in New York, and Waterbury on the Winooski River.
“Those with interests along area rivers and streams should be alert to sudden changes in river levels and localized flooding,” the warning said. “Report any observed flooding to local law enforcement.”
Fire Chief Robert Gowans, emergency coordinator for Montpelier, said the city has been preparing for this kind of flooding since Jan. 15, by opening a channel in the river, and moving a long-arm excavator to lower State Street in case ice needs to be moved.
“This warm-up is going to be short lived,” Gowans said. “It’s happening right now, and it’ll go through tomorrow and Saturday, and Sunday it’s going to cool off. The question is if it’s going to be warm enough and will there be enough runoff to start to break the ice. And at this point, we’re not quite sure.”
Flooding in past years has hit downtown Montpelier businesses. Most residential areas of the city have not been affected.
