Rivers fall but rain, snow ahead

Despite a small bump from rain Tuesday night, river levels throughout Northwest Montana are projected to fall throughout today.

Flood waters, which affected 10 homes in the West Glacier area and covered portions of Ringneck Drive on Leisure Island with several inches of water, have receded.

The main Flathead River, after hitting a level of 13.5 feet Wednesday afternoon, is expected to drop below 12.5 feet by Friday morning (flood stage is 14 feet).

The Middle Fork Flathead River at West Glacier, after rebounding to 9.75 feet Wednesday afternoon, is expected to drop to 8 feet by Friday morning (flood stage is 10 feet). And the North Fork Flathead River at Polebridge, which climbed to 11.85 feet Wednesday afternoon, is expected to drop to 10.75 feet by Friday morning, below flood stage of 12 feet.

The National Weather Service has contemplated temporarily removing flood warnings for the Flathead River and Middle Fork and a flood watch for the North Fork, weather service hydrologist Ray Nickless said Wednesday.

But river-level forecasts have yet to take into account the effects of a low-pressure system that today and Friday could dump from 3 to 7 inches of rain, snow, or a combination of both on the Continental Divide, he said.

"We might have a short respite here until river levels go up again," said Nickless, noting that forecasts predicting falling river levels relied primarily on lower temperatures.

The low-pressure system, circling counter-clockwise, is predicted to wrap around the divide - picking up moisture from the plains east of the Rocky Mountains and pushing it back up into the Flathead River's headwaters.

"Now the question is how much of that comes down as rain and how much of that comes down as snow," Nickless said. "Be prepared, because this could be quite a flood event if we get most of this in the form of precipitation."

Meteorologists will have a clearer picture today of where that moisture will fall, in what form, and its impact on river levels, Nickless said. The effect on area river levels may not be felt until Friday.

Despite recent warmer weather that has melted snow and swollen area streams and rivers, substantial snowpack remains at higher elevations, leaving the potential for more flooding.

In other parts of the valley, the Whitefish River near its mouth in Kalispell, after hitting 6.5 feet Wednesday afternoon, is expected to level out at about 6 feet throughout the weekend. Flood stage is 8.5 feet.

The Stillwater River at Lawrence Park in Kalispell, after swelling to 6.75 feet Wednesday afternoon, is expected to level out at about 6.5 feet throughout the weekend, below flood stage of 7.5 feet.

And the Swan River near Bigfork, after increasing to 5.75 feet Wednesday afternoon, is expected to drop to below 5.5 feet by the end of the weekend. Flood stage is 6.5 feet.

Reporter Nicholas Ledden can be reached at 758-4441 or by e-mail at nledden@dailyinterlake.com