With record snowfall in many parts of the country, spring means danger as melting snow fills rivers and streams. Beware of these events and listen for alerts.
Many regions of the United States and Canada experienced record snowfall this past winter. Now that spring is here, the snow is melting and quickly. The melting snow creates higher capacity for many rivers and streams. Some may not be aware that rivers are higher than normal.
In Washington State this past weekend, a boy died and two are missing due to a boating accident and high water on the Green River. High water has limited search and rescue crews' ability to access points along river. In the above mentioned tragedy, the search and rescue group could not get to the place of the accident for several hours because of the high water.
Another danger of melting snowpack is colder water. Authorities estimate the water temperature of the Washington rivers to be around 40 degrees F. The high water can be up to two feet higher than normal in some rivers. This causes heavy rapids and dangerous areas along rivers.
Beware of high water and colder water temperature due to melting snowpack this Memorial Day weekend. Contact local authorities for river information, as some sections of rivers may be closed to recreation.
