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FGUS71 KRLX 141504
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HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLESTON WV
1104 AM EDT FRI MAR 14 2008

KYZ101>103-105-OHZ066-067-075-076-083>087-VAZ003-004-WVZ005>011-
013>020-024>040-046-047-150315-
1104 AM EDT FRI MAR 14 2008

...WINTER/SPRING FLOOD POTENTIAL FOR THE REST OF MARCH...

THE FLOOD POTENTIAL FOR THE REST IF MARCH CALLS FOR ABOVE NORMAL
TO NORMAL FLOOD POTENTIAL FOR THE WATERSHEDS IN THE CHARLESTON
HYDROLOGIC SERVICE AREA (HSA). THIS AREA INCLUDES EASTERN
KENTUCKY...SOUTHEAST OHIO...BUCHANAN AND DICKENSON COUNTIES IN
SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA AND MUCH OF WEST VIRGINIA.

REFER TO WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OHRFC FOR THE PROBABILITY OF EXCEEDING 
FLOOD STAGE WITH RESPECT TO NORMAL AT SPECIFIC FORECAST POINTS. ALSO 
REFER TO WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OHRFC AND THE WATER RESOURCES OUTLOOK FOR 
DETAILED MONTHLY OUTLOOKS BY CLICKING ON WATER RES. OUTLOOK IN THE 
LEFT HAND COLUMN.

FLOOD OUTLOOKS ARE ISSUED BIWEEKLY BY THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
IN THE WINTER AND EARLY SPRING TO SUMMARIZE BASIN HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
CONDITIONS AND TO ASSESS THE POTENTIAL FOR WINTER/SPRING FLOODING.
THE OUTLOOKS ARE BASED ON CURRENT AND EXPECTED CONDITIONS...REALIZING
THAT ACTUAL CONDITIONS MAY CHANGE DURING THE OUTLOOK PERIOD.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN ASSESSING FLOOD POTENTIAL ARE:

WATER CONTENT OF THE SNOWPACK. THE WETNESS OF THE SOILS.
WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAINFALL. HIGH STREAMFLOWS AND RESERVOIR LEVELS
AND ICE COVERAGE ON THE RIVERS.

PRECIPITATION TOTALS DURING THE LAST 30 DAYS HAVE BEEN ABOVE NORMAL 
ACROSS MOST OF THE HSA.  MOST OF THE RIVERS IN THE HSA HAVE 
RECEIVED FROM 125 TO 150 PERCENT NORMAL PRECIPITATION EXCEPT IN
SOME PORTIONS OF THE NEW AND TUG FORK BASINS IN WEST VIRGINIA AND
THE LEVISA AND RUSSELL FORK BASINS IN SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA WHERE
PRECIPITATION TOTALS HAVE BEEN 75 TO 125 PERCENT OF NORMAL.

THE ABOVE NORMAL TO NORMAL PRECIPITATION ACROSS HSA PRODUCED ABOVE
WET SOIL CONDITIONS ACROSS THE HSA.

SNOW COVER IS ALL BUT GONE, WITH THE RECENT WARM WEATHER. 

RESERVOIR LEVELS ARE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR.

NORMAL STREAMFLOW CONDITIONS EXIST IN THE HSA. ABOVE NORMAL
STREAMFLOW CONDITIONS EXIST ON THE MUSKINGUM RIVER. NORMAL TO
SLIGHTLY BELOW NORMAL STREAMFLOW CONDITIONS EXIST IN THE NEW, TUG
FORK AND LEVISA AND RUSSELL FORK BASINS.

THE RECENT PRECIPITATION PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH 
NEXT TWO WEEKS, DUE TO THE ONGOING MODERATE LA NINA. THIS WILL
KEEP A GREATER THAN NORMAL FLOOD POTENTIAL IN THE HSA. THE NEXT
SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE THIS SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT.
THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING AN ADDITIONAL 0.25 TO 0.75 INCHES OF RAIN
TO THE HSA. ANOTHER SYSTEM IS EXPECTED EARLY NEXT WEEK.

RAINFALL IS THE PRIMARY FACTOR LEADING TO FLOODING. HEAVY OR
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL CAN CAUSE FLOODING ANY TIME OF THE YEAR EVEN
WHERE THE FLOOD POTENTIAL IS BELOW NORMAL.

THE NEXT SPRING FLOOD OUTLOOK WILL BE ISSUED ON MARCH 21, 2008.

$$

JS