Paul Douglas Talks Snow and Flooding

>> Eric: FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE TWIN CITIANS KEPT KEEPING OFFICIAL WEATHER RECORDS WE HAVE GONE FIVE STRAIGHT MONTHS WITH AT LEAST TEN INCHES OF SNOW AND ALL THAT MOISTURE HAS RAISED CONCERN ABOUT SPRING FLOODING.

HERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT, PAUL DOUGLAS.

MEDIA MOGUL AND IN ADDITION TO HIS "ALMANAC" WORK YOU CAN FIND HIM WRITING FOR THE STAR TRIBUNE AND CHATTING ON WCCO RADIO.

AND WHEN HE WANTS TO IMPRESS PEOPLE PAUL MENTIONS THAT HE OWNS HIS OWN WEATHER COMPANY, PRAEDICTIX.

YOUR RESUME NEEDS A BOOKMARK.

>> WHO WRITES YOUR STUFF BY THE WAY?

>> Eric: I DON'T KNOW.

BEEN WET.

>> Cathy: REALLY WET.

>> YES, THE SNOW MACHINE APPARENTLY GOT STUCK IN THE ON POSITION.

AND NOW WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT SPRING FLOODING.

AND, LOOK, I THINK IF YOU'VE HAD PROBLEMS IN THE PAST, YOU SHOULD DEFINITELY NOT LET YOUR GUARD DOWN AND PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE THE ANSWER TO THE QUESTION HOW BAD IS IT GOING TO BE, WE CAN'T ANSWER THAT.

WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN LATE APRIL.

IT'S REALLY THE LATTER HALF OF APRIL THAT COULD TELL THE TALE.

>> Eric: CAN YOU ILLUSTRATE YOUR PRESENTATION FOR US?

>> YES, ABSOLUTELY.

I WANT TO SHOW YOU THE PILE OF SNOW IN MY FRONT YARD, THIS IS RIGHT NEXT TO MY DRIVEWAY, I PUT IN AN ASPHALT DRIVEWAY, THAT HIGH SUN ANGLE, THE AS FAULT DRIVEWAYS STAY WET EVEN WHEN T'S BELOW FREEZING.

I'D LIKE TO SHIP SOME OF THIS TO YOU, ERIC.

>> Cathy: YES, HE EEDS IT.

>> Eric: MY MOM HAS A DRIFT UP TO HER SHOULDERS IN DULUTH.

>> Cathy: YEAH, IT'S NOT GOOD.

>> YEAH, SO WHAT A WINTER.

NOT COLDER THAN AVERAGE, A COUPLE OF DEGREES WARMER THAN AVERAGE.

81.2, EIGHTH SNOWIEST TO DATE.

ALMOST THREE FEET SNOWIER THAN AVERAGE.

AND IF YOU'RE EEPING SCORE AT HOME TODAY WAS THE 115TH DAY IN A ROW OF AT LEAST AN INCH OF SNOW OR MORE ON THE GROUND.

>> Eric: TWIN CITIES, YOU'RE TALKING.

>> TWIN CITIES, YES, THANK YOU.

THAT TIES FOR THE NINTH LONGEST.

BY THE WAY THE RECORD WAS 1965, 136 DAYS.

65 THERE WAS STILL HEAVY SNOW ON THE GROUND THROUGH THE TENTH DAY OF APRIL AND INSTANT WARMUP AND THAT LED TO THE WORST FLOODING IN STATE HISTORY.

ANYWAY, THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF SNOW OUT THERE AND AS YOU STOLE MY THUNDER, YOU STOLE MY SNOW, ERIC.

>> Eric: SORRY.

>> YOU ARE CORRECT, FIVE CONSECUTIVE MONTHS OF 10 INCHES-PLUS AND THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED SINCE RECORDS FIRST STARTED BACK IN 1884.

AND WE COULD GET A FEW MORE INCHES HERE IN APRIL, WOULD NOT BE SHOCKED.

SO THERE'S WHERE WE STAND.

81.2, 125 UP IN DULUTH.

AND WHAT'S MORE IMPORTANT, CHECK OUT THE DEPARTURES.

WE ARE RUNNING THREE FEET ABOVE AVERAGE HERE IN THE METRO.

FOUR FEET ABOVE AVERAGE UP IN DULUTH.

THREE FEET ABOVE AVERAGE IN ST.

CLOUD.

SO, YEAH, THERE'S AN AWFUL LOT OF WATER LOCKED UP IN THAT SNOWPACK.

AND THAT'S THE GOOD NEWS.

NO DROUGHT NOW ACROSS MUCH OF CENTRAL AND EASTERN MINNESOTA, STILL SOME POCKETS OF DRYNESS BUT EXPECTS THE DROUGHT TO FADE EVEN IN SOUTHWESTERN MINNESOTA IN THE COMING WEEKS.

ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE TRACKING IS THE SNOW WATER EQUIVALENT, HOW MUCH WATER IS LOCKED UP IN THE SNOW.

ANYWHERE FROM 2 TO 6-INCHES OF WATER IN THAT SNOW COVER.

SO MUCH IT HAS BEEN A GOLDILOCKS MELTDOWN.

ALMOST IDEAL CONDITIONS.

THE QUESTION, WILL THAT CONTINUE DEEP INTO APRIL?

AGAIN, NOAA PREDICTING MODERATE TO MAJOR FLOODING ESPECIALLY ON THE ST. CROIX AND THE MISSISSIPPI, THE THREAT HAS GONE DOWN A LITTLE BIT DOWNTOWN ST. PAUL.

THE THREAT HAS GONE UP IN STILLWATER AND RED WING ALL THE WAY SOUTH DOWN TO ST. LOUIS.

THERE COULD BE VERY IMPRESSIVE FLOODING, DEPENDING ON HOW QUICKLY IT WARMS UP.

HIGHS IN THE 40S, LOWS IN THE 20S, 40S, OKAY, YOU'RE GOING TO MELT SNOW EACH DAY.

LOWS IN THE 20S, BELOW FREEZING, THAT TAPS THE BRAKES ON THE RUNOFF.

SO THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS.

THIS IS A BEST CASE SCENARIO, BUT WE CAN ONLY LOOK OUT THROUGH THE FIRST WEEK OF APRIL, BEYOND THAT, GOOD LUCK.

AND THEN WE'VE GOT EL NINO, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO KICK IN THIS UMMER.

THE WARM PHASE OF THE PACIFIC, WE'VE HAD THREE YEARS LAUGH NINA COOLING WHICH I THINK CONTRIBUTED TO OUR WINTER, LA NINA SUM WINTER TEND TO BE WARMER.

IF YOU LIKE SNOW, GET OUT AND PLAY IN IT, SOAK IT UP.

>> Cathy: SO IF WE'RE AT THE EIGHTH SNOWIEST WINTER SO MUCH CAN WE CRACK THE TOP TEN?

OR CRACK THE TOP FIVE, I'M SORRY.

>> 85 INCHES, WE'RE IN THE TOP FIVE.

AND WE'RE AT 81.2.

SO WE DON'T NEED MUCH AND I THINK WE'LL PROBABLY GET A FEW MORE INCHES OF SLUSH IN APRIL.

I DON'T THINK WE'LL BEAT 83, 84, MY FIRST WINTER OUT HERE 98.6.

THAT IS A RECORD THAT IS GOING TO STAND FOR SOME TIME.

>> Eric: I'M