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NORTHERN UTAH -- The flood watch is intensifying across Utah.
One of the barometers for how bad potential flooding might be is capacity at the state's reservoirs. Things are OK now, but by this time next week some may be brimming full.
Along the Ogden River, the high water flows are just the beginning. Forecasters say some kind of flooding at least downstream is almost a certainty. The question is, when will that happen, and how bad will it get?
Flood Watch 2011
Flood Watch River Flow Tracker
To track the water levels of creeks and rivers near you, go to our Live 5 River Flow Tracker.There is a way to get an idea of how much water there will be at Pineview Reservoir: By measuring the water that's already there, how much is being let out and how much will be coming when the snow melts.
The answer: Six times the volume of the reservoir's capacity is waiting in the mountains.
At Echo Reservoir near Coalville, even more water is coming. Nine times the capacity is unmelted snow right now, according to the National Weather Service.
It's the same at other reservoirs across the state, and eventually that's going to translate into problems downstream.
"All these reservoirs have such large flows forecasted to come into these areas, and the managers for these reservoirs have been dumping water furiously to make space," said NWS hydrologist Brian McInerney.
Compounding the problem is spring rain -- and more is on the way this weekend. By Monday, it could be the wettest spring in Utah since 1948.
At the National Weather Service, the staff is doing its best to give people a heads up about what's coming. Forecasting the temperatures is part of that.
"If they go up 10 to 15 degrees above normal, we'll have serious problems," McInerney said.
Forecasters say the worst of the water situation will really be revealed next week when the temperatures and full extent of all the water that's stored in the mountains finally reveal themselves.
Email: rpiatt@ksl.com
