The province has released its February Flood Outlook Report, which indicated a low to moderate risk of significant spring flooding across Manitoba.
The report, which came out prior to the massive snowfall that hit southern and central Manitoba over the weekend, said the forecast was due to normal- to below-normal soil moisture at freeze-up and normal- to well-below-normal winter precipitation for most of Manitoba.
The spring flooding risk is low to moderate for the Red River and tributaries and is low for the Assiniboine, Souris, and Qu’Apelle Rivers as well as in northern Manitoba.
The spring flood risk is moderate for the Interlake region, as there is a risk of ice jam-related flooding on the Fisher River and the Icelandic River.
The report adds most Manitoba lake levels are normal to below normal for this time of year and within their capacity ranges, adding the risk of lake flooding is low for most Manitoba lakes.
However, the risk of flooding may change depending on weather conditions including the amount of precipitation between now and the spring melt.
The next flood outlook will be released in late March.