Colder-than-usual temperatures gripping Maine even as the calendar turns to spring are creating conditions for increased flooding risks, a prospect that local officials are watching closely after unusually destructive flooding along the Kennebec River this winter.

“This has been a pretty active season already for flooding and although there are no flood threats now, things could change over the next few weeks,” Maine Emergency Management Agency director Suzanne Krauss said. “We will continue to monitor conditions so we are fully prepared.”

The U.S. Geological Survey installed a water monitoring station in Hallowell's Granite City Park on the banks of the Kennebec River. Officials say colder-than-normal temperatures increase the likelihood of a quick ice melt. Joe Phelan/Kennebec Journal

The River Flow Advisory Commission says stream flows are normal to much above normal, groundwater levels range from normal to above normal and reservoir storage levels are above normal for this time of year.

The ice jam on the Kennebec River that formed in January south of Augusta broke up two weeks ago and the river’s main channel is now open. The jam, which formed in mid-January, caused destructive flooding along the waterfront in Hallowell and prompted the closure of Augusta’s downtown waterfront parking for several days.

Concern over the ice jam prompted state emergency management officials to send two requests for ice-breaking operations to the Coast Guard on the Kennebec River.

The commission said flood potential is above normal across Maine because of more snow and higher snowpack levels. Rainfall quantity and duration is the most significant risk factor in Maine flooding, and for the next six to 10 days, there is a 50 to 60 percent chance that temperatures will be below normal and there’s an equal chance that precipitation will be above or below normal.

“The longer we go with low temperatures, the greater the threat of a quick melt, which is why I predict an above-average threat of flooding this season,” National Weather Service meteorologist Tom Hawley said.

Temperatures in central Maine started out in the single digits Monday and climbed to 30, with high temperatures the rest of the week expected in the mid- to upper 30s.

The Kennebec Emergency Management Agency continuously updates municipalities in central Maine of flood risk and warnings from the weather service in Gray. Director Sean Goodwin has been sending messages to the agency’s flood group almost daily after facing criticism that not enough was done to alert business owners and residents in Hallowell of the potential flooding in mid-January.

In Hallowell, a new flood gauge was installed last month and is monitored by city officials as well as county and state EMA representatives.

Goodwin said the weather has started to play a game on everybody because the longer it stays cold, there will be snow and ice buildup. Eventually, he said, things are going to warm up, and if there is a lot of snow and ice around, rapid melting could cause flooding.

Jason Pafundi can be reached at 621-5663 or at:

jpafundi@centralmaine.com

Twitter: @jasonpafundiKJ

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