
Streams and rivers expected to rise due to rain and warmer temperatures: UTRCA
CTV
The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) expects streams and rivers to rise beginning Thursday afternoon and into Friday.
The Upper Thames River Conservation Authority (UTRCA) expects streams and rivers to rise beginning Thursday afternoon and into Friday.
The authority says it’s based on forecasted rain and warmer temperatures melting the snowpack.
The UTRCA reminds parents to keep children and pets away from all watercourses and off of frozen water bodies.
“As water levels rise, it is not safe to take shelter along riverbanks or in low lying areas that are prone to flooding. Banks adjacent to rivers and creeks are very slippery and, when combined with cold, fast-moving water, pose a serious hazard,” said a news release.
The public is also reminded to exercise extreme caution and stay off all frozen water bodies. Any ice cover will be weakened and unstable. Flood control reservoirs will be especially hazardous due to fluctuating water levels.
On Thursday, a low-pressure system is expected to bring 20-25 millimetres of rain to southern Ontario by the afternoon. Temperatures are expected to reach double digits in the afternoon, before returning to below freezing early Friday morning.
The incoming weather conditions will begin to melt this snowpack, which the UTRCA estimates contains approximately 30-35 mm of water equivalent.