Snowpack, drought all factor into river outlook

From the Climate and Extreme Weather series

Benjamin Herrold
Apr 14, 2023
Apr 14, 2023

Mississippi-River with riverboat — A riverboat docks at New Madrid, Mo., along the Mississippi River.
Photo by Benjamin Herrold

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The water levels on major Midwestern rivers are a key issue for farmers, whether they threaten flooding or present situations like last fall when low water levels on the Mississippi and Missouri rivers threatened the movement of grain and other supplies.

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Missouri-River-flood-4 — Spray paint on a rural highway in Saline County, Missouri, shows the high water mark for the 2019 flood.
Photo by Benjamin Herrold

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Snow drift — Heavy snowpack in the Upper Midwest has flood forecasters’ attention.
File photo

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