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As temperatures rise and snow melts, there’s minor to moderate flooding in several areas in Utah — and officials are keeping a watchful eye on several other spots.
Flood warnings
• A flood warning remains in effect for the south fork of the Ogden River near Huntsville. According to the National Weather Service, the river will be at minor flood stage until further notice.
Officials ordered two homes evacuated on Sunday because of local flooding; 10 others were voluntarily evacuated. Dozens of homes are being affected by the flood waters, according to Weber County officials.
A bridge on the river above Huntsville is being washed away by the flooding. Crews are working to divert the flow around the bridge to prevent it from being washed away and, potentially, obstruct the Weber River downstream, according to Weber County.
The flood warning is expected to continue for several days.
• A flood warning remains in effect along the Bear River in eastern Rich County. Moderate flooding is expected to continue from below the Woodruff Narrows Reservoir to the Utah/Wyoming border on agricultural land and roads adjacent to the river.
The warning continues through Monday morning, and may be extended.
• A flood warning remains in effect until further notice for the Sevier River near Hatch, affecting Kane, Sevier, Garfield, Iron and Piute Counties.
According to the National Weather Service, snow melt and increased reservoir releases will cause high river flows, and minor flooding is expected, and some bridges and low lying structures will suffer minor flood damage.
• A flood warning is in effect until 7:45 p.m. on Thursday around the Strawberry River as it enters the Strawberry Reservoir in Wasatch County.
Flooding is currently hampering access to the Strawberry Reservoir marina. The weather service warned people headed there to “turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”
• There are flood advisories on the Blacksmith Fork River near Hyrum and the Bear River near at Corinne until further notice.
Man falls in Jordan River
A 30-year-old man was hospitalized in critical condition on Sunday after he fell in “while playing on the shores” of the Jordan River about 4:15 p.m., according to South Salt Lake police.
First responders entered the river to rescue him. No update on his condition was available on Monday morning.
South Salt Lake police urged “extreme caution near our streams and rivers. … With the record snowfall melting, our streams and rivers are flowing higher and faster. This makes accidental falls significantly more dangerous.”
Temperatures will rise
According to the National Weather Service, high pressure is building over Utah, which will create a “warming trend” that will take temperatures well above normal across much of the state.
In the Salt Lake City area, the forecast calls for high temperatures in the low to mid-80s through Friday, and even warmer over the weekend — 88 on Saturday, and 90 on Sunday. That’s 10-15 degrees above normal for this time of year, and the warmer temperatures will speed the melting of Utah’s record snowpack.
There’s a 20% chance of afternoon showers and thunderstorms Monday-Wednesday, rising to a 50% chance on Thursday.
It will also be about 5 degrees hotter than normal in southern Utah this week. In the St. George area, temperatures in the low 90s are expected through the upcoming weekend. Not much precipitation is expected, but there’s a slight chance of showers and thunderstorms on Thursday.
Elsewhere in Utah
• Salt Lake County and the Utah Department of Transportation are working to protect the Big Cottonwood Water Treatment Plant from possible flooding.
• State Road 89 through Spanish Fork Canyon is expected to reopen sometime on Monday. It has been closed at Thistle because of flooding.
• The Garland City culinary water treatment plant continues to be impacted by flooding. Overflow is being pumped from the treatment facility in northeastern Box Elder County.
• The Bureau of Reclamation, Utah Division of Water Resources and Cache County are continuing to monitor the spillway at Hyrum Dam, near the southeast corner of Hyrum City, for potential high-flow releases into the Little Bear River.
• The Bureau of Reclamation is still monitoring the Causey Reservoir, 15 miles northeast of Ogden. Overflow into the spillway began May 4 and is ongoing.
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