Low risk of significant flood along Red River in U.S. this spring: weather service

There's little risk of a major flood along the Red River basin south of the border, according to the first flood outlook of the year from the U.S. National Weather Service.

The threat of "significant, impactful snowmelt flooding" is low along the Red River and its tributaries in North Dakota and Minnesota, warning co-ordination meteorologist Greg Gust said in the outlook, issued Thursday.

• Risk of spring flooding low across Manitoba

Conditions across the river basin have been relatively dry over the past two years, Gust explained. Soil moisture, river flow volumes and thesnowpackare also below normal closer to the Manitoba border, but average or even above average further south.

The main risk right now is minor flooding, in line with an ordinary spring melt.

"Long story short: The spring snowmelt flood risk is currently low, running near long-term historical averages across much of the [U.S. portion of the]Red River and Devils Lake Basin," Gust wrote.

The National Weather Service is also predicting warmer-than-average temperatures during the second half of the winter.

• Frigid, dangerous cold grips nearly all of Manitoba

National Weather Service forecasters are working in spite of the partial shutdown of the U.S. government.

Last week, Environment Canada forecasters in Winnipeg sent their U.S. counterparts in Grand Forks, N.D., pizza.