Melting snow results in minor river flooding

ST. LOUIS -- The snow that ravaged Missouri earlier this month is melting fast in the unseasonably warm weather, but there is a downside: The melting is causing rivers to rise.

The National Weather Service reports mostly minor flooding along some smaller rivers. Minor flooding is beginning or projected at spots along the Mississippi River through early next week.

Moderate flooding is occurring along the Grand River in Sumner, near Chillicothe. The Cuivre River is flooding at Troy, north of St. Louis.

Minor flooding is expected by the weekend at Hannibal and Louisiana on the Mississippi River.

So far, no significant flooding is expected, but the Weather Service said the outlook for spring calls for a higher than normal risk of moderate to major flooding throughout the upper Mississippi River valley.

Thursday morning, the Mississippi River was 14.5 feet at Cape Girardeau and was predicted by the National Weather Service to rise to 26 feet by Tuesday. Flood stage is 32 feet.