St. Croix River flooding prep

Today’s forecast

Stillwater prepares for flooding along St. Croix River after snowy winter

At The Dock in Stillwater, the view of the St Croix River is one of the main attractions.

But this spring, the scenic waterway could come a little too close for comfort.

City officials say the National Weather Service is predicting a 70 percent chance the river will crest past flood stage.

They worry all the snow this winter and a slow thaw are increasing the chances of the worst flooding here since 2001.

“The snowpack in the area is really high for this time of year. Also, the water content in the snow is very high for this time of year as well, so that’s raised their levels of concern and that’s why they’re predicting the high water,” said Shawn Sanders, Director of Public Works for the city of Stillwater.

City officials held an informational meeting on Monday night to tell residents and business owners about their efforts to fight the flood.

The city will close all riverfront parking lots on Wednesday, install concrete barriers, and use volunteers to fill sandbags to build a temporary levee from one end of town to the other. City officials say most downtown businesses will stay open, but the Stillwater lift bridge will also close to pedestrians for a while.

Catch Up Quick 

🏛️ A New York grand jury investigating Donald Trump appeared to be hearing from final witnesses as law enforcement officials accelerated security preparations Monday in advance of a possible indictment and as fellow Republicans staked out positions in a criminal probe expected to shake up the 2024 presidential race.

👮 Bloomington Police Chief Booker Hodges said in an afternoon press conference that detectives had created a fake profile of a sex worker using a photo of an undercover officer and posted it on websites known to be used by people seeking to purchase services from sex workers.  The resulting stings netted 23 arrests, which occurred over two days on March 15 and March 16.

❄️ With an additional half-inch or so of snow early on in the weekend, the metro has now topped 10 inches of snow accumulation this month. This marks the fifth consecutive month that snow totals have been in the double digits (10 inches or more) and that is the first time in history, dating back to 1884, this has occurred.

🏀 The University of Minnesota introduced Dawn Plitzuweit as the school’s new women’s basketball coach at a news conference at Athletes Village.

Minnesota experts predict mosquitoes will be ‘out with a vengeance’ once it’s warm

As winter slowly gives way to spring, Minnesotans are starting to think about the warmer temperatures and longer days that come with the change of seasons. But experts are thinking ahead to what else the warmer weather will bring: mosquitoes.

It’s been cold and snowy this year, which tends to delay the mosquito season, according to the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District. However, it’s not all good news.

Alex Carlson, public affairs manager for the district, said because projections show above-average precipitation this year, that means people in the Twin Cities need to prepare themselves for these pests.

“When it does finally warm up, the mosquitoes are going to be out, and they’re going to be out with a vengeance,” Carlson said.

After two years of drought, Carlson warned that this year, the area could see an increase in floodwater mosquitoes, which are dependent upon rain. 

July is typically the peak month for mosquitoes. Experts don’t expect them to be out earlier in the season due to the cold weather this year. 

The district is also warning Minnesotans about ticks, which are not as impacted by the drought.

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