Flood Watch Issued For Peterborough Area In Anticipation Of Heavy Rainfall

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A flood watch has been issued by Otonabee Conservation for all waterbodies and watercourses in the Peterborough region.

Photo courtesy of The City of Peterborough.

Areas that may be affected include Municipalities of Selwyn, Douro-Dummer, Asphodel-Norwood, Otonabee-South Monaghan, Cavan Monaghan, City of Kawartha Lakes, City of Peterborough and Trent Hills.

A low-pressure trough will bring soaring air temperatures reaching 6-7 degrees Celsius. Air temperatures will continue in this range over the next 36 to 48 hours ahead of an arriving cold front.

Also, ahead of the cold front is a total of 15 to 25 millimeters of rain. Depending on how the system tracks, there is a possibly that as much as 50 millimeters of rain will fall. As the cold front pushes into the region, there will be strong winds, a drop in air temperatures, and we will receive snowfall of 15 to 20 centimeters. This mix of vastly varying air temperatures, strong winds, differing forms of precipitation will make for messy conditions.

Uncertainty in total rainfall amounts translates to a possibility of flooding.

Current conditions include frozen ground covered by a snowpack that is 25-30 centimeters deep with a water content of 85-90 millimeters. Modelling of the warm air temperature/rain event shows 35-40 millimeters of rainfall/snowmelt will be available for run-off, possibly as much as 65 millimeters. However, the snowpack will absorb 5 to 10 per cent, helping to lessen the amount of rainfall/snowmelt to be released into area rivers, streams, creeks, and wetlands. Ice cover break-up is not expected.

Water levels can be monitored on-line at:

1) Trent-Severn Waterway’s Water Management InfoNet

2) Water Survey of Canada Real-Time Hydrometric Data

3) Otonabee Region Conservation Authority website

This flood watch will expire on Feb. 21.

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