Flood Advisory Alert issued for Chilkat and Klehini Rivers as heatwave produces more run-off

On Monday, the National Weather Service in Juneau issued a flood advisory alert for the Chilkat and Klehini Rivers. KHNS’ Corinne Smith spoke with senior meteorologist Nicole Ferrin, who said it’s caused by warm temperatures and run-off.

Nicole Ferrin: “We’ve had some really record high temperatures over all of Southeast Alaska, but especially at the upper elevations. So that’s causing a lot of snowmelt from the mountains. So the snow that we got this springtime is all melting down into the whole Chilkat Valley Basin of the Klehini River and the Chilkat River. We’ve been watching the Chilkat River for the last few days, and there’s been a flood watch in effect with the expectation that it would hit minor floods sometime this week. 

KHNS: What can you tell us about the flooding there now?

Ferrin: The minor flood stage the parking lot around the Chilkat River Adventures, and the other parking areas at 25 mile tend to be flooded, but there’s not significance flooding really until it gets more to the moderate flood stage which is about another foot higher, and we don’t expect it to get to that level, from this event.

KHNS: And so this flood advisory is issued til Thursday July 1, at 10am, what should people look out for this week?

Ferrin: Sure, the advisory is out through Thursday because it will stay elevated with the continued warm temperatures. People should take note that the water temperature is actually going to be a little bit colder than they’re used to due to the extra snow melt. So hypothermia could be an issue if you did go into the water. And also the changes to the river flow patterns can cause erosion, so you should stay away from the banks of the river. And be cautious that places that are normally safe to drive across the river might have eroded underneath and you might not be able to tell that with higher flows.

KHNS: That’s good to know. Is this heat wave we’re experiencing also connected to the major heat wave and record temperatures seen this week in the Pacific Northwest and western Canada?

Ferrin: It absolutely is, yep. All that air mass is being pushed up over our area. 

KHNS: What’s the forecast of this heat wave, how long do you see it lasting?

Ferrin: Well we do have a bit of cooler weather, although not cold, we’re still going to be above normal. Slightly cooler tomorrow, as much as five degrees cooler each day, but staying above normal and pretty nice for southeast standards. And we are looking at keeping the fair weather going, really for the next week. We don’t see any major weather systems that are gonna bring a full on wet day in our near future. 

That was Nicole Ferrin, senior meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Juneau, on the Flood Advisory Alert that was issued for Chilkat and Klehini Rivers through this Thursday July 1st. 

 

Correction: Nicole Ferrin did not refer to climate change as a contributing factor in this flood advisory.