3-22-11, TWC St. Paul, MN 12:28 am *Flood Watch*

FLOOD WATCH NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TWIN CITIES/CHANHASSEN MN 1122 PM CDT MON MAR 21 2011 ...RAIN AND CONTINUED SNOW MELT TO CAUSE RISING RIVERS... .RAIN...AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS...WILL DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA AFTER 3 AM...WITH PERIODS OF RAIN CONTINUING THROUGH WEDNESDAY. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE. SATURATED GROUND AND ANY REMAINING SNOW MELT OVER SOUTHERN MINNESOTA INTO WEST CENTRAL WISCONSIN WILL RESULT IN FURTHER RAINFALL QUICKLY RUNNING OFF INTO AREA STREAMS AND CREEKS. RISES ON THE RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL OCCUR...AND FLOODING APPEARS LIKELY FOR SOME RIVER SYSTEMS IF THE ANTICIPATED RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE REALIZED. IN ADDITION...THE RAINFALL COULD LEAD TO PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS...ALONG WITH LOCALIZED URBAN FLOODING. THE FLOOD WATCH INCLUDES THE AREA OF EAST CENTRAL MINNESOTA BOUNDED BY THE COMMUNITIES OF OLIVIA...BUFFALO AND ANOKA TO THE NORTH AND...THE TWIN CITIES...HASTING...JORDAN AND HUTCHINSON TO THE SOUTH.