MUSCATINE, Iowa – The Mississippi River reached minor flood stage Monday (March 23) and is forecasted to top out at 16.7 feet Wednesday (March 25) as the snowmelt runoff moves down the river according to the National Weather Service (NWS).
Higher levels may occur into the first week of April depending on how much rain falls in the Upper Mississippi River Valley this week. The NWS forecasts that Muscatine could see a crest from 17 to 19 feet between March 28 and April 1, but that may change if active weather moves into the Upper Mississippi River Valley.
A prolonged period of dry weather across much of the Mississippi River valley along with a favorable snow melt has eased concerns for the river rising to levels similar to a year ago. A year ago the Mississippi River was at 20.42 feet. A Muscatine record of 99 consecutive days above flood stage started in mid-March.
NWS Muscatine Hydrograph