Snowmelt surge starting

Throughout Utah's wet winter and early spring, we knew it was coming. Now it's here.

Central Utah's Sevier River ran over its banks Wednesday as rising temperatures melted snowpacks. Rivers across the state are running high, and by the weekend more flooding could occur.

The National Weather Service in Salt Lake City on Wednesday issued a flood warning for the Sevier River from the headwaters to Piute Reservoir. Flood watches were issued for Coal Creek near Cedar City, the north fork of the Virgin River near Zion National Park and the streams and rivers of the Beaver Mountains.

"Things we've been talking about for three months are happening now," Weather Service hydrologist Brian McInerney said.

The flooding of the Sevier River only affected farmers' fields, and there were no reports of any structural damage. But record or near-record snowpacks, especially in the southern part of the state, are starting to melt as "heating is kicking in in a big way," McInerney said.

In northern Utah, flood-watchers were keeping their eyes on the southern Uintas, especially the eastern slopes, and the American Fork River and its tributary, Dry Creek. Experts were also watching the creeks in the Big and Little Cottonwood canyons, "to a lesser extent, but still wary," McInerney said.

Brent Beardall, project manager for Salt Lake County's Engineering and Flood Control Division, said officials are monitoring the situation but aren't too worried yet about the canyons.

"We're just keeping our eye on it," he said. "The forecasts that I've seen indicate that both creeks will be less than flood stage. We have our crews out watching. Some places have been doing some sandbagging, but I think that's local people doing it. As far as I know, we haven't instituted any major programs."

With temperatures in parts of southern Utah approaching 100 this weekend, and Salt Lake City set to hit 82 Friday and again Sunday, "it's going to get warm, and things are going to get rolling," McInerney said. Early next week, he says the Big and Little Cottonwood creeks could approach bankful and may even hit flood stage.

And whether they hit flood-danger levels or not, "all rivers and streams essentially will be flowing at very high levels this weekend" statewide, he said, especially any waterways fed by mountain snowpack above 9,000 feet.