March 2022 Hydrologic and Precipitation Summary

March 2022 Hydrologic & Precipitation Summary

Summary

Precipitation ranged from 0.74" at La Crescent Dam 7, MN (COOP observer) to 6.34" near Elkader, IA (CoCoRaHS observer). This precipitation ranged from near normal to 4" wetter than normal. March precipitation records were set at the following cooperative observing sites: Elkader, IA (5.77" - previous record 5.71" in 1951 - records date back to 1893); Gays Mills, WI (4.76" - the previous record was 4.07" in 2004 - records date back to 1956); and Strawberry Point, IA (5.37" - the previous record was 5.28" in 1951 - records date back to 1949). The highest one-day precipitation was 1.92" near Elkader, IA (COOP observer) from March 5-6.

March snowfall ranged from no snow to 7.7" near Hillsboro, WI (COOP observer). This snowfall ranged from 10" below normal to 5" above normal. The highest one-day snowfall was 6.6" near Prairie du Chien, WI (CoCoRaHS observer) from March 6-7.

Flood Conditions

On March 5-6, anywhere from a half to 1.50" of rain fell on the frozen ground along and north of Interstate 90, this resulted in moderate flooding along the Trempealeau River at Dodge, WI (crested at 11.09 feet on March 9 - flood stage is 10.5 feet). Elsewhere, minor flooding occurred along the Whitewater River at Beaver, MN (crested at 699.79 feet on March 6 - flood stage is 699 feet); Kickapoo River at Readstown, WI (crested at 11.02 feet on March 6 - flood stage is 11 feet); and Trempealeau River at Arcadia, WI (crested at 8.15 feet on March 7 - flood stage is 8 feet).

On March 22-23, between a half and 1.50" of rain fell across the area. This resulted in additional minor river flooding along the Black River at Black River Falls, WI (crested at 48.36 feet on March 24 - flood stage is 47 feet) and Galesville, WI (crested at 12.44 feet on March 26 - flood stage is 12 feet); and the Yellow River at Necedah, WI (crested at 15.49 feet on March 26 - flood stage is 15 feet).

River Conditions

USGS average monthly stream flows for March 2022 were below normal along the Cedar River near Austin, MN and at Charles City, IA; Little Cedar River near Ionia, IA; and Upper Iowa River at both Decorah, IA, and Dorchester, IA. Meanwhile, they were above normal along the Black River near Galesville, WI; Kickapoo River at Steuben, WI; Mississippi River at Winona, MN; and Wisconsin River at Muscoda, WI. Elsewhere, the monthly stream flows were either near normal in the NWS La Crosse Hydrologic Service Area (HSA).

The Mississippi River at La Crosse, WI had an average 7 AM stage of 6.22 feet. This was 0.6 feet above the 1937-2022 long-term average of 6.16 feet. We have not been above the flood stage (12 feet) since April 13, 2020. This ongoing stretch of 718 days (through March 31) is the 15 longest without reaching the flood stage. It is the longest since an 811-day stretch from July 8, 2014, to September 25, 2016 (11th longest stretch). The longest stretch was a 3,986-day stretch from May 12, 1954, to April 9, 1965.

Drought

In March 2022, above-normal precipitation resulted in improvement in the abnormally dry (D0) and moderate (D2), and severe (D2) drought in the La Crosse Hydrologic Service Area (HSA). At the beginning of the month, about 87% of the area was either abnormally dry (55.3%) or in drought (moderate - 28.2% & severe - 3.6%). By the end of the month, about a third of the area was either abnormally dry (25.5%) or in moderate drought (7.5%).

Precipitation

Snowfall