Fargo, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – We have been hearing for weeks now that there is concern for major flooding in our region for the spring of 2020.

But just how bad it will be will depend on how much moisture we will get for the rest of the winter and how gentle the melt is in the Spring.

i3G Media spoke with the National Weather Service’s Warning Coordinator Greg Gust on Thursday and got an update on the early look for how things stand along the Red River.

Gust, who spoke at the Red River Basin Commission Annual meeting in Fargo this week, says the spring of 2020 has the potential to be a top 5 flood of all-time.  Gust gave the reasons why this has a strong potential to be a bad flood year.

Gust says “the area Fargo south of the basin is the second wettest on record for the Sept. til now precipitation amounts.  And the area north of Fargo to the Canadian border are first place.”  He also said there is a lot of baked soil moisture, parked water and water in the snow. Couple that with the fact that the NWS is still forecasting a cool wet spring for Red River Valley.

Here is a portion of the interview with Greg Gust:

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He’s not the only voice of concern this week.  USDA Meteorologist Brad Rippey said he could almost guarantee planting delays this spring from the eastern Dakota’s to the Great Lakes because of all the moisture underneath the snow pack.

The first Spring Flood Outlook from the NWS is due out on 1-24-20.