Flood Update: Next 48 hours critical for many rivers

The Crow River at Mayer is expected to approach crest in the next 48 hours.

The next 48 hours will be a critical test for flood forecasts and river residents in the Upper Midwest. Many eastern Minnesota rivers continue to rise at about a foot per day. The Red River in Fargo is forecast to rise an amazing 4 feet in the next 24 hours. That's a foot every 6 hours.

Red River at Fargo forecast to rise from 27.4 feet to 31.4 feet in just 24 hours.

It is interesting to note that some of the tributaries to the Red near Fargo have already crested and are beginning to fall. That's good news for residents near the south branch of the Buffalo River near Sabin. The bad news is that bubble of water is rolling downhill into the Red. That's one reason the Red is rising so rapidly in the next two days.

The south fork of the Buffalo River near Sabin has already crested as it feeds into the Red River near Fargo.

Hopefully the NWS river forecasts will continue to track right on the next 48 hours as the rivers continue to rise. The biggest threats over the next two days are the Crow River, the Red River, and parts of the Minnesota River upstream from Mankato.

The Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers in the Twin Cities should see a later crest as we approach the weekend or early next week.

Today's passing rain showers should not have a significant impact on river levels.

Fortunately the forecast looks dry Wednesday and Thursday, with only minor precip and colder weather as we approach the weekend.

Southern Minnesota river levels and forecasts

Red River levels and forecasts

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