One look at the water-filled ditches and fields and the Red River creeping up its banks and you might think you've been transported to spring.
Except leaves are falling instead of budding, and snow is not far into the future.
Autumn flooding is not unheard of, but it is a bit unusual, according to Mark Ewens, data manager with the National Weather Service forecast office in Grand Forks.
The last time there was autumn flooding in Grand Forks and East Grand Forks was in the early to mid-1980s, Ewens said.
Although there likely won't be flooding in Grand Forks, there are flood warnings in the Red River basin south and north of here.
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The Red River at Grand Forks-East Grand Forks is expected to crest at 27.5 feet Saturday, according to the forecast office. Flood stage is 28 feet.
In Fargo, the Red was expected to crest Thursday at about 25.6 feet. The flood stage is 18 feet. There were also flood warnings in place for the Buffalo River near Dilworth, Minn., and for the Wild Rice River in Abercrombie, N.D., according to Ewens.
Flood warnings will continue at Oslo, Minn.; the Red River there is supposed to crest about Monday at about 27 feet. Flood stage is 26 feet.
"That doesn't cause a lot of problems for the city of Oslo," Ewens said.
The issue with flooding now is that it impedes harvest. Ewens said the Wahpeton, N.D., area and some other areas south of Interstate 94 have "a tremendous amount of water."
"A lot of fields are under water," said Ewens, who was in southeast North Dakota on Tuesday.
"There are no major problems with the larger cities, but agriculturally, especially with corn and what's left of the sugar beets. It's more of an impact to agriculture than to cities."
Ewens said the immediate forecast includes no rain: "Rather, we've got a week of partly sunny days ahead." It's a needed opportunity, he said, for recent rainfall -- up to 5 inches in some areas -- to be absorbed by the river and flow on out of here, he said.
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Reach Nadeau at (701) 780-1118; (800) 477-6572, ext. 118; or send e-mail to snadeau@gfherald.com .
