sweetapricity/bridgedeck-noaa huggingface dataset:
A waterspout was spotted around 3 miles north of Haiku on the island of Maui, or 10 miles northeast of Kahului.  The waterspout dissipated quickly without incident.  This feature was likely a regeneration of a tornado that had touched down west of Haiku about 1650 HST on the 25th.

Waterspout in MAUI COUNTY WINDWARD WATERS, HAWAII WATERS
From 25-MAR-06 17:00:00 to 25-MAR-06 17:10:00 (HST)
Location: KAHULUI
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Winter Storm in BIG ISLAND SUMMIT, HAWAII
From 16-MAR-06 05:00:00 to 17-MAR-06 03:36:00 (HST)
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Snow accumulated to as much as 12 inches in less than a 12-hour period on the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Winds caused 4-foot snow drifts in some areas, and ice was reported as thick as 6 inches on roads.  There were no reports of serious property damage or injuries, however.
Winter Weather in BIG ISLAND SUMMIT, HAWAII
From 29-MAR-06 23:30:00 to 30-MAR-06 10:00:00 (HST)
Reported by: DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

Blowing snow, 1-foot snow drifts, and icy road conditions made travel to the summits of Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa very treacherous on the morning of the 30th.  However, no serious injuries or property damage were reported.
Offshore oil rig recorded 50 mph wind gust.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind in INTRACOASTAL CITY LA TO CAMERON LA OUT 20NM, GULF OF MEXICO
From 02-FEB-06 00:00:00 to 02-FEB-06 00:00:00 (CST)
Location: WHITE LAKE
Magnitude: 43 MG
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Offshore oil rig recorded 65 mph wind gust.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind in ATCHAFALAYA R TO INTRACOASTAL CITY LA 20 TO 60NM, GULF OF MEXICO
From 02-FEB-06 00:00:00 to 02-FEB-06 00:00:00 (CST)
Location: INTRACOASTAL CITY
Magnitude: 56 MG
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
Offshore oil rig recorded 70 mph wind gust.

Marine Thunderstorm Wind in INTRACOASTAL CITY LA TO CAMERON LA 20 TO 60NM, GULF OF MEXICO
From 02-FEB-06 00:15:00 to 02-FEB-06 00:15:00 (CST)
Location: WHITE LAKE
Magnitude: 61 MG
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC
A WInd Advisory was in effect at the time of this observation.  This observation occurred near the peak of the wind event. The nearby Weed RAWS, which is in an exposed area, recorded wind speeds meeting the Advisory threshold, but not the warning criteria.  Therefore this observation was likely an isolated event.

High Wind in CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
From 27-MAR-06 17:09:00 to 27-MAR-06 17:09:00 (PST)
Magnitude: 64 MG
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Reported by spotter 4 SSW Weed.
This event began with a cold frontal passage on February 16th, and a few severe storms along the front. Behind the front, temperatures dropped more than 50 degrees in some areas in less than 24 hours! The front stalled along the Gulf Coast, with west winds aloft bringing a storm system from the southern Plains. The system interacted with the front late on the 17th/early on the 18th, with moisture surging northward into the cold air. The cold air was deep enough to support snow in northern Arkansas. Two to as much of six inches of snow was common in about the northern two rows of counties. In central and southern sections of the state, the cold air was more shallow, with a layer of warm air aloft. In these areas, snow fell though the warm layer and melted, but refroze as it neared the ground. The result was freezing rain and sleet. Roads across the state became partially snow and ice covered, especially in the northern counties, with some accidents reported.

Winter Storm in SHARP, ARKANSAS
From 18-FEB-06 06:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 10:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Storm in BOONE, ARKANSAS
From 18-FEB-06 03:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 10:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Storm in MARION, ARKANSAS
From 18-FEB-06 04:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 10:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Storm in SEARCY, ARKANSAS
From 18-FEB-06 04:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 10:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Storm in NEWTON, ARKANSAS
From 18-FEB-06 03:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 10:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Storm in STONE, ARKANSAS
From 18-FEB-06 04:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 10:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Storm in FULTON, ARKANSAS
From 18-FEB-06 06:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 10:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Storm in BAXTER, ARKANSAS
From 18-FEB-06 04:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 10:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Winter Storm in IZARD, ARKANSAS
From 18-FEB-06 05:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 10:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
The strong pressure gradient (difference) between a low pressure system in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and a high pressure system building northeast from the lower Mississippi Valley produced gusty west to northwest winds during the daytime hours on the 15th in Maryland. This was the second successive day of strong gusty winds. Peak wind gusts averaged around 45 mph and included 43 mph at Tolchester Beach (Kent County).

Strong Wind in CAROLINE, MARYLAND
From 15-MAR-06 07:00:00 to 15-MAR-06 18:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 40 EG
Property damage: 1K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in CECIL, MARYLAND
From 15-MAR-06 07:00:00 to 15-MAR-06 18:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 40 EG
Property damage: 1K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in KENT, MARYLAND
From 15-MAR-06 07:00:00 to 15-MAR-06 18:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 40 EG
Property damage: 1K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in QUEEN ANNES, MARYLAND
From 15-MAR-06 07:00:00 to 15-MAR-06 18:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 40 EG
Property damage: 1K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in TALBOT, MARYLAND
From 15-MAR-06 07:00:00 to 15-MAR-06 18:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 40 EG
Property damage: 1K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
The strong pressure gradient (difference) between a low pressure system in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and a high pressure system building northeast from the lower Mississippi Valley produced gusty west to northwest winds during the daytime hours on the 15th in Delaware. This was the second successive day of strong gusty winds. Peak wind gusts averaged 45 to 50 mph and included 52 mph in Lewes (Sussex County) and 43 mph at the New Castle County Airport.

Strong Wind in DELAWARE BEACHES, DELAWARE
From 15-MAR-06 07:00:00 to 15-MAR-06 18:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 MG
Property damage: 2K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in INLAND SUSSEX, DELAWARE
From 15-MAR-06 07:00:00 to 15-MAR-06 18:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 45 MG
Property damage: 1K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in KENT, DELAWARE
From 15-MAR-06 07:00:00 to 15-MAR-06 18:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 40 EG
Property damage: 1K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Strong Wind in NEW CASTLE, DELAWARE
From 15-MAR-06 07:00:00 to 15-MAR-06 18:00:00 (EST)
Magnitude: 40 EG
Property damage: 1K
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
A low pressure area over northern Lake Michigan dropped heavy snow over portions of south central Upper Michigan on the evening of the 23rd and morning of the 24th.  Reported 12-hour snow amounts included 8 inches at Powers in Menominee County and 8-10 inches in the Gladstone area of Delta County. Deepening low pressure over the eastern Great Lakes and eastern Ontario helped draw colder Canadian air across Lake Superior from the 24th through the 26th.  As a result, heavy lake effect snows off Lake Superior occurred over portions of west and central Upper Michigan.   Ironwood measured 10 inches of snow in 24 hours on the 4th and 5th while Newberry received 10 inches in 12 hours on the 5th.  Blowing and drifting of snow on side roads forced the closure of Tahquamenon Area schools on the 6th.

Heavy Snow in DELTA, MICHIGAN
From 03-FEB-06 17:00:00 to 04-FEB-06 05:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Lake-Effect Snow in GOGEBIC, MICHIGAN
From 04-FEB-06 04:00:00 to 05-FEB-06 04:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow in MENOMINEE, MICHIGAN
From 03-FEB-06 16:00:00 to 04-FEB-06 04:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Lake-Effect Snow in LUCE, MICHIGAN
From 05-FEB-06 01:00:00 to 06-FEB-06 15:00:00 (EST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
A 960 mb low pressure center moved north over the central Bering Sea on the evening of the 13th and the morning of the 14th, bringing strong winds and local blizzard conditions to western Alaska. High Winds were reported at:Zone 201: Cape Lisburne AWOS: gusts to 54 knots (62 mph). Zone 208: Red Dog Mine: gusts to 61 knots (70 mph).Zone 211: Anvil Mountain (University of Alaska Water and Environmental Research Center Mesonet Station): gusts to 61 knots (70 mph). Zone 213: Savoonga AWOS: gusts to 61 knots (70 mph); Tin City AWOS: gusts to 56 knots (64 mph); Gambell AWOS gusts to 55 knots (63 mph).Zone 214: Cape Romanzof AWOS gusts to 58 knots (67 mph); Saint Marys AWOS: gusts to 53 knots (61 mph).Blizzard conditions:Zone 211: reported at Nome.Zone 214: likely at Cape Romanzof AWOS.

High Wind in YUKON DELTA, ALASKA
From 13-FEB-06 18:55:00 to 13-FEB-06 22:56:00 (AST)
Magnitude: 58 MG
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind in WESTERN ARCTIC COAST, ALASKA
From 14-FEB-06 05:07:00 to 14-FEB-06 08:55:00 (AST)
Magnitude: 54 MG
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard in SRN SEWARD PENINSULA COAST, ALASKA
From 13-FEB-06 18:53:00 to 13-FEB-06 18:53:00 (AST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind in LOWER KOBUK & NOATAK VALLEYS, ALASKA
From 14-FEB-06 07:23:00 to 14-FEB-06 16:00:00 (AST)
Magnitude: 61 MG
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Blizzard in YUKON DELTA, ALASKA
From 13-FEB-06 13:55:00 to 13-FEB-06 19:55:00 (AST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind in SRN SEWARD PENINSULA COAST, ALASKA
From 13-FEB-06 17:00:00 to 14-FEB-06 03:00:00 (AST)
Magnitude: 61 MG
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

High Wind in ST LAWRENCE IS. BERING STRAIT, ALASKA
From 13-FEB-06 23:56:00 to 14-FEB-06 06:36:00 (AST)
Magnitude: 61 MG
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
A high elevation snowstorm dropped as much as a foot fo snow across the central and northern Utah mountains.

Heavy Snow in X NW KANE/XS XE IRON/N W WASHINGTON/NW WC GARFIELD/PIUTE/W WAYNE/SEVIER T C/X E MILLARD/S SANPETE T SC/X SE JUAB/P X NW EMERY/X E BEAVER, UTAH
From 21-MAR-06 01:00:00 to 21-MAR-06 13:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

16" in 12h at Little Grassey SNOTEL

Heavy Snow in NE GARFIELD/X SC X SE WAYNE/C N SAN JUAN, UTAH
From 21-MAR-06 01:00:00 to 21-MAR-06 13:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

17" in 12h at Kane Gulch

Heavy Snow in W SUMMIT T NW/SE SALT LAKE/WASATCH X SC/E UTAH/P X E JUAB/X NW SAN PETE, UTAH
From 20-MAR-06 23:00:00 to 21-MAR-06 11:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

15" in 12h at Alta (Collins)

Heavy Snow in BEAVER T X E/IRON T XS XE, UTAH
From 20-MAR-06 23:00:00 to 21-MAR-06 11:00:00 (MST)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

9" in 6h at New Castle and 14" in 12h at New Harmony
A complex frontal system move over western Alaska from the southwest Bering Sea, creating blizzard conditions at a few locations and bringing near-blizzard conditions to other places on the coast, like Kotzebue (zone 209) and Nome (zone 211).Blizzard conditions:Zone 207: were likely at Point Hope, as reported by the AWOS.Zone 213: were likely at Savoonga, as reported by the AWOS.

Blizzard in ST LAWRENCE IS. BERING STRAIT, ALASKA
From 25-FEB-06 02:56:00 to 25-FEB-06 06:36:00 (AST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Blizzard in CHUKCHI SEA COAST, ALASKA
From 24-FEB-06 13:36:00 to 25-FEB-06 03:36:00 (AST)
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Freezing rain began falling during the morning hours of the 18th and light icing occurred for several hours across a portion of the Mississippi Delta region. By late morning and around noon, ice accumulations reached 1/4 inch across northern portions of Bolivar county and extreme northern portions of Sunflower county. Many bridges in this area were iced over along with icing on trees and power lines. The ice accumulation ended before much damage occurred and at its greatest was generally around 1/4 inch before evaporating and melting some during the evening.

Ice Storm in SUNFLOWER, MISSISSIPPI
From 18-FEB-06 12:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 15:00:00 (CST)
Property damage: 10K
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Ice Storm in BOLIVAR, MISSISSIPPI
From 18-FEB-06 12:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 15:00:00 (CST)
Property damage: 50K
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
A large supercell thunderstorm developed over Southwest Madison parish and tracked east-northeast across the parish and then crossed the Mississippi River just north of Vicksburg. This storm produced a swath of penny to golf ball sized hail as it moved across the parish. Additionally, law enforcement officials reported wind gusts near 70 mph as the storm moved by Tallulah.

Hail in MADISON, LOUISIANA
From 03-FEB-06 12:55:00 to 03-FEB-06 13:30:00 (CST)
Location: TALLULAH
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 50K
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Thunderstorm Wind in MADISON, LOUISIANA
From 03-FEB-06 13:12:00 to 03-FEB-06 13:15:00 (CST)
Location: TALLULAH
Magnitude: 60 EG
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
A large supercell thunderstorm moved across Central Louisiana and impacted portions of Catahoula, Franklin and Tensas parishes. This supercell storm brought with it a swath of penny to golf ball sized hail. This hail damaged homes and many automobiles. Roofs were damaged along with windows broken out of buildings, homes and vehicles. The main core of the storm move out of Caldwell parish and across Northern Catahoula parish from Rosefield to Enterprise to Sicily Island. The storm also moved across Southern Franklin parish from around the Extension Community to Wisner to the extreme southeast corner of the parish. The storm then moved into Tensas parish near Cooter Point and tracked east through St Joseph and then across the River into Southwest Claiborne county.

Hail in FRANKLIN, LOUISIANA
From 03-FEB-06 13:25:00 to 03-FEB-06 14:00:00 (CST)
Location: FT NECESSITY
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 350K
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Hail in TENSAS, LOUISIANA
From 03-FEB-06 13:52:00 to 03-FEB-06 14:21:00 (CST)
Location: COOTER PT
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 600K
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT

Hail in CATAHOULA, LOUISIANA
From 03-FEB-06 13:17:00 to 03-FEB-06 13:54:00 (CST)
Location: ROSEFIELD
Magnitude: 1.75 
Property damage: 200K
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Hail in SHELBY, MISSOURI
From 12-MAR-06 11:20:00 to 12-MAR-06 11:20:00 (CST)
Location: SHELBINA
Magnitude: 0.75 
Crop damage: 0
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Hail covered the ground.
An Alberta Clipper moved across northern Vermont during the early morning hours of the 25th depositing a dusting to locally up to 2 inches of snow. A significant upper level disturbance and cold, unstable air aloft redeveloped snow showers and localized snow squalls during the evening and continued until early morning on the 26th. Total snowfall was 3 to 6 inches across the northern Champlain Valley of Vermont. Snowfall amounts include: Milton and Saint Albans with 4 inches and South Burlington with 6 inches.

Winter Weather in WESTERN CHITTENDEN, VERMONT
From 25-JAN-06 19:00:00 to 26-JAN-06 09:00:00 (EST)
Property damage: 10K
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in WESTERN FRANKLIN, VERMONT
From 25-JAN-06 19:00:00 to 26-JAN-06 09:00:00 (EST)
Property damage: 7K
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Weather in GRAND ISLE, VERMONT
From 25-JAN-06 19:00:00 to 26-JAN-06 09:00:00 (EST)
Property damage: 3K
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
An Arctic Cold Front plunged through the area Friday night/Saturday morning February 18th.  Temperatures over northeast Nebraska and western Iowa dropped to around 5 below zero by sunrise Saturday as winds switched to the north and increased to 15 to 20 mph with gusts to 30 mph.  Winds gradually subsided Saturday, but temperatures recovered little...barely reaching zero at some locations for highs.  Wind chill values dropped to around 20 below by 400 am cst and remained 20 to 30 below over much of northeast Nebraska and western Iowa into mid afternoon before slightly warming temperatures and decreasing winds allowed wind chill values to moderate a bit.

Cold/Wind Chill in HARRISON, IOWA
From 18-FEB-06 04:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 15:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Cold/Wind Chill in SHELBY, IOWA
From 18-FEB-06 04:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 15:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Cold/Wind Chill in MONONA, IOWA
From 18-FEB-06 04:00:00 to 18-FEB-06 15:00:00 (CST)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Thunderstorm Wind in BOND, ILLINOIS
From 16-FEB-06 16:15:00 to 16-FEB-06 16:15:00 (CST)
Location: GREENVILLE
Magnitude: 55 EG
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

A storm spotter reported thunderstorm wind gusts blew a metal porch swing into a nearby field about a quarter of a mile away. Several large tree branches were also down in the area.
Hail in CRAWFORD, MISSOURI
From 16-FEB-06 15:35:00 to 16-FEB-06 15:35:00 (CST)
Location: DAVISVILLE
Magnitude: 1.00 
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

The public reported hail up to quarter size covered the ground.
Thunderstorm Wind in ST. CLAIR, ILLINOIS
From 16-FEB-06 17:00:00 to 16-FEB-06 17:00:00 (CST)
Location: MARISSA
Magnitude: 52 EG
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Storm spotters reported power lines down at several locations in town.
Prior to the start of the spring flood of 2006, several things pointed to a higher potential for flooding.  Convective storms during the summer and fall of 2005 dropped a lot of rain across Richland, Ransom, and Sargent counties in southeast ND.  Flows on many rivers, especially the mainstem Red River, were above normal.  Snowfall through the winter was above normal along the Canadian border from Langdon (ND) to Cavalier (ND) to Hallock (MN), and also between the area from Fargo (ND) to Wahpeton (ND) to Battle Lake (MN) and to Detroit Lakes (MN).  Temperature patterns over the main snowpack area through mid to late March stayed cool.  The longer temperatures stayed cool, the better potential there was for a rapid snowmelt.  And a rapid snowmelt is exactly what happened.  Quite a few locations still reported snow on the ground on March 28th.  In the following days, temperatures stayed above freezing, even at night.  On the morning of March 30th, a broad area of surface low pressure set up from north central South Dakota into eastern Colorado.  This kept warm and steady south to southeast winds over the remaining snowpack, further aiding its melt.  To top it off, thunderstorms also developed on March 30th.  Rain on top of the remaining snow also contributed to the quick snowmelt.  By March 31st, only a few locations near the Canadian border had snow left.  The meltwater quickly flowed into low areas, which resulted in road washouts and closures.  As the water moved into river systems, many bridges were inundated with water.  Since the flood of 1997, many communities have undergone major flood mitigation efforts.  Buyouts of flood-prone homes and the construction of permanent city dikes, river diversions, and farmstead ring dikes were all started, in hopes of reducing the impacts of future floods.  However, prior to the spring flood of 2006, problem areas still remained.  Permanent dikes had yet to be completed at Wahpeton/Breckenridge and at Grand Forks/East Grand Forks.  Permanent dike protection still had not started for residents of south Fargo.  In constrast to river flooding, protection can be very difficult against overland flooding.  When large amounts of snow quickly melt, the water can pond anywhere.  And in the relatively flat Red River Valley, it can take a long time to recede.  For more specific information (including damage amounts) on the spring flood, see the Storm Data narratives for April 2006 (when all of the river crests occurred).

Flood in CAVALIER, NORTH DAKOTA
From 31-MAR-06 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-06 23:59:00 (CST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Flood in PEMBINA, NORTH DAKOTA
From 31-MAR-06 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-06 23:59:00 (CST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Flood in TOWNER, NORTH DAKOTA
From 31-MAR-06 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-06 23:59:00 (CST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Flood in WALSH, NORTH DAKOTA
From 31-MAR-06 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-06 23:59:00 (CST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Prior to the start of the spring flood of 2006, several things pointed to a higher potential for flooding.  Convective storms during the summer and fall of 2005 dropped a lot of rain across Richland, Ransom, and Sargent counties in southeast ND.  Flows on many rivers, especially the mainstem Red River, were above normal.  Snowfall through the winter was above normal along the Canadian border from Langdon (ND) to Cavalier (ND) to Hallock (MN), and also between the area from Fargo (ND) to Wahpeton (ND) to Battle Lake (MN) and to Detroit Lakes (MN).  Temperature patterns over the main snowpack area through mid to late March stayed cool.  The longer temperatures stayed cool, the better potential there was for a rapid snowmelt.  And a rapid snowmelt is exactly what happened.  Quite a few locations still reported snow on the ground on March 28th.  In the following days, temperatures stayed above freezing, even at night.  On the morning of March 30th, a broad area of surface low pressure set up from north central South Dakota into eastern Colorado.  This kept warm and steady south to southeast winds over the remaining snowpack, further aiding its melt.  To top it off, thunderstorms also developed on March 30th.  Rain on top of the remaining snow also contributed to the quick snowmelt.  By March 31st, only a few locations near the Canadian border had snow left.  The meltwater quickly flowed into low areas, which resulted in road washouts and closures.  As the water moved into river systems, many bridges were inundated with water.  Since the flood of 1997, many communities have undergone major flood mitigation efforts.  Buyouts of flood-prone homes and the construction of permanent city dikes, river diversions, and farmstead ring dikes were all started, in hopes of reducing the impacts of future floods.  However, prior to the spring flood of 2006, problem areas still remained.  Permanent dikes had yet to be completed at Wahpeton/Breckenridge and at Grand Forks/East Grand Forks.  Permanent dike protection still had not started for residents of south Fargo.  In constrast to river flooding, protection can be very difficult against overland flooding.  When large amounts of snow quickly melt, the water can pond anywhere.  And in the relatively flat Red River Valley, it can take a long time to recede.  For more specific information (including damage amounts) on the spring flood, see the Storm Data narratives for April 2006 (when all of the river crests occurred).

Flood in CASS, NORTH DAKOTA
From 29-MAR-06 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-06 23:59:00 (CST)
Location: COUNTYWIDE
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.