There were many factors that led to a severe Spring flood melt along the Minnesota and Mississippi Rivers and several of their tributaries during the last two weeks of March. The first factor was above average snowpack, especially over the Minnesota River Valley for mid March. Additionally, the added effect of a cold late Winter kept this snowpack deeper into the early Spring. Once temperatures warmed, and snow began to melt, a few storms, especially around the 12-13th of March, led to additional water on the already heavy snowpack. As area rivers, streams and creeks began to thaw, ice jams developed, which led to more areal flooding beyond the flooded river beds.
Area streams, creeks, and mainstem rivers started to break up their Winter ice the second week of March, with a sharp rise in these basins during the three week sof March as the storm system around the 12th and 13th of March led to the ripening of the snowpack. Although most of the mainstem rivers along the Minnesota River crested the last week of March, flood waters continued into April. The Mississippi River crested after the last week of March, from St. Paul and points downstream.
During the third week of March, the Minnesota Department of Transportation started to close roads along mainstem rivers. County roads were already impacted as flood waters started to spread out across counties from melted snow and recent rainfall from storms.
There were numerous counties in southern and western Minnesota which were declared disaster areas due to the flooding.  They included Chippewa, Lac Qui Parle, Martin, and Yellow Medicine.

Flood in NICOLLET, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: ST GEORGE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Numerous roads were closed for several days due to snow melt, and the flood waters that develop from it. Rapidly runoff led to impassable roads, especially along streams and creeks along county roads.

Flood in SIBLEY, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: HENDERSON
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Numerous roads were closed for several days due to snow melt, and the flood waters that develop from it. Rapidly runoff led to impassable roads, especially along streams and creeks along county roads.

Flood in BLUE EARTH, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: CAMBRIA
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Numerous roads were closed for several days due to snow melt, and the flood waters that develop from it. Rapidly runoff led to impassable roads, especially along streams and creeks along county roads.

Flood in LE SUEUR, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: KASOTA
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Numerous roads were closed for several days due to snow melt, and the flood waters that develop from it. Rapidly runoff led to impassable roads, especially along streams and creeks along county roads.

Flood in RENVILLE, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: MINNESOTA FALLS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Numerous roads were closed for several days due to snow melt, and the flood waters that develop from it. Rapidly runoff led to impassable roads, especially along streams and creeks along county roads.

Flood in LAC QUI PARLE, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 30-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: ROSEN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 300.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

Snow melt and a slow thaw led to numerous county and township roads to close; in total, roughly 71 sections of roadway had been closed, accumulating an estimated 81 miles. Many of these sections were washed out and damaged and required repairs.  The City of Dawson experienced flooding of their football and baseball fields, as well as a portion of city park and Ash Street.
A driver drove around the barricade blocking County Road 55 about a half-mile north of Hwy. 212 in Garfield Township on Thursday, March 28th. Deputies from the Lac qui Parle County Sheriff's Office retrieved a female driver and her male passenger after their vehicle was swept off a country road and pushed into a farm field. No significant injuries were reported.
Preliminary damage estimates indicated nearly $300,000 was caused by flood waters.

Flood in SCOTT, MINNESOTA
From 14-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 30-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: BELLE PLAINE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Emergency Manager

As temperatures started to rise, a recent heavy rainfall event on the 12th and 13th, the snowpack ripened and began melting. This caused the Sand Creek in Jordan to develop an ice jam from the rapid melt. This also led to the evacuation of some residents in the Valley Green Mobile Home Park, in Jordan along this creek. About 1,000 people were affected by the evacuation which caused water to flow over the bank and onto the property. In addition, the Minnesota River along the western and northern county line had numerous road closures due to flood waters.

Flood in STEARNS, MINNESOTA
From 18-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 30-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: ST CLOUD
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Local Official

Roughly 44 people were rescued from Anton's Restaurant, along the Sauk River in Waite Park due to an ice jam. Within 30 minutes, flood waters rose a foot inside the restaurant which led to the evacuation and rescue of those 44 people.

Flood in WATONWAN, MINNESOTA
From 16-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 25-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: SVEADAHL
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Flood waters from snow melt caused Highway 4, north of St. James which is along the Watonwan River, to close for several days.

Flood in CARVER, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: EAST UNION
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Numerous roads were closed for several days due to snow melt, and the flood waters that develop from it. Rapidly runoff led to impassable roads, especially along streams and creeks along county roads.

Flood in WRIGHT, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: DELANO
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Numerous roads were closed for several days due to snow melt, and the flood waters that develop from it. Rapidly runoff led to impassable roads, especially along streams and creeks along county roads.

Flood in DAKOTA, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: BURNSVILLE
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Snow melt and recent heavy rainfall caused the Minnesota River in Dakota County to rise above major stage. The stage rose to the point that the automated river gauge stopped reporting as it was underwater. In addition, Fort Snelling State Park was closed for a long duration due to the flooding along the Minnesota River.

Flood in BROWN, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: EVAN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Snow melt and recent heavy rainfall led to areal flooding across most of Brown County, with road closures along the immediate Minnesota River Valley.

Flood in CHIPPEWA, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: MILAN
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Numerous roads were closed for several days due to snow melt, and the flood waters that develop from it. Rapidly runoff led to impassable roads, especially along streams and creeks along county roads.

Flood in YELLOW MEDICINE, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: GRANITE FALLS
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Numerous roads were closed for several days due to snow melt, and the flood waters that develop from it. Rapidly runoff led to impassable roads, especially along streams and creeks along county roads.

Flood in REDWOOD, MINNESOTA
From 17-MAR-19 00:00:00 to 31-MAR-19 00:00:00 (CST-6)
Location: SEAFORTH
Flood cause: Heavy Rain / Snow Melt
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Department of Highways

Numerous roads were closed for several days due to snow melt, and the flood waters that develop from it. Rapidly runoff led to impassable roads, especially along streams and creeks along county roads.