Northern Rains Causing Huge Surge on Mississippi River...

Perhaps you saw the videos on network TV showing flooded streets, swamped cars, and rivers running out of their banks.  These were the images coming from the Ohio Valley, where recent rains have the Ohio River rising 3-4'+/day.  Since the lower Mississippi receives 70% of its volume from the Ohio River, we can once again expect high water levels for much of March.

Last week's rains have shifted southward to the Gulf coast, but the damage has been done.   Note the local NWS's River Forecast Office predicts the Carrollton gauge to top 11 feet by March 13th.  Hopefully we won't see the northern rains continue like last year when the Spillway had to be opened again.

Satellite views capture the extensive cloud cover associated with a cold front that has passed down off our coast.  Low pressure is expected to form over the western Gulf on Tuesday keeping us cool, wet and ugly.

Our recent warm spell has left us for awhile, but the cooldown will just get us closer to our long term averages/normals.   There remains lots of super cold over northern Canada, but I do not see a big East Coast upper trough developing that will bring the chill to us.  The real cold will be focused mainly on the Northeast for the next 7-10 days.

Finally, I have some good news if you like to fish.   As mentioned in my previous post, I was out with Captain Hylton and renowned angler Johnny Lewis out of Shell Beach.  We had not been out since late January, but thought our recent warm spell might wake the trout up from their Winter slumber.  Now we didn't get our limits, but our 2 day total numbered 53 trout and 2 bass.   And many of the trout were quality fish in the 14-18" length.   With more cold weather coming in the next 7-10 days, I expect fishing will revert back to being slow.  However, since today marks the beginning of Meteorological spring, once we get water temps back above 70+ and the shrimp come back into the marsh, the trout will follow.  I'm looking for a great trout run in April-May before the real Summer heat arrives.  Keep the rain gear handy for Tuesday and stay tuned!