LACROSSE, Wis. – Modest snow accumulations in northern reaches of the Mississippi River basin are raising no alarms about spring flooding. In the first of three seasonal flood outlooks, the National Weather Service said the risk of spring flooding is below normal. Forecasters base projections on:
> Snowpack, which has all but melted already.
> Soil moisture, which also is low.
> Frost depth, which is nonexistent across the southern tier of Minnesota counties.
> The Mississippi itself, which are at normal levels, as are tributaries.