>> SO I'M GOING TO DO THIS AGAIN, JUST TO REMIND YOU THAT WE'RE GOING TO IMMEDIATE THE NEW PUBLISHER OF THE "STAR TRIBUNE"IN THE NEXT HOUR.

TANE DANGER IS GOING TO STOP BY WITH A MEMORABLE USE OF THE STUDIO.

BUT FIRST, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT FLOODING AROUND THE STATE.

>> YEAH, FLOODING HAS BEGUN IN MINNESOTA, AND THIS WEEK'S HEAVY RAINS AND SNOWSTORMS ARE ADDING TO THE WORRIES.

WE HAVE PETE BOULAY.

PETE, SERIOUS, BUT NOT HISTORIC.

IS THAT FAIR?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

YOU KNOW, WITH HE SA YOU THIS COMING IN JANUARY.

LOTS OF MEETINGS AND GETTING PREPARED FOR THE FLOOD.

AND WE KNEW IT WAS GOING TO BE PRETTY GOOD-SIZED FLOOD, BUT NOT HISTORIC.

AND THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT IS PANNING OUT.

>> WE HAVE HAD A TON OF PRECIPITATION.

SO TALK ABOUT JUST THE PHYSICS OF IT, JUST HOW IT ALL WORKS TOGETHER HERE.

>> WELL, THAT'S WHY WE'RE -- WE'RE IN THE POSITION WE ARE NOW, BECAUSE WE HAD A NEAR-RECORD PRECIPITATION THIS WINTER, NEAR-RECORD SNOWFALLS ACROSS THE STATE.

SO WE HAD A LOT OF WATER SITTING ON THE GROUND.

AND BASICALLY, WATER HAS GOT TO GO SOMEWHERE.

SO UCKILY FOR US, WE DIDN'T HAVE A FROZEN GROUND.

OTHERWISE, IT WOULD HAVE BEEN WORSE.

>> THE WHIPLASH EFFECT WAS, YOU KNOW, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS AGO, THE STATE WAS DEEP IN DROUGHT.

>> YES, IF YOU WOULD HAVE ASKED ME IN THE FALL, I WOULD HAVE SAID NOT A PROBLEM.

AND THEN SURE ENOUGH, AN OUTSTANDING WINTER CAME OUT.

AND PROBABLY THE SILVER LINING, WE'RE GETTING RID OF THAT DROUGHT IN GOOD WAY.

THE DROUGHT EVERY WEEK IS SLOWLY EASING OFF, AND IN THE STATE, AND WE KEEP GETTING MORE AND MORE STORMS AND LESS DROUGHT.

>> SO OBVIOUSLY, AS YOU SAY, WE HAD A LOT OF WATER IN THIS SNOW PACK, ESPECIALLY IN NORTHERN MINNESOTA.

SO LET'S LOOK AT SOME OF THOSE NORTHERN WATERSHEDS AND HOW THAT AFFECTS PEOPLE DOWN RIVER.

>> WE HAD 4 TO 6 INCHES OF WATER IN THE SATE, AND IT STAYED LONG.

AND SO THAT'S -- IT TOOK A WHILE TO MELT.

BEGINNING INTO APRIL.

AND THEN ON TOP OF THAT, WE GOT SOME HEAVY RAIN IN APRIL, TOO, SO THAT'S ADDED MORE TO THE CRESTS, SO THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING NOW.

IT'S EXTENDING THE CRESTS, PUSHING IT OFF ANOTHER DAY, TWO OR THREE DAYS, IN MANY PLACES AND EVEN AKING A LONGER CREST, TOO.

SO IT WILL HANG AROUND LONGER.

>> SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE WATERSHEDS HERE, LET'S GET OME RIVER UPDATES AND SOME OF THE RIVER SYSTEMS.

LET'S START WITH THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER SYSTEM, SINCE THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT SNOW PACK UP NORTH.

TELL US ABOUT FLOODING ON THE MISSISSIPPI.

>> SO FLOODING RIGHT NOW, IT'S GOING DOWN THE MAIN STEM RIGHT NOW.

COMING ACROSS SKOIPDT.

CLOUD AND UP TO FRIDLEY.

AND ST. PAUL WILL BE CRESTING DURING THE WEEK, WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, IT LOOKS LIKE RIGHT NOW.

IT GOES UP AND DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND YOU CAN OOK AT THE FORECAST, WEATHER.GOV IS THE BEST PLACE TO GO, AND YOU CAN FOLLOW ALONG.

AND WITH THE RAIN, THEY'RE PUTTING THAT INTO THE SYSTEM, TOO, TO SEE WHERE IT WILL CREST.

AND, YOU KOW, LOOKS LIKE THE NEXT FEW DAYS IS WHEN WE'LL SEE IT IN THE TWIN CITIES.

>> MOST PROBLEMATIC WATERSHED, WOULD THAT BE THE ST. CROIX?

>> YES, PARTLY BECAUSE THEY HAD THE MOST WATER YUP STREAM.

NORTHWEST WISCONSIN HAD EVEN MORE WATER ON THE GROUND THAN WE DID.

SIX INCHES OR EVEN MORE THAN THAT IN A FEW PLACES.

SO THAT IS THE PLACE THAT MIGHT GET MAYBE A TOP TEN RECORD CREST.

WHEN IT'S ALL SAID ND DONE.

RIGHT AROUND 90 FEET, MAYBE A LITTLE LESS THAN 90 FEET OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS.

AND THAT'S BEEN STRETCHED OH OUT A BIT, TOO, BECAUSE OF THE RAIN.

>> HOW DO YOU MESH FLOOD STAGE?

WHERE IS IT MEASURED, WHO DOES IT?

WHAT'S THAT ALL ABOUT?

>> WELL, EVERY RIVER IS DIFFERENT.

SUM IS BASED ON THE ELEVATION ON SEA LEVEL, SOME ON A BENCHMARK.

LIKE STILLWATER, YOU HEAR ABOUT 89, 90 FEET, LIKE THE TWIN CITIES, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT ST. PAUL OR OTHER PLACES, MIGHT BE MORE LIKE ELEVATION ABOVE SEA LEVEL.

SO, YOU KNOW, BACK IN THE OLD DAYS, YOU HAD, LIKE, A GAUGE ON THE SIDE OF THE BRIDGE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THEY HAVE MORE TECHNOLOGY NOW TO DO IT MORE PRECISE.

SO -- AND THEY'RE WATCHING IT ALL OF THE TIME AND PUTTING IN ANY KIND OF RAIN THE THAT COMES UP THE NEXT 24 HOURS.

>> ALL OF THE MITIGATION EFFORTS ON THE RED RIVER, ARE THEY 3 PAYING OFF?

>> ABSOLUTELY.

IF YOU EVER GET A CHANCE TO VISIT UP THERE, GRAND FORKS, FARGO, YOU CAN SEE THERE IS NOW A PARK AND A GOLF COURSE WHERE THERE USED TO BE HOMES, AND THEY HAVE DONE A LOT TO PROTECT THE CITY.

SO, YOU KNOW, OTHER CITIES IN THE -- OTHER CITIES IN THE STATE, TOO, HAVE DONE THAT TOO.

ROCHESTER, FOR INSTANCE, HAS DONE A LOT, BECAUSE THEY HAVE HAD FLOODS IN THE PAST, TOO.

THEY HAVE HAD SOME STORMS IN THE PAST FEW YEARS AND HASN'T AFFECTED THEM, AS MUCH.

THEY HAVE LOT MORE PARKS.

>> SO WE HAVE AREAS OF WESTERN MINNESOTA, CENTRAL MINNESOTA, ROADS ARE CLOSED, BECAUSE OF WATER GOING OVER THE ROADS.

BUT IT LOOKS LIKE -- ARE WE CATCHING A BREAK NEXT WEEK?

IT LOOKS DRY?

WE ARE ENTERING INTO A COOL AND DRY PATTERN FOR THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS.

IT WILL START WARMING UP A BIT, MAYBE CLOSE TO NORMAL.

THAT WOULD BE NICE FOR A CHANGE.

BUT THE OUTLOOK IS REALLY TENDING DRY AND COOL.

AND THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.

NO MORE BIG STORMS IN SIGHT.