NWS / NOAA weather: Flood Warning issued October 1 at 7:56AM AKDT until October 3 at 7:45AM AKDT by NWS Juneau AK

A second release from Suicide Basin has started and levels continue
to drop this afternoon. Levels on the Mendenhall have started to rise
but will continue to rise as the release continues.

* WHAT...Flooding caused by a glacier-dammed lake outburst is
expected.

* WHERE...The Mendenhall Lake And River near the Mendenhall Glacier
Recreation area, View Drive and below Back Loop bridge.

* WHEN...Until 745 AM AKDT Saturday.

* IMPACTS...Flooding of the area around Mendenhall Lake and along the
Mendenhall River is imminent. Water levels will continue to rise
and water temperatures will fall within the lake and river.

Impacts:
At 6.7 feet: Nugget Falls trail begins to flood near the "causeway"
at the end of the trail.
At 7.7 feet: Nugget Falls trail begins to flood near the beginning of
the trail. Along the Mendenhall River some sections will experience
bank erosion resulting in dangerous tree fall. These conditions could
make floating the river more hazardous with the higher water levels.
At 9.0 feet: Water starts to cover Skaters Cabin Road between Skaters
Cabin and West Glacier Trailhead, also water will flow into the
Mendenhall Lake Campground.
At 10.0 feet: Water levels will inundate Mendenhall Campground with
up to 3 feet of water covering low areas as well as up to 1.5 feet of
water covering Skaters Cabin Road. Portions of West Glacier Trail
will be impassable. Areas along View Dr will start to flood and cause
minor flooding of yards. Closure of pedestrian pathways beneath
Brotherhood Bridge and the trail system on the west side of
Mendenhall River during outburst events.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 741 AM AKDT, gauge data reported a glacier-dammed lake
outburst. Flooding is expected to begin shortly, especially near
The Mendenhall Lake And River.
- The outburst flood forecast is based on an estimated volume of
water in the glacier dammed lake and an estimated release rate
based on previous events. The extent of water drainage within the
basin (partial or full) can vary widely between outburst flood
events and is a major source of uncertainty in the forecast,
particularly with regard to the peak flood stage.
- For Mendenhall Lake :
At 7:15am the stage was 5.0 feet.
Flood Stage is 9.0 feet.
Forecast: A crest between 9.8 to 10.3 feet is expected around
2:00pm to 6:00pm Friday. Water levels will go above minor flood
stage around 10:00am Friday. Water levels will reach moderate
flood stage around 2:00pm to 6:00pm Friday.

Severity

Severe (4/5) · CAP Severe

This month

2140th Weather alert at severity 4+ in the last 30 days