The Mustinka River and its tributaries experienced flooding due to the rapid snowmelt in western Minnesota caused by frozen soils and a quick thaw in the second week of April. The area, including Wheaton, saw a significant snow depth of 32 inches on April 6th.
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Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS ABR wrote it up.
The Mustinka River and its tributaries experienced flooding due to the rapid snowmelt in western Minnesota caused by frozen soils and a quick thaw in the second week of April. The area, including Wheaton, saw a significant snow depth of 32 inches on April 6th. As a result, a large amount of snowmelt flowed into the waterways, leading to numerous county and township roads being submerged. To safeguard properties, many communities initiated sandbagging operations.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Aberdeen, SD wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 13, 1:24 PM CST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Aberdeen SD 224 PM CDT Thu Apr 13 2023 .DISCUSSION... Issued at 223 PM CDT Thu Apr 13 2023 A slowly progressive upper flow pattern is expected to continue over the CONUS during the period. We start off with a nearly stationary sfc front meandering over the forecast. This front will be the focus for showers through Friday night as energy aloft moves through in southwest flow aloft. The first main wave will slide across the area tonight, with an expansion of showers/tstorms expected at that time, mostly on the cold side of the front. 24hr probs for a half inch QPF remain low through Friday and thus am not too concerned about the amount of rain that's expected, especially from a coverage standpoint. For Friday night the main front slips into western MN. Increasing capes, higher LLM and an approaching upper trof indicate a better chance for heavier rain Friday night from southeast SD northeast across western MN. The heftier amounts should remain mostly east of the ABR CWA. For Saturday and Sunday an upper low passes off to the south of the forecast area, but could affect a few showers over eastern SD on Saturday. An upper ridge then builds into the region for the first half of next week, with mostly dry conditions, and warming temperatures anticipated. && .AVIATION...(For the 18Z TAFS through 18Z Friday Afternoon) Issued at 1216 PM CDT Thu Apr 13 2023 Terminals KABR,KATY,KPIR,KMBG VFR conditions this afternoon will gradually turn to MVFR/IFR cigs this evening and overnight from north to south over the terminals. Spotty showers are also forecast mainly tonight. && .ABR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... SD...None. MN...None. && DISCUSSION...TDK AVIATION...TDK
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Aberdeen SD 303 AM CDT Thu Apr 13 2023 SDZ003>006-009-010-015>018-033>037-045-048-051-140815- Corson-Campbell-McPherson-Brown-Walworth-Edmunds-Dewey-Potter-Faulk- Spink-Stanley-Sully-Hughes-Hyde-Hand-Jones-Lyman-Buffalo- 303 AM CDT Thu Apr 13 2023 /203 AM MDT Thu Apr 13 2023/ This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for central South Dakota, north central South Dakota and northeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time. MNZ039-046-SDZ007-008-011-019>023-140815- Traverse-Big Stone-Marshall-Roberts-Day-Clark-Codington-Grant-Hamlin- Deuel- 303 AM CDT Thu Apr 13 2023 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for west central Minnesota and northeast South Dakota. .DAY ONE...Today and tonight. Flooding is occurring along the Big Sioux, Little Minnesota and Whetstone River Basins. Localized overland flooding is also occurring throughout the region. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Friday through Wednesday. No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Five Mile Creek above Herman went into flood on the afternoon of April 13th, cresting at 8.37 feet, or 0.87 feet above flood stage on the morning of April 14th. Mainly agricultural lands were impacted.
Twelve Mile Creek above Wheaton crested above moderate flood stage at 19.4 feet on the afternoon of April 15th. Waters were high enough to flood portions of 670th Street, however the main impact was flooding of agricultural lands.
The West Branch of 12 Mile Creek at Dumont went into flood on the evening of April 13th, cresting 1.97 feet above flood stage on the evening of April 15th. Agricultural lands were impacted. Flood waters inundated the city of Dumont sewer system causing water to back up into streets and basements.
The Mustinka River at Wheaton crested at 94.78 feet on the afternoon of April 17th, or 2.78 feet above flood stage. This high water mainly impacted agricultural lands.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Minnesota in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Minnesota, April 2023
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1092185, 1092186, 1092184, 1092243.