Big snow will turn into big melt

By Tom Rivers, Editor Posted 19 December 2013 at 12:00 am

Flood watch issued for Orleans over the weekend

Photos by Tom Rivers – Sandy Creek in Albion already is starting to look swollen in this photo from Butts Road.

The foot or more of snow in most of Western New York and Orleans County has already started melting with today’s 40-degree weather.

More upcoming days in the 40s, as well as rain on Saturday, could overwhelm local creeks and streams. That has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flood watch for western and central New York from Saturday afternoon until Sunday evening.

Orleans is one of 17 counties under the flood watch. The NWS warned that snowmelt and potential ice jams could lead to localized flooding of creeks and streams as well as low-lying and poorly drained areas.

The ice is starting to melt in Sandy Creek in this photo taken from the Brown Street bridge.