Minnesota - Early spring   Lee Frelich
  Apr 14, 2006 14:35 PDT 

ENTS:

We are into another exceptionally early spring in MN. After yesterday's
record high of 90, magnolia trees are in full bloom and many species (elms,
cottonwood, silver maple) are almost through flowering and well into seed
production.

Last week's warm spell in northern MN liquidated a 20-30 inch snowpack over
an area three times the size of MA, and now all that water has to make its
way through downtown Minneapolis, where the Mississippi is narrowly
contained between limestone bluffs. The standing wave at the bottom of
St.Anthony Falls is over 10 feet high, with mean looking, fast moving,
rapids on foamy water stained the color of rootbeer from the tamarack and
black spruce bogs of northern MN.

The Red River of the North crested in Grand Forks last week at 22 feet
above flood stage (still not that high compared to 34 feet during the 1996
flood). Amazing the cottonwoods can survive there with fish swimming almost
up to the base of their crowns during the spring flood.

Lee