Although it is officially Spring, most of the US is in a deep freeze. We could be experiencing below average temperatures for most of spring as well.
"The snowpack in many areas has been above average and ice has formed in many rivers and lakes — the Great Lakes reached a near-record level of ice cover on March 6, when 92.2 percent of the water surface was frozen over. As temperatures warm with the onset of spring, that snow will melt and could cause flooding in parts of southern Wisconsin, southern Michigan and portions of Illinois, Indiana, and Iowa, NOAA said, as well as parts of North and South Dakota. More broadly, the northern tier of the country from Idaho to Missouri to Maine, as well as the Southeast, are at a minor risk of flooding.Also adding to the flooding risk is the deep layer of frozen soil that the frigid winter has put into place. When the ground is frozen, it can’t absorb as much water when spring’s rains fall or if winter’s snows melt quickly."
This also plays into ice jams. People are concerned that the melting snow and ice could make blocked waterways an even bigger problem. This situation is also a positive one because this could relieve severe droughts that are happening in other parts of the United States.
http://www.weather.com/news/spring-flood-risk-20140321
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