Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) has issued a Flood Watch for Parry Sound District until Wednesday.
Affected areas include the District Municipality of Muskoka, the Territorial District of Parry Sound and a north-west portion in the County of Haliburton.
MNRF says higher water levels and flow conditions are anticipated as a result of melting snow, and precipitation moving through the area.
Weather forecasts have been updated to suggest 20 – 40mm, with some areas receiving up to 50mm of precipitation Friday and another 10 to 15mm over the weekend.
Flows are quickly increasing in area watercourses and lake levels are rising. Localized flooding may be occurring in flood-prone areas.
With the rain and warmer temperatures, banks and shorelines adjacent to water bodies can be extremely slippery and unstable.
MNRF advises extreme caution when using forest access roads for outdoor activities as they may become seasonally inundated with water, are prone to washouts and may become impassible due to localized flooding.
Currently, snow conditions as of March 23rd in the Muskoka and Parry Sound region averaged 22.4cm of snow depth, containing an average of 86.8mm of snow water equivalent.
The snow water equivalent is estimated to be about 81% of normal for this time of year.
Warm days, rain and a melting snowpack will increase runoff throughout Parry Sound District, including the Muskoka River Watershed and Magnetawan River watershed.
The major lakes and rivers are within their normal operating zones for this time of year; however, flows and levels are rising quickly and localized flooding may occur in flood-prone areas.
Over the next 5 days, the daytime highs range between 4°C and 14°C, with overnight lows between -4°C and 5°C.
Residents and visitors should exercise caution while around water bodies and maintain close supervision of children and pets. Residents are reminded to keep a close watch on conditions and regularly check for updated messages.