A large portion of the Winnipeg River basin is under a snowfall warning, with heavy and rapidly accumulating snow expected throughout the day and into tomorrow. The highest snowfall amounts of 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 in) are expected close to the international border. This precipitation is not expected to change the spring outlook for refill of Lake of the Woods. Over the month of March, much of the winter snowpack declined without generating much inflow to the lake, due to sunny and dry conditions. Underlying drought conditions also remain upstream in the Rainy-Namakan basin.
The current level of Lake of the Woods is 322.42 m (1057.8 ft), a 40th percentile level, in the normal range for this time of year. The average lake level increased by 1 cm (0.5 in) over the last week and is expected to increase by 1 cm (0.5 in) over the next week. Lake of the Woods authorized outflow is 250 m3/s, with no changes scheduled.
The current level of Lac Seul is 354.68 m (1163.6 ft), a 25th percentile level, in the normal range for this time of year. The lake level declined by 6 cm (2 in) over the last week and is expected to decrease by 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) over the next week. Lac Seul authorized outflow is scheduled to decrease to 200 m3/s on Tuesday, April 8th.