Spring is here - or is it?

This year has been a topsy-turvey spring as far as weather goes. We had a fantastic week of temperatures 6 or 7 degrees above normal with all the snow melting, the river breaking up and everything proceeding nicely. Then we dropped 7 or 8 degrees BELOW the normal temperatures and back into freezing - even a little snow. That was a few days ago and it seems like we are back on track to welcome in Spring. Now, I know that the spring river levels are a yearly topic but honestly, it has to be around here. There is a yearly concern for flooding and the ice dams around Selkirk this year show how quickly and easily the Red or Assiniboine rivers can flood. The weird temperatures may have provided a saving grace - not including those in Selkirk - as the river seems to be going down now. The odd combination of an early thaw and then back into freezing has given the river time to start flowing but now be overwhelmed with ALL the melting snow as there is still some left. There is an interesting sight though if you go down to the river you will see a full tree long since dead though, floating and wedged up against the ice that has built up as the river turns. It just seems oddly appropriate for this spring.