Levels on area rivers are very low at the moment, just weeks before the first official flood predictions of the late winter.

Todd Heitkamp at the National Weather Service in Sioux Falls says it is pretty obvious why the streams are so low…

 

Heitkamp says there was soil moisture available at freeze up last fall…

 

Heitkamp says they are still watching possible development of an El Nino in the Pacific Ocean that could drive more moisture into the northern plains…

 

While early temperature trends are similar to 2012, which turned into a hot and dry growing season, it is too early to draw any comparisons.