Recent rainfall and rain in the forecast has seen the flood warning for the North Bay and Callander shoreline of Lake Nipissing extended to Tuesday.
Water levels on Lake Nipissing remain high after spiking due to the widespread rainfall, prompting the extension by the North Bay-Mattawa Conservation Authority.
“Although we experienced 20-25 millimetres of rainfall and a spike in lake levels, the good news is there is very little rain in the forecast beyond Sunday and inflows are expected to drop back down over the weekend,” said NBMCA Duty Officer Kurtis Romanchuk.
By tomorrow, at least another 5-15 mm of rain is expected. No significantly strong wind speeds are in the next five-day forecast. Lake levels may continue to drop 1-2 centimetres per day on average over the next several days but that will ultimately depend on the rate of evaporation and the actual amount of rain. Wind speed and direction continue to be a major factor in local water levels and Lake Nipissing levels remain vulnerable to any significant precipitation events and strong winds.
Lake Nipissing is currently at an average elevation of 196.31m (metres above sea level), rising approximately 4 cm over the last 24 hours, due to the precipitation. However, this is still considered high and the water level remains vulnerable to wind and rain effects. In North Bay, the local level reads 196.35m and at the French River outlet on the lake, the gauge reads 196.27m. The outflow from the dams along the French River is being reassessed on a continuous basis to balance flooding on Lake Nipissing and the French River.