PARRY SOUND-MUSKOKA — A warming trend starting tomorrow — leading to a sunny Saturday and Sunday — follows a wet spell of 23 mm of rain the past four days.

And with a little more precipitation in the mix as of today (9 mm) that has the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry issuing a “water safety” statement until Friday May 6 at 4 p.m.

This message is for residents in Muskoka, Parry Sound and a north-west portion in the Haliburton.

The weather forecast is calling for mild temperatures and minimal rain over the next seven days. Flooding is not anticipated at this time.

Daytime highs over the next week are forecast to range between 1°C and 17°C while night-time lows range between +7°C and -5°C in the area.

That’s good news for sprouting daffodils, amateur horticulturalists an landscapers anxious to do more in their gardens and yards. Buds on trees are also a positive sign of a late spring.

They say recent rainfall has caused water levels and river flows to rise and everyone is reminded to keep a close watch on conditions and regularly check for updated messages.

With saturated soil conditions, banks, and shorelines adjacent to water bodies can be extremely slippery and unstable. Residents and visitors should exercise caution while around water bodies and maintain close supervision of children and pets.

The ministry also 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 impassable due to localized flooding.

Staff are closely monitoring the weather and developing watershed conditions. Further updates will be issued as appropriate.

DEFINITIONS:

• WATERSHED CONDITIONS STATEMENT – WATER SAFETY: indicates that high flows, melting ice or other factors could be dangerous for such users as boaters, anglers and swimmers but flooding is not expected.
• WATERSHED CONDITIONS STATEMENT – FLOOD OUTLOOK: gives early notice of the potential for flooding based on weather forecasts calling for heavy rain, snow melt, high winds or other conditions
• FLOOD WATCH: potential for flooding exists within specific watercourses and municipalities
• FLOOD WARNING: flooding is imminent or occurring within specific watercourses and municipalities.

For more info:

• Surface Water Monitoring Centre public webpage www.ontario.ca/flooding
• Environment Canada bulletins: www. weather.gc.ca
• A close watch on local conditions and weather forecasts from Environment Canada is recommended.