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FREDERICTON — The New Brunswick government is hoping for a quiet spring season along the province's Saint John River, but officials say it's too early to predict flooding 

Kyle Leavitt, director of New Brunswick Emergency Management Operations, says melting of snow and ice in the province usually happens between March and May, and flooding is dependent on day-to-day weather. 

He says because conditions can change quickly with rising temperatures or heavy rainfall, it is difficult to predict accurately beyond a few days.

Leavitt says people should be prepared with an emergency plan to to leave their homes if necessary in the event of flooding and to be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.

Jill Maepea, a meteorologist at Environment and Climate Change Canada, says temperatures this winter have been two to three degrees above normal, and January was “extremely warm."

Environment official Don Fox says the latest survey shows snow depths in northwestern New Brunswick to be comparable with those last year when flooding was not severe, while the southern half of the province had more precipitation than in 2022.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 14, 2023.

The Canadian Press