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(4) Spring 1998. By March 23'd, much warmer temperatures moved into the District and the plains snow began to melt. Snowmelt in eastern Wyoming and western Nebraska caused stages on the North Platte River to rise to nearly flood stage from Henry to Lewellen, Nebraska, By March 26th, the snowmelt was underway throughout the North Platte River basin including the headwaters in Colorado. Melting snow also caused the James River in northern South Dakota and Apple Creek near Menoken, North Dakota, to rise toward flood stage by the 24th. t . The end of March brought a return to stormy weather, as an upper-level system off of the West Coast moved inland towards Wyoming and generated a series of storms across the north-central part of the country. More heavy snow developed in the Rockies and northern plains, while rain and thunderstorms moved across the central plains. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches were reported in central through northeast Nebraska and in central South Dakota on the 28th and 29th ahead of the system. Snowfalls of 4 to 12 inches were reported across parts of Montana, northeast Wyoming and western South Dakota as the system moved eastward. The Platte, Elkhorn and Loup Rivers rose to near flood stage by March 29th in response to the heavy rain. The additional rainfall also aggravated flooding on the James River in the Dakotas. In addition to the trouble spots in northern South Dakota, the stage on the James River at Pingree, North Dakota, moved above flood stage by March 30th. Minor flooding was also reported along the Big and Little Sioux Rivers of eastern South Dakota and northwest Iowa. Rises to near flood stage were also reported along the lower Nishnabotna River near Hamburg in southwest Iowa. By March 31st the storm moved northeastward out of the District atter dumping 5 to 10 inches of new snow across parts of northeastern South Dakota and adjacent states. Runoff from thunderstorm rainfalls of up to 2.5 inches in southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa pushed the Missouri River to near flood stage from Brownville downstream. Heavy snow occurred in the mountains of Colorado as another storm moved into the District by April 2nd. Amounts of 4 to 8 inches of snow fell on the high plains and 12 to 15 inches were reported in the foothills and mountains of the Front Range. Another in the series of storms moved into the District on April 6th, kicking off thunderstorms in Nebraska and western Iowa. Flash flood watches and warnings were issued as rainfall amounts of 2 to more than 4 inches were reported from central Nebraska eastward into southwest Iowa. Flood warnings were issued for the West Nishnabotna River and the lower Nishnabotna River of Iowa. , 12