MISSISSIPPI TO DROP BELOW FLOOD STAGE HERE BY SATURDAY

The National Weather Service had good news for flood-weary residents of Southeast Missouri and Southern Illinois: the Mississippi River is falling rapidly this week, and for a welcome change, no rain is forecast in most of the bi-state area through Friday.

Meanwhile, temperatures have climbed from the chilly afternoon highs of last week to the 70s and 80s.

The Mississippi River at Cape Girardeau crested Sunday at 41.9 feet, six-tenths of a foot below the earlier crest forecast of 42.5 feet, but nearly nine feet above flood stage.

On Monday, the river at Cape dropped to 41.1. It was forecast to fall to 39.7 feet today, 38 feet on Wednesday, and 35.9 feet on Thursday.

Weather Service Hydrologist Jack Burns said the Mississippi at Cape should drop below flood stage, 32 feet, on Saturday. The river at Thebes also is forecast to drop below flood stage, 33 feet, on Saturday.

During the nine-day period from April 8-17, the Mississippi River at Cape rose nearly 18 feet in the wake of torrential rains that fell across central Missouri and Illinois earlier this month.

The Ohio River at Cairo also crested over the weekend, but was forecast to remain stationary at 58.3 feet for the next three days.

The Missouri River was forecast to drop below flood stage at Washington and Hermann on Monday, and at St. Charles on Wednesday.

The weather service said the unseasonably warm temperatures will continue in southern sections of the state through Friday.

Highs Monday were forecast to reach between 80-85 degrees in the Cape area, and 75-80 degrees today. Normal mid-April daytime high temperatures are in the upper 60s and low 70s.

Forecasters said the combination of unseasonably warm temperatures and brisk winds this week will begin to dry out water-logged soil so farmers can start their spring planting, and allow the Missouri and Mississippi rivers to continue to drop back to near normal levels.