SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) — An extended stretch of below average temperatures has slowed the snow melt, keeping flooding at bay in Minnehaha County. But, how will things play out as the weather warms and winter finally gives way to spring?

The Minnehaha County Board of Commissioners learned about the potential for spring flooding, and many factors are currently working in our favor.

“Very low river levels, very low moisture levels in the ground and frost, so it’s able to soak in pretty rapidly and obviously we’ve had slow melting,” Director of Emergency Management Jason Gearman said.

“What does it look like for you and your team and elements of the county and city and what does ramping up for further preparedness or what does a new stage of alert look like for you?” Minnehaha County Commissioner Joe Kippley asked.

“We’ve had some flood meetings with the city. They’re not too concerned at this point,” Gearman said.

That doesn’t mean the county isn’t keeping a close watch on areas north of Sioux Falls.

“Dell Rapids and Renner and Baltic are all familiar with this, they’ve been doing this for years and years, having those issues when we get a large snowpack like this,” Gearman said.

And we don’t have to go back too many years to see what could go wrong.

“2019 we had a lot of snow on the ground and a huge rain, which caused a lot of water to go places it’s never went before. A lot of basements were flooded,” Gearman said.

As the snow melts and the water rises, Gearman encourages homeowners to take precautions to help avoid flooding.

“Get the snow away from your window wells, as far away from your house as possible. That’s what happened in 2019, that water started piling up next to houses and flooded their basements or caved in their basements,” Gearman said.

So, if we can avoid the major storms…

“We may have some low level flooding but right now it’s looking good and hopefully it stays that way,” Gearman said.

Click HERE to learn more about Minnehaha County Emergency Management.