WINNIPEG - The Manitoba government says the risk of flooding this year is considerably less than the last bad flood year, 2011.

In its first flood outlook of the year, the government says soil moisture levels have been well below those in 2011, when severe flooding forced thousands of people to leave their homes.

The government says there could be a risk of minor-to-moderate flooding along the Red, Assiniboine, Souris and Pembina rivers.

The reason for concern is that there has been more snow than average in most areas of the province and in areas upstream.

As always, the flood threat depends largely on weather in April and May as well as how quickly the snow melts.