Flood Watch for the entire area for 11/24/08 through 11/25/08

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Issued by The National Weather Service

Albany, NY

11:28 am EST, Mon., Nov. 24, 2008

... FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ALBANY HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT... WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS... EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK AND SOUTHERN VERMONT... INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS... IN NORTHWESTERN CONNECTICUT... LITCHFIELD. IN WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS... BERKSHIRE. IN EAST CENTRAL NEW YORK... EASTERN ALBANY... EASTERN COLUMBIA... EASTERN DUTCHESS... EASTERN GREENE... EASTERN RENSSELAER... EASTERN SCHENECTADY... EASTERN ULSTER... NORTHERN SARATOGA... NORTHERN WASHINGTON... SOUTHEAST WARREN... SOUTHERN SARATOGA... SOUTHERN WASHINGTON... WESTERN COLUMBIA... WESTERN DUTCHESS AND WESTERN RENSSELAER. IN SOUTHERN VERMONT... BENNINGTON AND WINDHAM.

* FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING

* A COMPLEX STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING HEAVY RAINFALL TO THE WATCH AREA LATE TONIGHT AND TUESDAY. MUCH OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL START AS SNOW... HOWEVER WARMER AIR WILL WORK INTO THE WATCH AREA CHANGING THE PRECIPITATION TO PLAIN RAIN. WIDESPREAD RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE EXPECTED BEFORE THE PRECIPITATION ENDS AND OR CHANGES TO BACK TO SNOW. THE RAIN WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES TUESDAY MORNING. DUE TO THE RECENT COLD WEATHER THE GROUND IS FROZEN AND THIS WILL RESULT IN INCREASED RUNOFF. RAPID RISES ARE EXPECTED ON RIVERS AND STREAMS TUESDAY MORNING... WITH SMALL STREAMS MOST VULNERABLE TO FLOODING PROBLEMS. URBAN FLOODING PROBLEMS ARE ALSO EXPECTED... PARTICULARLY WHERE DEBRIS CLOGS DRAINS.

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS.

YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.