AccuWeather.com

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

Mar 15, 2010; 6:48 AM ET

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As AccuWeather.com feared, heavy rain and melting snow triggered flooding across several parts of the Northeast this weekend. Unfortunately, flooding will remain an issue even after drier weather returns.

Additional Flooding Rain

Steady rain will persist across southern Maine, New Hampshire and Massachusetts through Monday. An additional inch of rain will add to what fell prior to Monday morning. Flood waters in low-lying areas and along streams and small rivers should rise further.

Some rain will periodically dampen the rest of the Northeast and the spine of the Appalachians today. Pockets of isolated downpours will exist, delaying swollen streams and low-lying areas from receding.

Flood Waters Must Drain Downstream

Streams and small rivers will recede as drier weather returns to the Northeast Monday into Tuesday. The water, however, will have to drain downstream.

Larger rivers will then continue to rise from the central Appalachians to central New England the next few days. Generally, stages along the larger rivers will reach minor or moderate flood levels.

Some locations will reach major flood stages along the larger rivers, and a few already have. The Potomac River at Point of Rocks in northern Virginia has reached major flood stages.

Rivers set to rise to minor or moderate flood stages include: the Merrimack in central New England, the upper Ohio River, and the James River in Virginia.

The Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania will heighten, but should remain below flood stage.

Snow continues to cover parts of the central Appalachians and the mountains across New York and New England. Colder air will limit the amount of snow that melts through early this week. The snow melt rate will increase later in the week as milder air surges northward.