AccuWeather.com

By Kristina Pydynowski, Senior Meteorologist

Mar 21, 2010; 10:02 AM ET

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After a few showers dot the Northeast today, steadier rain will invade Monday into Tuesday. The rain not only threatens to disrupt travel but could renew flooding problems.

The recent delightful stretch of weather is coming to an end across the Northeast. A front will continue to produce rain and snow showers over New York and northern New England into tonight.

Tonight, steady rain will spread from the lower Ohio Valley into West Virginia and western Virginia. The rain will come from the storm that has been dumping substantial snow over the southern Plains.

The steady rain will encompass more of the mid-Atlantic on Monday. This includes Richmond, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City.

Some rain will wet New England on Monday. More soaking rain will push northeastward across the region Monday night into Tuesday.

Widespread flooding problems are not expected, but the rain will pour down heavily at times.

Motorists should use caution during these downpours. The heavy rainfall and spray from other vehicles will dramatically lower visibility. Airline passengers could encounter delays.

Renewed flooding problems may arise along streams and rivers that either recently were or are still out of their banks. Minor flooding continues along the Passaic River in northern New Jersey, as well as a few rivers in eastern Massachusetts.

Urban and low-lying areas may also become susceptible to localized flooding.

Enough snow remains on the ground that flooding concerns are heightened in and around the Alleghenies in West Virginia and Maryland, the Catskill, Adirondack, Green and Berkshire mountains.

Despite dumping substantial snow over the southern Plains, the storm will not do the same over the Northeast. Beyond today, the storm will be cutoff from the jet stream. Fresh cold air will then not be able to feed into the storm's backside and produce snow.

A new cold air will drop southward in time to support significant snow or ice over western Maine and neighboring parts of Canada Tuesday into Wednesday.