Rain & cold

Stubborn low pressure over northern New York this morning continues to provide damp, rainy weather across the St. Lawrence Valley and into eastern Ontario. Major flooding continues on Lake Champlain and in the Richelieu Valley with more than 2000 homes and businesses flooded. Numerous roads are closed in Vermont and New York. Some evacuations have been ordered. The flooding is the worst the region has seen in decades. Yesterday nearly 25mm of rain fell on the area with closer to 40mm southwest of Montreal. The heavy rain prompted flood warnings on both sides of the International border. Hardest hit areas included the Richelieu around St. Jean as well as northern Clinton, Franklin and St. Lawrence Counties in New York. The news is not good as far as the forecast goes. The frontal boundary to our south will continue to be the focus of rainfall right into Friday with another 25mm expected, bringing weekly totals between 50-75mm (2-3 inches). Temperatures will be cold as well staying in the single digits today around 8C and even colder Thursday around 5C. There is even a risk of wet snow across the higher elevations around the region. Skies will not begin to clear much before Saturday.