Flood warning issued in Capital Region

The National Weather Service has issued an aerial flood warning in Schenectady, Albany and Montgomery counties, as well as southeastern Saratoga County.

The warning will be in effect until 3:15 p.m. today, according to Luigi Meccariello, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany.

“That’s when we expect the heavy rain to move out of the region,” he said.

Meccariello said as of 7 a.m., Albany had gotten 2.16 inches of rain since yesterday’s storms started.

An additional 1/2 inch to 3/4 of an inch of rainfall is expected by the end of the day, which will support the area’s roads that have shallow standing water from the two-day bout of storms.

The National Weather Service said Albany, Schenectady, Clifton Park, Rotterdam, Cohoes, Watervliet, Rensselaer, Colonie, Scotia, Mechanicville. Latham, Delmar, Guilderland, Glenville, Niskayuna, Duanesburg, Menands, Westerlo, Ravena and Berne could experience flooding.

Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause flooding of small creeks and streams, as well as on highways and underpasses in urban areas. In rural areas, country roads and farmland along creek banks and other low lying areas are subject to flooding.

“Today’s rainfall into tonight is support for concern for small stream flooding as well as the remaining Capital Region,” Meccariello said. “Also rivers, like the Canajoharie Creek.”

The Montgomery County stream was at 8.3 feet as of Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service’s website. The Canajoharie Creek’s flood stage is 8 feet.

“We’re monitoring levels of the creek itself,” the meteorologist said.

Showers are expected to continue into Thursday night, Meccariello said, but will turn into flurries and snow showers by Friday morning when a cold front will move across the region with temperature highs in the mid to upper-20s.