NORTHAMPTON — A flood watch will be in effect in western Massachusetts and northern Connecticut from Friday evening into late Saturday.
Rain totals are expected to be between one and two inches, according to the National Weather Service.
Showers are possible in the afternoon or early evening Friday with a possible thunderstorm overnight.
[See a full weather forecast.]
In the Valley, NWS meteorologist Nicole Belk said this may cause flooding due to poor drainage.
The Connecticut River may also flood due to the rain and melting snow further upstream. At the river’s headwaters in Vermont and New Hampshire, Belk said there is “still snow pack lingering” and melting.
“As a result, probably the Connecticut River will go back above flood stage in the Northampton area,” she said.
Already the river hit flood stage on Wednesday. Levels then dropped slightly, but the most recent reading at 6 a.m. showed the river gauge at 111.61, with flood stage being 112 feet.
Greta Jochem can be reached at gjochem@gazettenet.com