The National Weather Service has issued a both a flood watch through Tuesday morning and a wind warning for the next several hours for all of St. Lawrence County and northern New York.

Rivers are continuing to rise and are expected to peak late this evening and early overnight, NWS forecasters said. Some rivers will reach or exceed bankful, resulting in flooding in low lying flood prone areas, they added.

Runoff from the earlier rainfall earlier today combined with snow melt will continue and any additional showers this evening would add to the runoff, forecasters said.

At the same time, strong southwesterly winds are moving across the St. Lawrence Valley ahead of a cold front. They are expected to continue into the early evening hours at 20 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts up to 45 mph, making driving difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles, forecasters say.

Forecasters say a flood watch means there is a potential for flooding based on current forecasts.

They recommend residents take the following precautionary/preparedness actions:

-- Monitor forecasts and be alert for possible flood warnings.

-- Those living in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take action should flooding develop.

-- Obey instructions from law enforcement and/or local emergency management should flooding develop.

For specific forecasts for your area, visit the NorthCountryNow.com Weather Page at http://northcountrynow.com/weather.