Montgomery County Weather: Prepare To Get Soaked

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, MD — The rain just keeps on coming. A new forecast indicates that the Montgomery County area could see a huge amount of water on Thursday and Friday as storm after storm rolls through the area in waves for an extended period of time.

The National Weather Service predicts that the area will get nearly two and a half inches of rain between now and early next week. Considering the already soaked ground, that means we have a big flooding risk, and as a result the NWS has issued a flash flood watch Thursday morning and into the evening.

Forecasters expect the rain to continue into the weekend, although not quite as heavy. That means rivers and streams will be above flood levels once again.

Heavy rain can also mean downed trees due to the excessive moisture weakening the root systems' hold on the ground. So be wary as you travel on the roads for both standing water and fallen trees.

More than seven inches of rain have fallen in the area, making it one of the wettest Mays we have ever seen.

It all starts with an approaching low pressure system and cold front that is bringing this weather disturbance to our area.

"On Thursday, regions near and along the boundary will experience the greatest triggering (uplift) potential for sustained showers and thunderstorms," writes the Washington Post's Capital Weather Gang. "On Friday, the potential becomes more area-wide, as a disturbance in the upper-level flow approaches the region, and the cold front moves through from the west."

The National Weather Service currently has us at a "slight" risk of flash flooding, which means about a 10 to 20 percent chance. That applies to both Thursday and Friday. Fortunately, we won't have to deal with severe thunderstorms for the most part.

(Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)