[CanisLupusArctos]

Flood watch has been issued for all of New England except for the northern 2/3 of Vermont, northern Maine, and outer Cape Cod. Flood warnings remain in effect for parts of eastern Massachusetts for rivers that are still above flood stage from the last storm.

Heavy rain now appears likely from tonight through Wednesday night. A period of strong winds is also likely in that time frame, as yet another east coast storm stalls nearby.

This time around, it does not appear likely that the mountains will get snow. Snowmelt from there will add to river levels. Snowmelt will continue even after the rain stops, as summerlike weather is expected at the end of the week. Therefore, rivers will stay near or above flood stage for at least a week, perhaps longer.

Trees that have been weakened by previous strong winds are now more likely to fall. Trees whose roots have been loosened by recent heavy rains may also fall this week, even in light winds.

The lake continues slightly above full level and is likely to rise for the foreseeable future. Wind-driven waves are already eating away at the shoreline and are bringing debris into the water. Winds at Black Cat Island reached 39 mph from the southeast today. Waves were averaging about 1 foot with a few waves at 1.5 feet.

With that said, boating on this lake will be extremely hazardous until the lake level recedes and debris has been cleaned up. The normal amount of iceout debris has been compounded by flood debris this year, and flooding continues to add debris to the water. Some have observed entire sections of dock floating in the waves, and this will continue to happen.

Debris may not be easily visible. Boating at greater than headway speed is not advised until the flood situation is over. Even in calm water, a board can lie flat and its color can nearly match the color of the water, making it nearly invisible until it punctures the hull of your boat or damages your propeller.

Rescue at this time of year will not be quick, because many would-be rescue boats are not yet ready for this year's unexpectedly early boating season. Furthermore, water temperatures are very cold. Even if temperatures reach 80 later this week, you will not last long in the 40-degree lake water if a sudden mishap puts you there.