Steve Lieberman

slieberm@lohud.com

Rain and wind to pound Hudson Valley late Monday into Tuesday

Gusts could hit 40 mph with 1-3 inches of rain

Potential for flooding%2C maybe light snow

A nor'easter that forecasters said will bring heavy winds and dump 3 inches of rain on the region prompted the National Weather Service to declare a flood watch for much of the Lower Hudson Valley on Tuesday.

The Tuesday morning commute has been slow moving for Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties as heavy rain touched down, causing slippery roadways and low visibility. There is a 40 mph speed restriction on the Tappan Zee Bridge.

Some schools in Putnam and Northern Westchester have announced two-hour delays.

A winter weather advisory for Putnam County, where frigid temperatures were expected to bring freezing rain to higher elevations overnight, was to expire at 9 a.m. Tuesday when temperatures were to reach the 30s. Winds of 30 to 40 mph were expected to continue into early Tuesday afternoon, with gusts of almost 60 mph possible.

A steady rainfall of 2 to 3 inches is predicted to continue into Wednesday and could bring flooding, especially along Long Island Sound. A flood watch is in effect for Westchester, Rockland and Putnam counties from 6 a.m. Tuesday until late Tuesday night.

"It's going to be a windy, rainy, nasty day," AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said. "There will be periods of low visibility. The rain and sustained winds will make driving treacherous and could cause delays at New York-area airports. The rain will be very heavy at times, and flooding is certainly a possibility."

The downpour was expected to start late Monday with winds picking up speed into Tuesday morning. Sosnowski said the high winds could topple trees and power lines.

He said the rain will diminish late Tuesday or early Wednesday, with an outside chance of light snow. More likely, he said, temperatures will continue to rise through the day. Temperatures were expected to reach almost 40 degrees Tuesday, dip back into the 30s at night and return to the 40s on Wednesday.

Staff writer Richard Liebson contributed to this report.

Red Cross storm tips

¦Power outage checklist

¦Flood safety checklist