Torrential rain this week may bring major flooding to NJ river communities

While much of the attention in recent days has been on Saturday and Sunday's snowstorm, there's a chance for even more impactful weather this week.

Another storm is expected to drop more than three inches of rain on North Jersey beginning Tuesday and lasting into Wednesday — with the potential to cause major flooding along rivers, forecasters said Sunday.

Flooding is expected along the Passaic, Hackensack, Ramapo, Saddle and Raritan rivers among other, said Bill Goodman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service. The agency has already warned about excessive rain.

"We don’t normally go out on a limb a few days in advance but everything points to a lot of rain and the possibility of significant flooding," he said.

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How much flooding is still not known but concerns have been growing since last week.

"A few inches of rain on top of the snowpack — 11 inches in Wantage, 7 inches in Sparta, 4 inches in Hillsdale — will lead to rapid melt and flooding in areas where the ground is already saturated from a very wet December," said Bob Ziff of the North Jersey Weather Observers.

Officials in Lincoln Park, which sits in the flood-prone Passaic River basin, warned residents that flooding may be significant this week. Several mayors in the region have asked state officials to open the gates at the Pompton Dam to release water downriver before the storm.

Significant river flooding expected

Models from the National Weather Service's Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center show that significant river flooding is likely over the next five days.

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The Davidson Laboratory at Stevens Institute of Technology is forecasting minor to major flooding at key points in the region. Flooding could range between 3.9 feet and 7.4 feet on the Hackensack River near the Fairleigh Dickinson Bridge in Teaneck by late Wednesday morning, forecasts show.

River Barge Park located a few miles south in Carlstadt has a similar forecast.

Likewise, forecasts show minor to major flooding at the lower Passaic River in Newark on Wednesday morning.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Heavy rain could cause North Jersey river flooding this week