Officials are keeping a close eye on both the rivers and the sky this week, as they track several weather systems predicted to bring rain and more flood worries to western Montana.

The National Weather Service issued flood watches for Missoula and Ravalli counties Monday afternoon in anticipation of overnight rainshowers.

Severe flooding in eastern Montana caused road closures and evacuations as the week began, prompting Gov. Brian Schweitzer to issue a statewide flood emergency declaration. Missoula, Ravalli, Sanders, Lincoln, Glacier and Lake counties were all included in the declaration.

The Weather Service issued a flood warning for the Clark Fork River above Missoula as well. The river rose to 9.3 feet Monday and is forecast to reach its 10-foot flood stage by Tuesday morning.

"The area that looks like it will go to flood probably quicker than anything is the Clark Fork River in Missoula. How fast and how much it rises will depend on how much precipitation falls. This forecast could change as we go into the week," said Ray Nickless, hydrologist for the Weather Service.

According to the forecast, if the Clark Fork were to reach 10 feet, flooding could occur in low-lying areas near the river, particularly Tower and Stone streets in the Orchard Homes area west of Missoula.

If it were to reach 12 feet, flooding could affect Reserve Street through the Orchard Homes residential area and toward the confluence with the Bitterroot River near Kelly Island.

Along with the flood watch issued for Ravalli County, a small stream warning is likely to be issued this week. The rain will affect the Bitterroot River inflows, but the Weather Service is not looking for the river itself to reach flood stage, Nickless said.

In the Flathead Valley, the Stillwater River near Kalispell is still running high but has dropped below flood stage.

The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for the Yaak River. It stood at 7.8 feet Monday afternoon and a small amount of rain could "easily" bump it above flood stage, Nickless said. Flood stage for the Yaak is 8 feet and minor flooding is forecast for Tuesday.

The Flathead River near Columbia Falls could also approach flood stage as rain falls Thursday into Friday.

"More of a dry day" Wednesday will bring temperatures in the low to mid-70s. That will cause increased snowpack melting, meteorologist Dan Zumpfe said.

Western Montana could get dumped on again by a system bringing widespread rain Wednesday night into Thursday. As much as an inch of rain could fall in some areas, Zumpfe said. Seasonal temperatures will keep daytime highs warm enough to continue melting the snowpack.

Schweitzer's emergency declaration authorizes him to expend money from the general fund to meet contingencies and needs arising from flood conditions.

"The State Emergency Coordination Center has received numerous declarations of emergencies from local and tribal jurisdictions," the declaration said. It also cited record snowfall accumulations and near-record rainfall in "large areas of the state" as the conditions causing the emergencies.