CAPITAL REGION — Geese waded near the banks of the Mohawk River in Scotia on Sunday as the river’s swollen waters flirted with the parking lot at Jumpin’ Jacks Drive-in.

Two rainstorms last week that filled the river have put March on a possible record-setting precipitation pace, officials at the National Weather Service said.

A total of 3.97 inches of rain was recorded in Albany during the first nine days of the month.

The March rainfall record of 7.37 inches was set in 1843, according to meteorologist Kim Sutkevich.

“We’re definitely on our way,” Sutkevich said. “If, perhaps, there’s a high-pressure system that comes over us and stays over us for a while then that may cease our run for the record.”

Complete National Weather Service records go back to 1874, but some month-by-month data are available as far back as the 1700s.

The last time rainfall sent March into the top 10 wettest list for the month was in 2001, with 5.5 inches of rain that month to rank No. 6.

The 10th wettest March was 4.82 inches in 1919.

“I would say we could go either way, but since the number 10 is only 4.83, we only need less than an inch to get there,” Sutkevich said.

But, even the wettest March doesn’t make the overall Top 10 list, though. Officials said that the greatest rainfall in the area usually occurs during tropical storms.

The wettest month on record in Albany was September 1999 when Tropical Storm Floyd dumped 11.06 inches of rain on the area.

The recent rainstorms caused only minor flooding in the Capital Region, meteorologist Steve DiRienzo said.

“Overall it wasn’t too bad,” he said. “The worst of it was down south.”

The Mohawk River at Schenectady was about a foot below flooding Sunday evening, according to the National Weather Service’s Web site.

The Schoharie Creek at Burtonsville experienced minor flooding Sunday morning but was below flood levels by Sunday evening.

The Hudson River at Troy had minor flooding on Sunday but was expected to fall below flood levels by this afternoon.

“Most of it was nuisance stuff,” DiRienzo said. “If it was your basement that was flooding it was significant but it wasn’t really the bad flooding that we see.”

The area was also hit with high winds early Sunday morning, with gusts of 52 mph reported at Albany International Airport at 1:50 a.m.

Sutkevich said that more rain or snow is possible Tuesday night and late Thursday into Friday.

Top 10 wettest Marches

Rank Inches Year

1 7.37 1843

2 7.29 1871

3 5.90 1977

4 5.74 1953

5 5.68 1888

6 5.50 2001

7 5.39 1936

8 5.33 1983

9 5.12 1993

10 4.83 1919

Source: National

Weather Service