Rain likely through this evening

A dense fog advisory has been lifted across the Spokane region this morning, but forecasters said there is still a chance of fog and rain through this evening. Fog and icy streets slowed commuters early today after temperatures dropped quickly in the morning hours just before dawn. Visibility was as low as an eighth-mile at Spokane International Airport at 5:30 a.m. Rain showers remain in the forecast today, and highs should reach the lower 40s in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas through Saturday. Lows at night should be in the 30s. Forecasters said that standing water may be a problem in some locations because rainfall cannot soak through frozen soil across the region. Patchy fog is possible tonight and Thursday morning. Clouds and continuing chances of rain showers in the 10 to 20 percent category are expected Thursday and Friday. The next potential for precipitation comes on Saturday, but milder conditions should bring rain to lower elevations. Forecasters this morning said the strong southerly flow that’s bringing the milder weather should be reinforced on Sunday and early next week as Pacific storms continue to move up along the western side of a high pressure ridge that has now stationed itself inland over the Rockies. The upper-elevation portion of the ridge is expected to strengthen through early next week across the Rockies and northern plains states, extending into the Canadian prairies. Some storm energy is forecast to undercut the ridge across California and the Southwest. By Tuesday night and Wednesday snow levels should return to lower elevations so that overnight or early morning precipitation could arrive as snow while daytime precipitation would fall as rain, forecasters said. At 7 a.m., it was 35 at the Spokane airport, 33 in downtown Spokane, 32 in Coeur d’Alene, 35 in Deer Park and 39 in Pullman. Spokane had 0.11 inches of rain on Tuesday, bringing the total in January to 0.92 inches of precipitation. The high on Thursday was 49 at 7:34 a.m., which was 4 degrees short of the record high of 53 in 1983.