Showers, cool temperatures likely today

Scattered showers and cool temperatures are being forecast for the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene in the wake of a very wet storm that doused the region Monday evening. The airports at Pullman-Moscow and at Lewiston each set rainfall records for the date with 0.71 inches falling in Pullman and 0.46 falling in Lewiston. In Pullman, that breaks a record of 0.28 inches dating back to 1962. The previous record in Lewiston was 0.34 inches in 1900. Forecasters are calling for high temperatures in the upper 40s in Spokane and the middle 40s in Coeur d’Alene. West winds could gust to near 30 mph. While the weather is initially dry and clear this morning, forecasters said there is a chance that showers may pop up as the sun warms the lower atmosphere and causes moist air to rise into a colder air mass aloft. Snow or snow pellets are possible within any showers that form. A new Pacific storm is heading toward the Inland Northwest overnight, with the warm front crossing the Cascades about 11 p.m. and spreading eastward. Rain and snow showers are likely in lower elevations and snow should fall in the mountains. The Washington Department of Transportation this morning said it expects a foot or more of snow overnight on Snoqualmie Pass on Interstate 90. A winter storm warning was in effect as well for the mountains of Shoshone County and eastern Kootenai County. The rain and snow of recent days continues to push streams to near flood stage, including Paradise Creek near the University of Idaho, which rose quickly from Monday’s rainfall, forecasters said. Forecasters also said that Latah Creek in Benewah County was on the rise this morning, and that the Palouse River at Potlatch is flowing near flood stage. Flood warnings and advisories were in effect today for North Idaho and the Washington Palouse. Conditions should dry out by later this week with partly sunny weather possible on Friday and Saturday. At 7 a.m., it was 36 at Spokane International Airport, 38 in downtown Spokane, 39 in Coeur d’Alene, 35 in Deer Park and 39 in Pullman.