Heavy rain likely on Tuesday across region

A strong Pacific storm system is taking aim on the Inland Northwest on Tuesday with moderate to heavy rain expected. An inch or more could fall in some locations, forecasters said today. Rainfall should be the heaviest from Spokane and Coeur d’Alene northward. The National Weather Service is predicting rainfall amounts of 0.76 inches in Spokane, 0.82 inches in Coeur d’Alene, 0.87 inches in Sandpoint, 0.82 inches in Bonners Ferry and 0.67 inches in Colville. The rain along with high flows out of Canada pushed the Kootenai River above flood stage at Bonners Ferry today. The minor flooding is expected through Friday, forecasters said. A flood warning was issued. The river was about three inches above flood stage of 64 feet at Bonners Ferry. In addition, the Pend Oreille River below Albeni Falls Dam was near flood stage. The river was at 45 feet in Newport this morning. Cities such as Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry could break records for June rainfall with more than five inches recorded there already this month. A low pressure system that began with a round of thunder storms late last week has beens stalled along the West Coast, sending mild, moist air northward for several days. The low is going to move inland on Tuesday, focusing another round of rainfall locally. Today’s high could reach 80 in Spokane as the southerly flow continues for one more day. There is a 20 percent chance of thundershowers today and 30 percent tonight. Cooler air will arrive on Tuesday with a high reaching only about 57 in Spokane. Sun and warm weather are expected starting Wednesday afternoon and continuing through Sunday.