Rain breaks records in Inland Northwest

Up to 7 inches of rain drenched the Inland Northwest this month, setting records at numerous locations across the region.

An inch or more fell in areas north of Spokane and Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday, adding to the already copious rain accumulations in Stevens, Pend Oreille, Bonner, Shoshone and Boundary counties.

The Kootenai River at Bonners Ferry crested Wednesday about 2 feet above minor flood stage. Sandbags were stacked on a city levee in front of Kootenai River Inn on Wednesday while the City Council on Tuesday issued a disaster declaration. The high water is expected to continue into next week.

Boundary Dam on the Pend Oreille River northwest of Metaline Falls has the heftiest June record with 7.44 inches of rain.

Other June records are at Sandpoint at 6.6 inches, Prichard at 6.36 inches, Northport at 6.11 inches, Newport at 6.04 inches, Colville at 5.86 inches, Bayview at 5.47 inches and Bonners Ferry at 4.39 inches.

Those totals are roughly twice as much as Spokane’s accumulation of 2.86 inches this month in what has been a wet June for the Lilac City.

Coeur d’Alene is right behind the record breakers with its second-wettest June of 4.95 inches of rain so far. It is among a number of locations in the region with near-record accumulations for the month.

A series of Pacific low-pressure areas drawing moisture from the south have essentially squeezed available moisture out of humid air. The pattern has set up repeatedly from about Spokane and Coeur d’Alene northward, but at times has also affected other parts of the Inland Northwest.

On Tuesday, Lewiston airport had 0.43 inches of rain while Pomeroy had 0.81 inches. Grand Coulee saw 1.23 inches.