Flood and landslide warning issued for parts of Inland Northwest

Heavy rain through Thursday could trigger flooding and landslides across portions of the Inland Northwest.

The National Weather Service in Spokane issued a flood warning on Wednesday morning for the chance that heavy rain tonight and Thursday will create hazards for the public.

The warning is in effect through Thursday afternoon.

Already saturated terrain in the mountains and steep slopes could give way under heavy rain expected tonight through Thursday afternoon.

Last weekend’s rains have already caused landslides across the region, forecasters said.

The mid-week runoff may cause small streams to overflow their banks, creating water hazards along roadways, forecasters said.

In addition, low-lying areas may see ponding from water that is slow to drain away.

The flood warning area includes portions of North Idaho, counties to the north of Spokane, the eastern slopes of the Cascades, the Okanogan region, the Waterville Plateau and the middle and upper Yakima Valley.

Areas hit by fire in the past two years could be vulnerable to rock and mudslides caused by the weight of accumulating rainfall and the lack of vegetation, forecasters said.

A wet storm system is moving into the Pacific Northwest today and should reach the Inland Northwest during overnight hours, forecasters said.

Up to an inch of rain is expected in many locations along with heavy snow in the mountains. Snowfall levels are going to rise to between 4,000 and 5,000 feet in elevation, forecasters said.

In the Spokane area, forecasters said that a half to 0.75 inches of rain could fall tonight followed by a tenth to a quarter inch of rain on Thursday.