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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Wind speeds in Spokane peaked Friday at 47 mph; wind, rain may linger Saturday

Joella Adeniran
Joella Adeniran's hair blows in the wind as she takes a walk on her lunch break in the intersection of Post Street and Sprague Avenue, Friday, Oct. 14, 2016, in downtown Spokane, Wash. (Colin Mulvany / The Spokesman-Review)Buy a print of this photo
From staff reports

The Spokane area saw the worst of this weekend’s stormy weather Friday with wind gusts up to 47 mph early in the afternoon even as a second, weaker storm was poised to reach the Inland Northwest on Saturday.

Spokane should see another third of an inch of rain Saturday while Coeur d’Alene could get a half inch. Other areas will see similar amounts, although the mountains could get more rainfall.

National Weather Service forecasters continued to warn people about the risk of small landslides or debris flows caused by saturated soils, especially in areas burned by wildfire.

A flood watch was posted Friday for northern counties in Eastern Washington and much of North Idaho.

Winds were expected to subside Friday night, giving way to breezy conditions Saturday with gusts Saturday night up to about 24 mph from the southeast.

Friday’s winds caused only a few power outages scattered across the region.

Jon Fox, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said rainfall Thursday and Friday totaled about 1 to 1.25 inches in the Spokane area. Farther north, in Stevens, Pend Oreille and Ferry counties, it ranged from 1 to 2 inches.

Spokane International Airport measured 1.07 inches by Friday morning, bringing the October total to 2.63 inches.

Breezy and rainy conditions are expected through at least Tuesday, with sun returning later next week. Maps of rainfall and wind speeds can be found on the National Weather Service’s Twitter account for Spokane.

On the West Side, a Saturday evening windstorm is not going to be as severe as first thought. But it still will be dangerous and could cause major power outages based on speeds that are forecast.

Seattle forecasters Friday called for gusts in the 50-60 mph range during the peak of the south winds at about 7 to 8 p.m. Saturday.

The West Side also is dealing with rough seas, huge waves and flooding risks. Waves along the central part of Vancouver Island were reported to be as high as 25 feet Friday, but subsiding.

The effects of the storm were being felt as far south as Northern California and in offshore waters.

Tornadoes were spotted on radar images Friday. One tornado slammed into the coastal town of Manzanita, Oregon. The Oregonian newspaper reported the tornado damaged buildings and toppled trees. No injuries were reported.

The Inland Northwest is going to remain on the fringe of the tempest, one forecaster said.