Spokane area feels 61 degrees of warmth

The temperature at Felts Field along the Spokane River near Millwood went above 60 degrees this afternoon. The weather monitoring station there had 61 degrees as early as 2 p.m. It is the first time that Spokane has felt 60 degrees since Oct. 25. A weather monitoring station at the U.S. Highway 395 bridge over the Little Spokane River reported 65 degrees. Several locations in the Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls areas also reported temperatures in the lower 60s. The official high in Spokane remained below 60. It was 58 degrees at Spokane International Airport at 2 p.m., site of the city’s official monitoring station. Overnight, cold air hugging the ground dropped the temperature below freezing while the air aloft was well above freezing up to an elevation of about 7,600 feet. The temperature inversion is a typical weather feature from early autumn to early spring. In other weather news, the Climate Prediction Center says the tropical Pacific Ocean is seeing a weak El Nino, which can affect Inland Northwest weather with mild and dry conditions with storms going into California, just as we’ve seen in recent weeks and in December. Also, the state Department of Ecology said the snowpack in Washington state is only 28 percent of normal. It’s somewhat better east of the Cascades. The Columbia River mainstem watersheds are at greater than 80 percent of normal. The ecology department is currently preparing a drought relief plan for the rest of the state. Ecology is asking lawmakers for $9 million to help provide relief for drought-stricken residents.