Severe weather leads to warnings in region

The National Weather Service has issued a series of watches and warnings for a mix of severe weather through this evening.

A cold front that is moving into the Inland Northwest Wednesday afternoon is triggering the weather concerns.

The severe weather follows record-setting June heat, which set the stage for the violent change of air masses.

A severe thunderstorm watch covers the Palouse region, the Central Idaho Panhandle and parts of North Idaho.

At 2:43, the weather service said that a severe thunderstorm was visible on radar near Potlatch, Idaho.

To the south in Clearwater County, a flash flood warning was in effect from heavy rain associated with the storms.

A tornado warning was in effect for the area near La Grande in northeast Oregon.

Strong storms were also moving through the Columbia Basin.

A warning for dangerous fire weather was in effect in the lower Columbia Basin and Yakima Valley.