Spokane area sees unusually warm Christmastime weather, forcing temporary closure of downtown ice rink

An abnormal streak of mild temperatures will continue in Spokane, after warm weather dominated the first part of the week.

Wednesday registered in the 50s throughout the day, said National Weather Service meteorologist Anttoinette Serrato. She said the high was 52 degrees, a few degrees shy of the record of 56 set for the day in 2014. Lower temperatures were measured in Airway Heights and the South Hill.

Serrato forecast “similar temperatures” for Friday, with an anticipated high of 51 degrees. The low is expected to be 40 degrees.

For precipitation, Serrato said locals can plan for little.

“I would say through this Sunday, we’re not going to get a ton of rain and precipitation. We’ll probably see some precipitation through early tomorrow morning, and then after that we will be mostly clear through Sunday night,” she said.

These temperatures are significantly above December averages, Serrato indicated. Current maximums are 20 degrees above normal, while lows are roughly 15 to 20 degrees higher.

“It’s definitely a lot milder than what we’re used to,” she said.

Riverfront Park’s Numerica Skate Ribbon was forced to close due to “unprecedented heat, high winds, and debris,” according to a Spokane Parks and Recreation news release.

“Typically, temperatures during this time of year remain well within the operational range for the cooling machinery (45°F or lower) to keep ice ribbon frozen,” the release said. “Based on current weather forecasts, staff expect to resume ice building by next week, with a tentative reopening date set for December 20.”

December’s mean average temperature between 1991 and 2020 in the Spokane area was 29.1 degrees, according to NWS Climate data. Last December, the maximum temperature was 50 degrees, with an average of 34.5 degrees–the 14th-warmest December, the NWS posted.

November 2025 saw above-average temperatures, the NWS Climate Report said, though no records were set.

Serrato also noted a recent “multiday, multiwave atmospheric river event,” which brought rain “to both the mountains and foothills.”

“That’s basically causing rain on snowmelt, and which is leading to the rises in the rivers and in some creeks and streams,” she said. “The main thing is, if you are planning on driving through any one of these areas, just make sure that, you know, you don’t cross any flooded roads, and you just heed all road closures, just because trying to cross a flooded road could be fatal.”

Flooding is not of immediate concern for Spokane County, though Serrato noted flooding in the Cascades and the Idaho Panhandle for “the biggest impacts.”

Reporter Mathew Callaghan contributed to this article.