More rain will keep water levels up

Another storm in the forecast for Friday into Saturday should help extend high river and lake levels into next week, forecasters said.

But Thursday should offer a short break in the stormy weather with mostly sunny skies and a high in the lower 50s.

The next storm system is going to arrive on Friday with rain amounts of a quarter to a half inch in Spokane and elsewhere.

The Friday storm should mix with colder air and drop snow down to the valleys of counties bordering Canada before snow levels retreat into the mountains.

Snowfall is expected at 4,000 feet and above during the storm, giving skiers and other winter enthusiasts a new surface to enjoy.

The storm should lead to showers in the mountains over the weekend with total accumulation for Friday through Sunday of 2-4 inches of new snow.

In the lowlands, showers are expected on Saturday, but sunshine is likely on Sunday.

Highs should be in the upper 40s to middle 50s with lows in the middle 30s through the weekend. Gusty southwest winds are possible following Friday’s weather front.

Flood waters are going to persist for the near future along with the risk of landslides from steep slopes.

Travelers are advised to use caution in areas with saturated or thawing soils.

The Spokane River crested on Wednesday and is expected to slowly subside.

The National Weather Service flood forecast calls for the river at Spokane to drop below flood stage next Wednesday.

Lake Coeur d’Alene and the St. Joe River, which feeds into the lake, were expected to remain at flood stage until Wednesday as well.

The lake crested on Tuesday at an elevation of 2,134.86 feet.

Precipitation for March in Spokane is now at 3 inches through Tuesday, which is nearly two inches above normal.

The average high in Spokane for this time of year is 51 with an average low of 33.