New flood watch issued for Spokane region as another storm sweeps in

After weeks of heavy rain and high water, the National Weather Service has issued a new flood watch in anticipation for a storm arriving over the region Wednesday.

Rainfall of a half inch to well over an inch were predicted from a storm system moving in from the coast Tuesday night.

The heaviest precipitation will be in North Idaho and along the Cascades.

Several inches of fresh snow are likely at elevations above 4,000 to 5,000 feet.

National Weather Service forecasters said the additional rain at lower elevations will increase the risk of landslides and flooding.

Creeks and small streams may overrun their banks and standing water will get deeper, forecasters said.

March already has been the fourth-wettest on record with 3.68 inches of rain and snow already recorded for Spokane.

“Water tables are running high from the last few weeks of wet weather and snowmelt,” forecasters said in the flood watch that will be in effect until Friday morning.

“Localized field flooding is already occurring and is likely to worsen. Small streams and creeks will see increased flows. This includes the Little Spokane River which is forecast to rise close to minor flood stage Thursday afternoon. Saturated grounds will also lead to potential mudslides in steep terrain.”

The Little Spokane River, which dropped below flood stage last weekend, is expected to go back to minor flood level by Friday.

The Spokane River, Lake Coeur d’Alene and the St. Joe River at St. Maries all continued to drop on Tuesday, but were still at minor flood stage.

The St. Joe is expected to rise on Thursday and Friday.

The Idaho Transportation Department is opening a detour for state Highway 5 west of St. Maries after a large section of the roadway washed out earlier this month.

The detour will be controlled by traffic lights.

Permanent repairs to the highway are likely to take months and will probably be completed later in the summer, officials said.

The record for precipitation in March in Spokane is 4.56 inches in 2012.

The incoming storm should push the March total above the second- and third-highest amounts, which were in 1995 and 1950, leaving this year as the second-wettest March on record.

Snowfall for the season stands at 61 inches, which is 17 inches above normal.