Record rainfall can’t quench drought

Spokane’s rainfall Sunday drenched a 114-year-old record.

The area received .8 inches of rain, almost doubling the previous record of .47 inches, set in 1891.

“And it’s still raining,” said Verne Ballard of National Weather Service at 6:30 p.m.

Over Saturday and Sunday, 1.26 inches of rain fell.

The early spring storm soaked Washington on both sides of the Cascades and brought snow to the mountains, turning Snoqualmie Pass into an icy mess where at least 30 accidents were reported, one of them fatal.

A man who left his vehicle to wait for a tow truck was struck and killed when a tractor-trailer spun out of control Saturday, the Washington State Patrol said. Troopers identified the man as Ernest A. Byng, 31, of Connell.

Interstate 90 was closed for much of Saturday afternoon.

The mess on the pass had a ripple effect that reached Spokane. Davenport Hotel food and beverage director Patrick McLaughlin said several reservations for Easter brunch were canceled because people were stuck on the West Side.

Is the soggy weather enough to drown out the drought? Probably not, said meteorologist Robin Fox.

If Spokane were to receive average precipitation between now and July 1, 9.7 inches would fall. That would still leave a rainfall deficit of 4.77 inches, Fox said.

Showers are expected to continue today and the area could see some snow Tuesday. Wednesday should be the driest day this week, and precipitation likely will return by Friday, she said.