More rain expected

COEUR d'ALENE - Eventually, the rain will go away.

But not before we get even wetter. And colder, too.

"We've got some more misery to go through," said climatologist Cliff Harris on Friday.

In five days, from noon Sunday to noon Friday, it rained 2.78 inches.

And that, as Harris notes, "is a lot of rain."

The deluge caused major problems in Bonner County, where numerous roads were washed out or closed.

County commissioners declared a state of emergency Friday to qualify for disaster assistance.

John Specht, Shoshone County's emergency manager, said there was a rock slide Friday morning on the St. Joe River road at mile marker 21, which reduced traffic to one lane temporarily.

Another mudslide at Copper Camp was non-blocking.

The Coeur d'Alene River at Cataldo was expected to crest at 41 feet Friday night, about 2 feet below flood stage.

Holly Lindsey, operations captain with the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office, said "Flooding on the river "hasn't reached action stage yet, but we'll just keep an eye on it."

More rain, and even some snow, is expected today and Sunday, as there are two storms in sight.

Colder temperatures, with lows in the 20s and highs in the 40s, are projected Monday and Tuesday, which is the first day of spring.

After the 20th, it should dry out and the sun might even make an appearance next week, and it could reach the 50s again.

But don't have those snow tires removed just yet, Harris added.

"We're in the wet pattern," he said Friday.

Since Jan. 1, it has rained 10.54 inches. The average rainfall in the Lake City for the first three months of the year is 6.93.

The rain record in Coeur d'Alene for the first three months of a year is 14.11, set in 1974.

"We're not going to get that," Harris said.

This month's total is 2.99; the average for March is 1.94. Perhaps residents should just get used to it. In March 2011, it rained 5.02, coming close to the record of 5.37 set in 1916.

Harris called for folks not to despair.

The forecast for mid-April to June is for less rain and more sunny days.

"Eventually, we're going to get warm weather," Harris said.