Wet? You bet - better days ahead

Take that, 1965.

This week's rainfall broke a few records set 49 years ago in the Coeur d'Alene area, said climatologist Cliff Harris.

There was a 36-hour stretch this week when the raindrops never stopped falling, setting a rain duration record.

Another record was set Tuesday with a 1.11-inch rainfall. The previous record for June 17 was set in 1965, with 1.04 inches.

"There's no drought in Camelot," said Harris, of Coeur d'Alene.

The region's total rainfall so far this month has been 3.34 inches, which compares to a normal total of 1.93 inches for the entire month of June.

The first half of 2014 has been wetter than normal in Kootenai County, with 19.79 inches of precipitation recorded.

The normal amount by this time this year is 13.10 inches, Harris said.

"We're 6.69 inches above normal... that is significant when you consider that California is in the throes of the worst drought in modern times," he said, adding that the weather patterns creating the lack of precipitation in the Golden State are keeping the northern part of the Gem State damp.

"We have to be thankful that we have the water, but that means we have to put up with these showers," Harris said.

And it has been cold.

Harris said the average high temperature in the region since Sunday has been 54 degrees.

"The normal is 75 degrees. That's 20 degrees below normal," he said.

But that's about to change.

The temperature should rise to near 80 by the weekend, just in time for the first day of summer on Saturday.

"By next Monday or Tuesday we should be in the low-to-mid 80s," Harris said.