Wet, windy, weekend weather in Columbia Basin

MOSES LAKE — It’s going to be wet and windy out there this weekend. The National Weather Service has issued a wind warning for the Columbia Basin for Friday, calling for “windy and gusty conditions” through Friday night. It’s part of a series of storms that is expected to make it rain, or at least increase the possibility of rain, into early next week. The NWS forecast sustained winds of 20 to 25 miles per hour through Friday evening, with gusts 45 to 50 miles per hour. The winds are expected to die down after 8 p.m. - and then on Saturday, it’s going to rain. ‘It’s going to be wet everywhere,” said Steven Van Horn, meteorologist with the NWS Spokane office. It won’t be quite as rainy in the Columbia Basin as it’s expected to be in the Seattle and Spokane areas, but Saturday’s storm is expected to drop up to one-half to three-quarters of an inch locally, Van Horn said. The rain should be heaviest from late Saturday morning into Saturday night, he said. The good news is, it will warm up a little. Friday’s high is forecast for 62 degrees, and it’s supposed to top out at about 60 on Saturday. The rain tapers off Saturday night and Sunday, when the chance of rain falls to 40 percent. It’s forecast to be mostly cloudy but warm, 60 to 62 degrees, Sunday and Monday. The chance of rain ramps back up Tuesday, but partly sunny weather is forecast for Wednesday. Coastal regions and inland valleys on the west side are forecast to bear the brunt of the storm, with rainfall totals reaching 2 to 5 inches over the Cascades. The rain will get to Spokane by Saturday afternoon, and there’s a higher chance of rain continuing into Sunday and Monday.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at education@columbiabasinherald.com.