A winter weather roller coaster

The Palouse, which saw record-low temperatures Wednesday and Thursday, will have to brace for potential flooding next week as temperatures rise quickly.

According to the National Weather Service, the Pullman-Moscow Regional Airport recorded a low temperature of minus 20 degrees. This broke the low temperature record for Dec. 21, which was previously minus 11 degrees recorded in 1990.

Meteorologist Jeremy Wolf said that since the temperature continued to hover around minus 20 after midnight, this will likely break the Dec. 22 low-temperature record as well.

The Lewiston-Clarkston Vallley’s lowest temperature Wednesday was 5 degrees.

The arctic air the region is experiencing could bring as much as 3-4 inches of snow today. However, temperatures will warm quickly during the holiday weekend and into next week. Saturday should bring temperatures in the mid-30s as well as rain. Wolf said some areas may have pockets of freezing rain.

Temperatures are forecast to continue rising into the high 30s and low-to-mid 40s starting Sunday.

Wolf said that while it is not unusual to see a big change in temperatures when arctic air moves out of the area, it often does not happen this quickly.

“This rapid of a change hasn’t happened in a while,” he said.

Melting snow and the expected rain could lead to flooding in local creeks and streams. Moscow’s Paradise Creek is currently forecast to exceed its 9.2-foot minor flood stage during the middle of next week. That all depends on how much rain the area receives, Wolf said.

The National Weather Service recommends people unclog any drains near their homes.

Kuipers can be reached at akuipers@dnews.com.