Winter storm set to arrive Friday

A storm with higher levels of moisture will arrive in the area Friday, according to the National Weather Service. It is expected to deliver rain in most areas with the chance of mountain snow.

Lewiston has received slightly above average precipitation for the water year that started Oct. 1 but most of that has come as rain.

Even though winter is off to a slow start in the lowlands, the mountains that feed the Snake, Salmon and Clearwater rivers are faring much better. Mountains in the Clearwater River basin have a snow-water equivalent that measures 105% of average. The Salmon River Basin is at 113% of average and the Blue Mountains in Southeastern Washington and northeastern Oregon are just shy of 150% of average.

Most of the snow is at higher elevations, even in the mountains. For example, the Sourdough Gulch remote weather station at 4,000 feet in elevation off Lick Creek Road in the Asotin Creek Drainage has a snow-water equivalent of just 40% of average. The nearby Spruce Springs site at 5,700 feet measures a snowpack that is 117% of average.

Snowhaven Ski Area near Grangeville and Bald Mountain Ski Area near Pierce both opened recently. Cottonwood Butte near Cottonwood has not opened.