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The 'Likely Scenario' for Milky Rain in Spokane

The National Weather Service in Spokane is offering a couple of likely scenarios to last weeks “milky rain” that fell in the region. The cloudy rain was reported in a large area last Friday, from Spokane to the Tri-Cities. Motorists reported rain left their cars and windshields with a splotchy mess. Now the Spokane Weather Service is offering some possible explanations.

First guesses were that the cause could have been major dust storms that raged across dry lake beds in Nevada on Thursday night and Friday. Now forecasters  say they originated in south-central Oregon. John Livingston is with the  National Weather service office in Spokane.

Livingston: “That seems like  a pretty likely scenario, but we’ve heard a number of other people chiming in with other scenarios, were not saying this is a definitive answer, but it’s just something that appears likely.”

Livingston says his agency was not equipped to do any analysis of the rain that feel to determine the chemical content. For one thing the rain gauge that collects the water would have to be thoroughly clean before a realistic analysis could be done.

Officials with Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency say they are equipped to gather particulate samples. Lisa Woodard from that agency says no samples that could be tested were taken Friday.

Woodard: “We do have filter based monitors, and our filter based monitors run on a schedule set by EPA. And that’s one in six days, and so Friday was not a day our high volume particulate sample was running."

The Clean Air Agency says they do have a small air sample monitor that registers the hourly particulate level, but like the Weather Service, that monitor is constantly taking air samples,  and would be contaminated with particulates from previous days, not just the air on Friday.

Steve was part of the Spokane Public Radio family for many years before he came on air in 1999. His wife, Laurie, produced Radio Ethiopia in the late 1980s through the '90s, and Steve used to “lurk in the shadowy world” of Weekend SPR. Steve has done various on air shifts at the station, including nearly 15 years as the local Morning Edition host. Currently, he is the voice of local weather and news during All Things Considerd, writing, editing, producing and/or delivering newscasts and features for both KPBX and KSFC. Aside from SPR, Steve ,who lives in the country, enjoys gardening, chickens, playing and listening to music, astronomy, photography, sports cars and camping.
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