Rain expected to continue for several days

Rain in the coming days is expected to increase water levels in the Yakima River, according to the National Weather Service.

The river level was at 5.22 feet Monday afternoon, but forecasters expected it to increase to nearly 12.4 feet by Dec. 11.

The weather service considers 11 feet to be an “action stage,” where residents in low-lying areas should be cautious of rising water. Minor flooding is possible when the river level exceeds 13 feet, particularly in low-lying areas of West Richland.

The weather service is calling for at least a 50 percent chance of rain into Dec. 9. More rain is likely Dec. 10.

At Tri-Cities Airport in Pasco, 0.54 inches of rain had fallen by 4:30 p.m. Monday, according to the weather service. That was close to the record for the day of 0.6 inches in 1973. Rainy conditions are expected to continue through at least Thursday, though temperatures are expected to stay above freezing.

A high of 63 is predicted Tuesday, then a low of 50 is predicted Tuesday night.

This story was originally published December 7, 2015 at 7:15 PM with the headline "Rain expected to continue for several days."