Sunshine out, gray skies in. 

As Labor Day approaches, the National Weather Service is predicting North Idaho will face an inch of rain over the next week, but don’t let the small size of that number fool you. It’s quite a bit of precipitation.

“If we get a ‘wetting rain,’ a tenth of an inch of rain on any given day, that's considered quite a bit,” said Rachel Fewkes, NWS meteorologist.

Recent rain combined with cooler temperatures lowered fire danger across the Idaho Panhandle, prompting federal, state, and tribal land managers to lift fire restrictions.

Coeur d’Alene is facing its eighth-driest year on record up to this point, having only seen 11.19 inches of precipitation this year. It didn't rain a drop in August, and only .01 in July. According to the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network, the Sandpoint area is running about 17% drier than normal, receiving 15.5 inches compared to a normal average of 18.69 inches

The driest point on record was in 1973 when 9 inches of precipitation fell this far into the year.

By early September, Coeur d’Alene averages 15.76 inches of yearly precipitation. 

“The outlook for the next month is projecting that we won't get quite enough rain to reverse the drought,” Fewkes said. “They're not expecting it to get worse but not necessarily expecting it to improve a whole lot either, since we are a whole four and a half inches of precipitation below normal.”

The forecasted showers should help reduce the risk of wildfires. The only day the NWS forecasts thunderstorms may occur is Labor Day. Rain is in the forecast daily through Monday.

Coeur d’Alene Fire Marshal Craig Etherton said the rain will help.

“If we get that fuel moisture raised, then it's a little harder to get things going, and it's a little harder for a small fire to become a big fire,” he said. “The air quality has been improving over the last week or so as some of the fires have been getting under control and wind moves it out of our region. I think a little bit of rain this time of year is always a good sign for our fire weather.”

While Coeur d’Alene will not be reaching the heights of 1948 anytime soon, when a record 25 inches of precipitation was recorded at this point in the year, the recent rain is better late than never.

“Largely the rain will be beneficial,” Fewkes said. “We really need it.”