Highs in mid-80s today

Another glorious August day is in store for the Inland Northwest before a round of late summer heat moves into the region on Thursday and Friday. Highs today should be a few degrees warmer than on Wednesday when Spokane International Airport reached a high of 82. The forecast calls for 84 at the airport and 85 in the downtown area, Spokane Valley and Post Falls. Coeur d’Alene should be the hot spot in the urban areas today with 87 as a high. Sun and light wind are expected. The drier air of the past four days continues this morning with the dewpoint in the upper 30s at the airport. Higher air pressure area is expected to strengthen and become centered over the Inland Northwest on Thursday and Friday, bringing warm conditions across the region, including the mountains. In the lower elevations, highs should reach the lower 90s on Thursday and then the middle and upper 90s on Friday with ample sunshine. A weak upper level low approaching the region late Friday should bring clouds and a 20 percent chance of showers or thunderstorms on Friday night and Saturday as it moves from west to east through the area. The system should moderate temperatures to the middle and upper 80s over the weekend, which is still above the normal high of 81 in Spokane for this time of year. At 7 a.m., the temperature was 53 at the airport, 58 in Coeur d’Alene, 48 at Sandpoint, 46 at Deer Park and 48 at Pullman.