Upper 90s likely this weekend

A sizzling hot weekend will drive people to lakes and rivers for relief as temperatures rise to near 100 degrees on Saturday and Sunday in the urban areas of Spokane with upper 90s elsewhere. The hot weather gets a preview today as highs rise into the lower and middle 90s this afternoon. A high of 95 is forecast for downtown Spokane today to be followed by 100 degrees on Saturday and 98 on Sunday. Highs elsewhere today are expected to be 92 in Spokane Valley, 94 in Post Falls and 92 in Coeur d’Alene. Those locations will all see highs in the upper 90s over the weekend, forecasters said. The monster ridge of high pressure that has brought extreme heat to many parts of the Pacific Northwest this week is going to push northward over the next several days before subsiding only marginally by Wednesday. Highs all next week should be in the middle to lower 90s. There is a slight chance of thunderstorms today. At 7 a.m., temperatures were some of the warmest of the season with 72 at Spokane International Airport, 65 in Sandpoint, 67 in Coeur d’Alene, 70 in Deer Park and 67 in Pullman.