More warm, breezy weather expected today

More warm and breezy weather will continue the pattern of the past several days before a low pressure area off the California coast moves toward the region, raising the risk of showers and afternoon or evening thunderstorms this weekend. A high of 83 is expected today in downtown Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, with highs continuing in the 80s through Friday. Generally light northeast winds today may include some gusts near 20 mph. Temperatures should cool back to the 70s under increasing clouds on Saturday and Sunday. The high Tuesday at Spokane International Airport was 79, but temperatures were a few degrees warmer in the downtown area. Forecasters this morning said a stationary low in the Pacific Ocean off the California coast continues to send moisture into the Great Basin area to the south of the Inland Northwest, but as the low slowly migrates toward the mainland over the next several days, that moisture should move northward, initially reaching the southern Panhandle of Idaho and portions of southeast Washington. The low is moving slowly because it is cut off from the main upper-level steering winds that are now blowing across Alaska and Canada along the boundary of a high pressure ridge along the northern coast. Today at 8 a.m., temperatures were 61 at Spokane International Airport, 65 in Pullman, 61 in Sandpoint and 65 in Coeur d’Alene.