Partly sunny today; windy tomorrow

Partly sunny skies and mild afternoon temperatures are expected today, but forecasters are warning that Thursday will be windy. Highs today should reach the lower to middle 50s across the region with 55 expected in downtown Spokane and 52 in Coeur d’Alene. A wind advisory was issued for Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. for sustained winds of 29 to 32 mph in Spokane and gusts as high as 38 mph. Coeur d’Alene may see wind speeds up to 25 mph with gusts to 37 mph. Some parts of the Columbia Basin region could see sustained winds to 40 mph with gusts to near 50 mph, forecasters said. A storm on March 29 knocked out power to about 2,800 residents in the region with wind gusts of 49 to 54 mph. For today, a weak ridge of higher air pressure is bringing a break in stormy weather in recent weeks, but a fast moving Pacific storm is approaching the northwest coast this morning and is expected to make landfall and move across the Cascades before dawn on Thursday. Rain is likely in the morning on Thursday diminishing to showers as the wind increases. Highs on Thursday should reach the upper 40s to about 50 and then drop several degrees to the middle 40s on Friday with a chance of showers of rain or snow on Friday. Saturday and Sunday should see better weather with partly sunny skies on Saturday and a high in the middle 50s in Spokane. At 7 a.m., it was 33 at Spokane International Airport, 36 in downtown Spokane, 34 in Coeur d’Alene, 32 in Deer Park and 33 in Pullman.