Clouds and showers likely today

Another cool August day is in store for the region ahead of what may be the first chance for rain on Tuesday night as the summer season moves to an end. Forecasters are calling for highs near 72 degrees today with a 20 percent chance of isolated showers in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene area. Sunday’s high was 70 in Spokane. The Palouse and other areas to the west and south of Spokane will see a greater chance of rain. Pullman has a 50 percent chance of rain in its forecast for today. A band of rain showers was draped from northern Grant County southeastward to Dayton and moving to the north and east at 11 a.m. National Weather Service forecasters said that smaller scale storm impulse may brush by the Spokane area with clouds and a small chance of some moisture. Then on Tuesday, a storm system moves onshore and is expected to bring widespread light rain across the Inland northwest with highs only making it into the lower 60s. Spokane has seen little rainfall since early July with a only trace amounts and a few hundredths of an inch falling in nearly two months. The weather starts to dry out again by Thursday when sunshine returns and highs go into the 70s. On Friday, sun and highs in the 80s are likely. Labor Day weekend should start out on the warm side with highs in the 80s Saturday dropping to the 70s on Sunday. Both days include a 20 percent of showers and thunderstorms as another low pressure area moves onto the coast in western Washington and Oregon over the weekend. At 7 a.m. today, it was 48 at Spokane International Airport, 49 at Felts Field, 43 at Coeur d’Alene, 40 at Deer Park and 41 in Pullman.