Cloudy today; wet on Wednesday

Clouds and continued mild temperatures are being forecasted for the Inland Northwest today as a weak Pacific storm begins to encroach on the region. Rain should hold off until tonight and Wednesday when accumulations are expected to be light – in the range of a tenth of an inch. Highs in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene are forecasted to reach the upper 50s again today after highs nudged up near 60 on Monday. Lows tonight should stay in the upper 30s with a blanketing shield of clouds overhead to contain some of the day’s warmth. A low pressure system stretched along the Pacific coast is expected to send most of its energy to the south of the region as it rolls onshore today. A small storm center is forecasted to spin off the main low and move northeastward across the region tonight through early Wednesday. Chances of rain are zero during the day today, 30 percent tonight, 70 percent Wednesday and 40 percent Wednesday night. Showers are possible Thursday. Drier weather and a mix of sun and clouds are in the forecast for Thursday night through Sunday with highs in the lower 50s and lows in the middle 30s. At 7 a.m., it was 38 at Spokane International Airport, 39 in downtown Spokane and Deer Park, 36 in Coeur d’Alene and 41 in Pullman. The official high Monday at Spokane airport was 57, although downtown Spokane reached 60 degrees at 3 p.m.