Clouds may bring light rain later today

Dry but cloudy weather may give way to light rain later today, forecasters said. A weak storm system off the coast of California is spreading higher clouds across the Inland Northwest and an increasing chance of light rain after 11 a.m. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected today with a similar amount possible tonight. Highs should reach the lower 50s later today with lows tonight about the same as the low at dawn in Spokane today at 39 degrees. Friday’s forecast shows diminishing chances of rain in the 30 percent category with temperatures about the same. Friday night and Saturday morning are expected to provide a break in the wet weather before another system moves in for Saturday night and Sunday. Temperatures may warm up by a few degrees into the middle 50s over the weekend. A powerful storm is shown on computer models approaching the Washington coast on Monday and sending a strong stream of moisture toward the North Cascades and southwestern British Columbia. The storm may stall and cause the Inland Northwest to come under a flow of milder air from the southwest. That may send temperatures in the upper 50s with a few 60-degree readings possibly by Tuesday or Wednesday with overnight lows in the lower 40s. The storm could also trigger flooding on rivers out of the North Cascades by causing this week’s snow accumulations to melt in addition to new rainfall, forecasters said. At 7 a.m., it was 39 at Spokane International Airport, 40 at Felts Field, 37 in Coeur d’Alene, 39 in Deer Park and 41 in Pullman.