Summer weather leaving this evening

This last taste of summer should be ending this evening across the Inland Northwest as the region undergoes a shift into a showery, cooler weather regime. Highs today are expected to reach the middle and upper 70s with increasing clouds from a frontal system expected to arrive overnight tonight with a 40 percent chance of showers. Sun should hold up in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas until this afternoon. Thursday and Friday are likely to be transition days with a mix of sun, clouds and showers and highs in the middle 70s. National Weather Service forecasters said they expect Thursday to be a mostly pleasant day as a drier air band moves into the region behind tonight’s frontal system. However, there is a 30 percent chance of showers before 11 a.m. on Thursday. Friday has only a 20 percent chance of showers, but clouds are going to be more numerous. Gardeners hoping to ripen off tomatoes and other vegetables will be happy to know that lows will be in the lower 50s. The weather takes a turn toward autumn over the weekend with chances of showers about 50 percent on Saturday and Sunday and highs dropping from the upper 60s on Saturday to middle 60s on Sunday. Cool and showery weather is expected at the start of the next work week. On Tuesday, the high at Spokane International Airport was 79, which was 6 degrees above normal. At 7 a.m. today, it was 51 at the airport, 48 at Felts Field, 46 in Coeur d’Alene, 38 in Deer Park and 55 in Pullman.