More fog for the morning commuter

Fog will again shroud the Inland Northwest tonight, and drivers may find themselves peering into the thick air on their morning commute Friday. The fog lifted at mid-morning today, revealing high-elevation clouds over the region. Filtered sunshine helped warm temperatures into the 40s. Spokane International Airport was at 49 at 3 p.m. while Coeur d’Alene was 43. Fog returns tonight with lows near freezing, and the gray weather won’t let up for the time being. Forecasters said the fog and low clouds are going to be replaced by a weak Pacific storm system over the weekend, which should bring rain or a rain and snow mix to the region through Sunday. Cooler weather will flow in behind a cold front over the weekend. The next chance for sunshine won’t come until Monday and Tuesday as the cooler air takes over. High temperatures through the weekend will vary from the lower 40s on Friday and Saturday to the middle 30s on Sunday and Monday. Lows will be in the lower and middle 30s through Saturday, dropping to the middle 20s by Sunday and to near 20 on Monday night. The Pacific high-pressure system that is currently putting a lid on the low-level moisture over the region will be replaced by a weak low moving onshore over the weekend, but the high pressure is likely to return next week, forecasters said.