Lower air pressure drops temperatures

The Inland Northwest’s cool spring weather continues today with clouds, showers and possible thunderstorms by this afternoon. Highs today should only reach the lower and middle 60s with lows tonight in the middle 40s, although the 3 p.m. temperature at Spokane International Airport was only 56. The normal high temperature for this time of year is 71 in Spokane. A low pressure area over the Pacific Northwest is circulating moisture into Eastern Washington and North Idaho. The moisture could turn into thunderstorms with daytime heating and colder air aloft, but that threat will subside after 5 p.m., forecasters said. Variable rain amounts of up to a half inch or more were reported since Tuesday in areas along the Canadian border, portions of North Idaho and in north-central Washington. The low should drift east on Thursday allowing for a return to normal temperatures with highs in the lower 70s. But the showers return by the end of the week, but remain scattered or isolated on Friday through Sunday. Temperatures will be at or just below normal with highs in the lower 70s and lows near 50. Forecasters said that a slow but steady improvement in the weather is likely early next week. At 7 a.m. today, the Spokane airport was reporting fog and a temperature of 44. Rivers and lakes are still running high with flood warnings and flood watches in effect for many of the region’s main waterways.