Autumn rains befall Inland Northwest

A rainstorm has moved over the western United States today, extending into the Inland Northwest and continuing through tonight. Light rain was falling in Spokane during rush hour, and forecasters said that between a tenth and quarter inch of rain could fall through today. Today’s high should reach 53 with light southwest wind. Radar shows a widespread and patchy rain moving from southeast to northwest over the area. The chance of showers continues at 70 percent tonight with less than a tenth of an inch expected in the overnight hours. The weather begins a drying trend on Thursday when a 30 percent chance of rain is expected. Dry weather and slightly warmer temperatures into the lower to middle 60s are likely on Friday and Saturday with partly to mostly sunny skies. A weak weather disturbance may move over the region on Sunday for a 50 percent chance of rain and a high of 60. Lows through the period will be in the middle to lower 40s. Frost is not forseen through Tuesday morning. The National Weather Service said today’s weather is being dominated by a large low pressure area moving onshore along the West Coast with the strongest part of the upper-level jet stream pointed at San Francisco Bay. The upper level winds will drag the main low southward by Thursday. However, moisture wrapping around the low could cause a band of rain to form on Thursday somewhere in the vicinity of southeast Washington and the Idaho Panhandle. Temperatures and the humidity are definitely autumn-like today. At 7 a.m., it was 47 at Spokane International Airport, 50 at Felts Field and 46 in Coeur d’Alene. The Spokane airport has measured about 0.13 inches of rain since early Tuesday.