NE winds bring short break from highs in 90s

A short-lived change in the weather is bringing dry and gusty northeast winds to the Inland Northwest this morning and a break in this week’s 90-degree-plus heat.
Another round of hot weather is expected by Saturday.
A high of 85 is expected in Spokane today followed by 90 on Thursday, 93 on Friday and 99 on Saturday.
But the dry air flowing south from Canada today is going to create a break from what’s become a pretty warm summer.
At 9 a.m., Spokane International Airport was at 71 degrees with a dewpoint of 43, which is fairly …

A short-lived change in the weather is bringing dry and gusty northeast winds to the Inland Northwest this morning and a break in this week’s 90-degree-plus heat.

Another round of hot weather is expected by Saturday.

A high of 85 is expected in Spokane today followed by 90 on Thursday, 93 on Friday and 99 on Saturday.

But the dry air flowing south from Canada today is going to create a break from what’s become a pretty warm summer.

At 9 a.m., Spokane International Airport was at 71 degrees with a dewpoint of 43, which is fairly dry for this time of year.

Northeast winds have gusted to 26 mph in Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and Post Falls; 28 in Deer Park; and 30 in Sandpoint. The winds are expected to continue through the afternoon and subside this evening.

Forecasters said the combination of wind, heat and humidity so far does not warrant a “red flag warning” for extreme fire danger. However, burning bans are in effect across the region.

A strong area of high pressure is building offshore with a surface high moving into British Columbia. That has created a strong pressure gradient pushing the cooler Canadian air southward behind a low that crossed the region Tuesday evening.

So far this season, Spokane has seen 17 days with temperatures of 90 degrees or hotter, the first of which came on July 7. The warmest so far was 97 on Aug. 7.

If the forecast holds, Saturday could be the hottest day of the year at 99.