First autumn rain arrives this weekend

The first of two Pacific storms will arrive later today, but a second storm on Sunday is likely to bring the heaviest rain during the next several days. The rain will break a dry spell in Spokane that dates back to Aug. 21. The National Weather Service said Spokane and surrounding areas could see as much as a half inch of rain on Sunday and Monday. The west side of the Cascades may get drenched with two inches or more. However, the rain amounts trail off east of the Cascade crest, raising questions about how much rain will fall to put out the stubborn fires burning on the eastern and south-central Cascade slopes. Spokane’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and a high of 69 today as clouds from the first storm move over the region. Less than a tenth of an inch of rain is expected tonight before a break between storms late in the day on Saturday. Winds from the southwest gusting to 25 mph are expected, but mild temperatures in the middle 60s are likely. Both weekend storms are drawing subtropical moisture into them in a typical fall-winter pattern. Rain chances increase to 60 percent on Sunday before going to 80 to 90 percent on Sunday night and Monday. Unsettled weather and the chance of rain will linger through the day on Tuesday.