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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Weather: Spring likely to be cool, wetter than normal

Randy Mann

After a dry start to 2014, the Inland Northwest has seen above normal precipitation for February and March.

As of early Tuesday, the Spokane International Airport has measured about 5.40 inches of rain and melted snow, 1 inch more than normal. And, March’s 2.58 inches is more than double the usual for Spokane.

It appears that the wetter-than-normal weather pattern will continue into April. There may still be a day or two when some areas see some wet snow, but most will fall above 3,000 feet. We should also see two to three thunderstorms and temperatures are expected to average several degrees below normal. Temperatures should warm up toward the end of April.

May is expected to bring both slightly cooler and slightly wetter than normal weather across the Inland Northwest. Don’t be too surprised to see several thunderstorms that produce moderate to severe conditions that include strong winds and some hail. The warmest weather in May should occur around the third week of the month.

June may start out chilly with some late-season freezes, especially in the higher mountains. We should also see another month of above normal rainfall, mostly in the first half of the month. Toward the end of June temperatures will be much warmer with highs near 90 degrees.

It appears that July will be very warm to hot with slightly below-normal rainfall. We should have at least 10 days with highs at or above 90 degrees. There may also be a day or two with readings topping the 100-degree mark. A few afternoon or evening thunderstorms may also pop up in July.

In August, most of the precipitation that falls will be from scattered afternoon and evening thunderstorms. Despite the occasional thunderstorm in the region, the overall weather should be drier and warmer than normal. We could see about a dozen afternoons with highs in the 90s. The hottest weather should be near the full moon on Aug. 10.

In September, temperatures are expected to be a little warmer than normal, especially during the first week of the month, and there should be lower-than-normal precipitation – similar to the September pattern over the past few years.

Enjoy the spring and summer weather!

Contact Randy Mann at www.facebook.com/ wxmann, or go to www.longrange weather.com for additional information.