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

Dense fog slows traffic in parts of Inland NW

The National Weather Service reports that dense fog has been occurring across wide portions of the Inland Northwest today. At the same time, the weather service reported that record daily highs were reached Sunday in Spokane at 55 degrees, Pullman at 54, Lacrosse at 61, Ritzville at 57 and Potlatch at 56. Lewiston tied its daily high record at 60. The previous daily high in Spokane was 54 in 1935. Today, a saturated layer of cool air hugging the ground is trapped beneath warmer and sunny skies aloft. The weather service this morning reported that the weather balloon that was launched around 4 a.m. today showed a temperature of 35 at the ground while the air 2,200 feet above the ground was at 54 degrees. Forecasters called that “an impressive inversion.” Traffic cameras showed the thick fog is occurring on the West Plains, in North Spokane and along the Latah Creek Valley, among other areas. Forecasters issued a dense fog advisory today at 4:30 a.m. through 1 p.m. Northeast Washington, far North Idaho, the lower Columbia Basin and Yakima Valley are the areas with fog. The advisory was dropped for Northeast Washington and North Idaho about noon. Forecasters this morning said that drivers on Interstate 90 were breaking out of the fog westbound at about the Spokane County line. Partly sunny skies were overhead there. Forecasters expect the sun to break through the heavy skies in the Spokane area this afternoon, allowing the temperature to climb to the middle and upper 40s in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. Sunshine is in the forecast for Tuesday, but fog may return Tuesday night.