Weekend weather: Spring rings in for real this afternoon

It may have felt like spring for the past month or more, but now it’s going to be official.

Spring starts at 3:45 p.m. today with the arrival of the vernal equinox.

Curiously, a total solar eclipse crossed over the North Atlantic and Arctic oceans early this morning in a watery arc around Greenland and Iceland.

The new moon, a necessary ingredient for a solar eclipse, will have occurred just 14 hours before the vernal equinox this afternoon.

As for the weather, the next few days will offer a classic spring pattern with alternating periods of cool, wet weather and warmer sunshine. There might even be a little snow by Tuesday.

For now, cloudy and mild weather are forecast through Friday with highs running from the upper 50s today to lower 60s on Friday.

Fog may hang around past sunrise today.

The arrival of the next Pacific storm will bring increasing clouds on Friday with rain likely by Saturday.

A cold front is expected to arrive Saturday morning, which should trigger a period of showery precipitation, the National Weather Service said.

Snow levels on Saturday should be at 4,500 to 5,000 feet in elevation.

Breezy to windy conditions will follow on Saturday across the Columbia Basin into the Spokane area, the Palouse region and in the mountains.

By Saturday afternoon, a pool of cold air in the upper atmosphere may trigger thunderstorms capable of producing additional winds and snow pellets. Quick snow accumulations are possible under the thunderstorms.

Afternoon highs on Saturday should be in the middle 50s.

Sunday’s weather should be more favorable to outdoor activity with highs in the upper 50s under mostly sunny skies.

Chances for precipitation return on Monday as an upper-elevation low pressure area arrives across the region. Snow levels will be down around 4,000 feet, falling to 3,000 feet on Monday night and Tuesday. Snow could even reach lower elevations Tuesday.