Beautiful weather expected for Mother’s Day

The weatherman is dialing up some fine spring weather for the weekend of Mother’s Day.

Skies are going to be mostly sunny with highs in the upper 60s to lower 70s through Sunday. Overnight lows will be on the cool side of about 43 degrees in Spokane.

A low pressure area that crossed through the region on Tuesday has moved to the southeast, setting up a dry northerly wind flow across the region.

Breezy winds today are expected to give way to stronger northeast breezes on Friday with sustained winds of 6 to 15 mph and gusts to 20 mph in Spokane.

Stronger winds are expected in valleys favorable to the northerly flow including Purcell Trench and Rathdrum Prairie and the cities of Coeur d’Alene, Post Falls, Sandpoint and Bonners Ferry in North Idaho.

In those areas, winds should accelerate on Friday with gusts as high as 26 mph.

The Columbia Basin will also see winds today and Friday as the northerly flow spills southward.

Unless the wind starts kicking up dust and pollen, the northerly flow is favorable to clean air this time of year, which is a benefit to people with allergies and respiratory conditions.

The Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency said air quality was good on Wednesday. Dust and particle exhaust levels were negligible. Clean air was expected again today in Spokane.

Winds should settle down Friday night so that Saturday and Sunday will be calmer with sunshine and warm afternoon temperatures.

Spokane and North Idaho should see highs in the low 70s over the weekend. The Columbia Basin may reach the upper 70s to near 80 degrees on Mother’s Day.

Lows to the north of Coeur d’Alene could drop into the upper 30s.