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

Weekend weather: Cool and showery Memorial Day Weekend

The cool and showery side of spring is likely to prevail through Memorial Day, forecasters said.

A new low pressure system was expected to move south from the British Columbia coastline on Thursday, bringing another shot of wet weather and breezy winds to the Inland Northwest.

An associated cold front will reach the Cascades early on Thursday and then migrate southeastward toward Spokane and Coeur d’Alene, according to the National Weather Service.

Gusty winds should accompany the frontal passage.

Showers from the front are likely to remain mostly in mountain areas along the Canadian border and in North Idaho.

“(Computer forecast) models are not showing a lot of good moisture associated with the front,” forecasters said in an online outlook on Wednesday.

“This is not going to be the good soaker we experienced last weekend. It looks like the best precipitation chances with the front on Thursday night will mainly be north of Interstate 90.”

Forecasters said the weather may dampen, but will not likely wash out plans for outdoor activity.

Temperatures in the upper 60s should be near normal on Thursday.

Cooler air penetrates into the region by Friday and Saturday when highs only get into the lower 60s, about 7 degrees below normal.

Coeur d’Alene should see highs in the upper 50s on Friday and Saturday.

Shower chances remain in the forecast both days, but forecasters expect that any showers that do form will be transitory and move quickly through.

The greatest chance for showers will be in the afternoons on Friday through Sunday.

A reinforcing area of low air pressure on Sunday should increase shower activity in mountain areas through Monday.

In lower elevations around Spokane, shower chances diminish and temperatures rebound on Sunday and Monday with highs in the upper 60s to around 70.

Lows through the period should be in the 40s.

The low pressure from Canada will have enough cold air to cause a chance for snow at elevations above 5,000 feet by Friday.