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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883
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Spokane Gets Cold Shoulder

Mike Prager Staff Writer

The calendar on the wall is right.

This is August, even though it doesn’t feel like it.

The past 13 days have brought some of the coolest temperatures ever for this time of year.

Forecasters say the worst is over for now. Highs in the region are expected to rebound into the mid-80s by Sunday, and it should continue to be warm through the middle of next week.

On Thursday, Spokane set a record for the coldest high temperature in more than a century of record-keeping.

The high of only 59 beat out the previous record for Aug. 17 of 61 degrees set in 1912.

Other record cold temperatures were recorded last Saturday and Sunday.

On Saturday, the high of 67 degrees erased the old record of 68 degrees set in 1978. That was followed by a record low of 41 at dawn on Sunday. The previous record low for the date was 44 degrees in 1959.

Average temperatures this time of year are 83 and 54.

More than half an inch of rain has been measured at Spokane International Airport this month, including .06 inch Thursday. On average, a third of an inch falls Aug. 1-17.

For the year, about 14 inches of precipitation have been recorded, compared with a normal amount of only 9.75 inches.

This month’s wet and cold weather is being caused by a large low-pressure area that has been anchored off the British Columbia coast but now is moving east.

It will be replaced by a weak ridge of high pressure which is expected to bring warmer weather Saturday, when a high of 78 is expected.

But any blazing summer weather will remain to the south and east, said John Livingston, chief meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Spokane.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo

MEMO: This sidebar appeared with the story: Cold water Put away the swimsuit. City and county pools are shutting down. Three county pools - Park Road, Terrace View and Holmberg - will close today at 6 p.m. The last day at Valley Mission will be Sunday. Three of the city’s outdoor pools - Shadle, Liberty and Cannon - will close for the summer Aug. 27 at 5 p.m. Shadle’s indoor pool will close at the same time but will open again for winter season Sept. 9. Hillyard, Witter and Comstock pools will close Sept. 4 at 5 p.m. City wading pools also will close Sept. 4.

This sidebar appeared with the story: Cold water Put away the swimsuit. City and county pools are shutting down. Three county pools - Park Road, Terrace View and Holmberg - will close today at 6 p.m. The last day at Valley Mission will be Sunday. Three of the city’s outdoor pools - Shadle, Liberty and Cannon - will close for the summer Aug. 27 at 5 p.m. Shadle’s indoor pool will close at the same time but will open again for winter season Sept. 9. Hillyard, Witter and Comstock pools will close Sept. 4 at 5 p.m. City wading pools also will close Sept. 4.