More dry heat coming this week

Highs today in the middle to upper 80s today will seem comfortable compared to the heat that’s being forecasted for the rest of the week. Temperatures are expected to soar in the middle and upper 90s starting Tuesday and continue through Sunday, and highs could reach the triple digits this weekend through Monday, forecasters say. High pressure centered along the Pacific coast will move inland today, allowing for warmer temperatures to settle over the Inland Northwest through at least Sunday, forecasters said. Streaks of smoke in the sky this morning were coming from a wild fire in the Kelowna, B.C., area, and were being pushed southward by a relatively cool northwest flow in the upper atmosphere, forecasters said. The smoky skies allowed for a bright orange sunrise today, but cleared up by afternoon. A change to a more westerly air flow will keep the smoke well north of the region on Tuesday, forecasters said. Today’s highs are expected to reach 88 in Spokane and 86 in Spokane Valley, Post Falls and Coeur d’Alene. Sunday’s high was 84 at Spokane International Airport after a dry cold front crossed the region Saturday night, bringing cooler air off the North Pacific Ocean. The air has been dry as well with daytime relative humidity Sunday dropping to about 15 percent. The dew point this morning was similar to Sunday, setting the stage for another day of desert-dry conditions. At 7 a.m., temperatures were in the 50s and lower 60s with 63 at the airport, 55 in Sandpoint, 56 in Deer Park, 60 at Coeur d’Alene Airport and 57 in Pullman.