Skies may clear this afternoon

A dense fog advisory has been lifted across the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas and extending westward into the Columbia Basin, and forecasters are sticking by their belief that low clouds will dissipate and reveal the sun this afternoon. Visibilities down to a quarter-mile or less were reported. Spokane International Airport had visibility at an eighth mile at 7 a.m., but flights were on time and departing prior to 8 a.m., according to the airport Web site. The advisory included portions of Lincoln, Adams and Grant counties and the Interstate 90 corridor to about 10 miles east of Moses Lake. Forecasters said the fog should give way to partly sunny skies as the Inland Northwest breaks out of a string of gray and wet days from a series of Pacific storms. The forecast calls for fair weather with lots of daytime sun through this weekend. Higher air pressure is moving into the region and is expected to create enough of a northerly air flow to prevent the formation of low clouds and fog in the Columbia Basin and Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas. Temperatures today through Sunday should reach the middle to upper 40s with lows at night in the lower 30s to upper 20s. Fog is not expected to repeat itself tonight or for the rest of the week, forecasters said. At 7 a.m., it was 32 at Spokane International Airport, 35 in downtown Spokane, 34 in Coeur d’Alene, 32 in Deer Park and 39 in Pullman.