Increasing clouds will lead to rain tonight

Increasing clouds today from a storm system off shore will bring a slight chance of rain this afternoon with the likelihood of precipitation increasing tonight. Highs today should reach the lower 50s in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene and remain above freezing in the middle 30s tonight. The chance of precipitation tonight is 60 percent in Spokane and 50 percent in Coeur d’Alene. Saturday is expected to be showery with a 50 percent chance of precipitation during the day and a 40 percent chance on Saturday night. Highs will be in the middle to upper 40s with lows near 30. Snow is expected above about 4,000 to 4,500 feet in the mountains, putting ski areas mostly in the cold zone. Spring begins on Sunday at 4:21 p.m., and the change of season should bring a relatively nice day with partly sunny skies by the afternoon, according to National Weather Service forecasters. The chance of showers returns to the forecast next week. So far this season, Spokane International Airport has recorded 66.7 inches of snow, which is 150 percent of normal. Spokane has had 13.13 inches of precipitation since Oct. 1, which is 3.4 inches above normal. At 7 a.m., it was 31 at the airport and Deer Park, 30 at Felts Field and in Coeur d’Alene and 35 in Pullman.