Warm week will morph from sun to rain

A string of warm spring days is expected to continue into Wednesday, but an expected storm is on the horizon starting as early as Tuesday night and that could bring heavy rain and thunderstorms, National Weather Service forecasters said this morning. Highs of 64 today, 69 on Tuesday and 62 on Wednesday will bring the warmest temperatures of the year so far. Lows should run in the 40s, making this week the real start of the spring growing season. Clouds and showers may move in on Tuesday night, initially bringing a threat of showers or thunderstorms. The threat increases on Wednesday and peaks on Wednesday night. A mild storm flow out of the southwest could combine with cold air moving out of the Gulf of Alaska to trigger thunderstorms on Wednesday, mainly across the Idaho Panhandle but possibly in portions of Eastern Washington. A low is draped along the West Coast and extends well into the tropical latitudes off the Baja Peninsula. Heavy rain could cause creeks and streams to rise, but flooding is not anticipated at this time, forecasters said. As showers die away by later on Thursday, temperatures will remain relatively mild for this time of year, with highs in the upper 50s and lows in the upper 30s through Sunday. Partly sunny weather is likely on Friday through Sunday.