Big weather changes in store for weekend

The heat wave that has gripped the Inland Northwest is coming to an end this weekend with a pretty good chance that showers, heavy rain and thunderstorms will replace the July sizzle. The weather change actually begins tonight. A low pressure center along the Washington coast is expected to fling moisture inland, coming from the southwest, the National Weather Service said this afternoon. That will bring a 20 percent chance of thunderstorms to Spokane and Coeur d’Alene. Plenty of hot air will hang around on Friday when the thunderstorm threat increases to 30 percent in Spokane but stays at 20 percent in Coeur d’Alene. Highs should reach the middle 90s. The greater change arrives on Saturday with a 60 percent chance of showers, including thunderstorms and heavy rain beneath the showers where a quarter inch of rain could fall. Highs will reach about 83. The stormy trend continues through the evening Saturday and Sunday. Highs Sunday should reach the lower 80s. Another low pressure system arrives off the coast on Sunday and will affect Inland Northwest weather early next week, keeping temperatures in the 80s and a threat of showers across the region. The northern mountain areas could see the strongest impact of the systems on Sunday and Monday.