Weekend weather: Bloomsday couldn’t ask for a better forecast

There is plenty to like about the weather for the next several days as sunshine and warm temperatures hold court over the Inland Northwest through at least Sunday.

Today could see some light southwest wind. A dry cold front on Friday might kick up the breezes again.

Beyond that, you can expect plenty of sunshine with highs in the 60s and lower 70s.

In short, the weather should be near perfect for Bloomsday and all of the outdoor activity that goes with it – the last-minute training, the prerace parties and the after-race festivities.

Here’s how the National Weather Service put it: “The weekend looks pretty favorable for outdoor activities with an abundance of sunshine and afternoon temperatures about 5 degrees above average.”

A closer look at the race day forecast shows that the temperature in downtown Spokane should be about 42 degrees at 7 a.m. rising to 50 degrees at 9.

Winds will be nearly calm, which is good news for those who wear lighter race clothing. The chance of precipitation is nearly zero. Only about a quarter of the sky may be obscured by early-morning clouds.

By noon, wind out of the southwest at 9 mph is possible. Temperatures will rise to 65 degrees by 1 p.m. and then to a high of about 70 at 4.

Average temperatures for this time of year in Spokane are 61 degrees for a high and about 39 degrees for a low.

Elsewhere in the region, temperatures should be a couple of degrees cooler in Coeur d’Alene, but there will be plenty of sunshine. Sandpoint will also be a few degrees cooler, and will have a few more clouds than areas to the south.

In the Columbia Basin, temperatures will be several degrees warmer with highs bumping into the middle 70s starting on Friday.