Weekend weather: Sunny and warm for Mother’s Day

Showers and possible thunderstorms are over the region for now, but clearing and warming are expected for Mom’s Day weekend.

National Weather Service forecasters said that a low pressure area from the south is slinging moisture across the Inland Northwest on Thursday and Thursday night after arriving late Wednesday.

All parts of the region will have a risk of thunderstorms or heavy showers with possible small hail and gusty winds through 11 p.m.

Some areas, especially in the mountains, could see heavy showers. Areas with burn scars are at risk of flash floods or slides.

The shower threat continues mainly in the mountains on Friday.

Spokane and other areas could see gusty winds from the northeast on Friday. Gusts in Spokane may reach 22 mph.

Despite the unsettled weather, temperatures are going to remain well above normal for this time of year.

A southerly flow associated with the low pressure area is bringing the warmth.

Today’s high should reach the middle 70s today with lows in the low 50s tonight.

Spokane should see mostly sunny skies on Friday with a high near 77.

Summer-like weather resumes on Saturday and Sunday with highs in Spokane and Coeur d’Alene both days near 80.

Spokane fell one degree short of a daily high record on Tuesday with a high of 82.

Snowpack in the mountains continues to melt quickly under the warm skies even at higher elevations.

The water equivalent in the remaining snowpack was at 54 percent of normal for this time of year on Monday in the mountains north and east of Spokane as well as in the Okanogan.

The snowpack is holding up a little better in the mountains close to the Canadian border in North Idaho were the amount stood a 67 percent of normal.

The Spokane River at the stream measuring gauge in Spokane was flowing at 7,680 cubic feet per second, down from a flow of more than 15,000 cfs on April 27.