Wet weather to extend into Saturday

Damp October weather is expected over the region – especially on Friday – before sunshine returns on Sunday.

The challenge will be dodging showers and periods of steady rain until higher air pressure moves back over the Inland Northwest.

Lower air pressure across the region will sweep clouds and showers over most locations on Thursday.

A more potent storm, fed by a stream of Pacific moisture, is expected to arrive overnight on Thursday and continue through early Friday. As the rain eases off, the storm will start kicking up gusty winds to as high as 30 mph during the afternoon.

National Weather Service forecasters said the Friday storm could bring up to one-quarter inch of rain to valley locations in and around Spokane and up to an inch in the mountains.

Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint, which are tucked against the mountains, could see one-quarter to one-half inch of rain on Friday.

A secondary storm arrives overnight on Friday into early Saturday with more rain. on Saturday is likely to keep the rainfall going.

Grain growing areas of the Columbia Basin and the Palouse may see less. Pullman and Moses Lake are slated to receive from one-tenth to one-quarter inch of rain on Friday.

Conditions begin to improve on Saturday, but showers are still possible under mostly cloudy skies.

Highs through Saturday should reach the upper 50s with lows in the 40s.

When sunshine returns on Sunday, high temperature should rise into the upper 60s.

The warmer weather and sun are expected to continue into early next week, forecasters said.

Normal temperatures for this time of year in Spokane are 65 for a high and 41 for a low.

Spokane is off to a good start for precipitation tracking by the weather service starting on Oct. 1.

So far this month, the city has received 0.31 inches of rain, including 0.20 inches on Tuesday, helping to moisten the dry landscape.