Temps hit 80s for first time since September

The sun gods smiled on Thursday.

Spokane and other parts of the region went from 70 degrees before noon to the lower 80s by mid-afternoon.

It was the first time this year that the temperature had hit 70 or warmer as well as 80 or warmer.

Spokane International Airport topped out at 83, just one degree shy of the record for the day of 84 in 1970.

The last 80-degree day was at the end of September.

Numerous weather observation sites in the Spokane and Coeur d’Alene areas were already at 80 degrees or warmer by 2 p.m.

National Weather Service forecasters in Spokane said a strong area of high pressure and a southerly flow just off shore are contributing to the summerlike weather.

The summerlike weather was just a tease.

A low pressure area was moving onshore late Thursday, bringing the chance of showers and thunderstorms to the Cascades Thursday night and then to Eastern Washington and North Idaho on Friday.

Friday still will be mild with a high in the lower 70s and a light east wind turning to a southwest wind by afternoon.

Heavy rain and hail could fall beneath any thunder clouds.

“The heavier rain may contribute to a localized flood and/or landslide threat, especially in steeper terrain and near burn scars,” forecasters in Spokane said on the weather service website.

The weather service Thursday afternoon posted a flash flood watch for Pend Oreille, Stevens, Ferry, Okanogan and Chelan counties in Washington and Bonner and Boundary counties in North Idaho from late Thursday through afternoon on Friday.

Then, the weather service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for the Cascades, including the east slope cities of Wenatchee, Chelan, Ellensburg and Yakima. The far western Columbia Basin, including Moses Lake, was also in the watch through 11 p.m. on Thursday.

Chelan County was placed under the severe thunderstorm watch.

Streams and rivers will be on the rise from a combination of rain and melting snow. The Okanogan River at Tonasket is expected to crest Sunday just below flood stage.

The Naches River near Yakima was expected to reach minor flood stage by Friday night.

Late Thursday, a series of thunderstorms rolling through Western Washington, downed trees and power lines, but no serious injuries were reported.

About 40,000 Puget Sound Energy customers were without power after 9 p.m. Thursday. The majority of outages were in and around Olympia, where the Olympian reported authorities had to extricate a motorist whose vehicle was struck by a power pole and live wires.

Straight-line winds blew the roof off a shop in East Olympia.

Other power outages were scattered around Western Washington as far north as Ferndale.

The weather will calm down for the weekend with a chance of showers Saturday with a high in the upper 50s in Spokane. Sunday should be mostly cloudy with diminishing shower chances and a high of 64.

Bloomsday participants could see pretty nice weather. However, there is a 20 percent risk of showers in the morning before 11 a.m.

Low temperatures will go back to the 40s.

Warm weather is expected early next week with highs near 70.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.