Winds as gusty as 50 mph will bring winter temperatures back to Spokane on Saturday

Stiff winds on Saturday will carry cooler weather into the Spokane area next week.

Gusts are expected to peak above 45 mph in some areas west of Spokane, including Ritzville, according to forecasters at the National Weather Service. In Spokane, gusts are expected to reach 35 to 50 mph.

The impact was already being felt Friday. As winds rolled into the area, Silver Mountain Resort in Kellogg, Idaho, posted on its Facebook page that its gondola was stopped due to stiff winds. Less than an hour later, the resort posted that it was closing for the day due to “unusually high winds.”

The winds, which will be strongest Saturday afternoon before tapering off, could cause some downed trees and localized power outages. There is a high wind watch in effect until 6 p.m. on Saturday.

The strong low pressure system will bring colder, seasonal temperatures to the area after a relatively mild and wet stretch. The National Weather Service office in Spokane counted 24 days of measurable rain in January, nearly twice the average of 13 days.

“It’s been swinging back and forth. We had a mild and dry November. We started catching up with the precipitation over December and definitely January,” said Robin Fox, a weather service meteorologist.

Temperatures are expected to remain below 40 degrees on Sunday and Monday, bringing an increased chance of snow in the mountains.