Sept. 23 – A high pressure system is expected to bring unseasonably warm weather to the Inland Northwest early this week, with gusts peaking on Wednesday before temperatures return to average fall temperatures on Thursday.
Temperatures could reach 90 degrees Fahrenheit in Spokane on Tuesday and Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.
Dry winds with gusts of 35 to 40 mph forecast for Wednesday afternoon and evening could increase the risk of rapid fire spread, but no red flag warnings or other advisories have been issued through Monday afternoon. Meteorologist Rachael Fewkes said the weather service will continue to monitor the situation closely over the next few days.
Relative humidity is expected to be around 30 percent, which is low but not as dry as in summer, Fewkes said.
In addition to the risk of fire, the southwesterly wind can also stir up dust and be dangerous to boats.
Wind gusts could be highest in Lincoln County, with gusts as high as 45 mph near Wilbur. Less gusts are expected in northeastern Washington and northern Idaho, where there is more terrain.
There is a chance of showers and some thunderstorms in the region on Wednesday afternoon and evening.
The heat wave is expected to set a modest daily record early Wednesday morning with a minimum temperature of around 16 degrees Celsius, Fewkes said.
Temperatures are expected to be around 21 degrees Celsius again over the weekend and it will be mostly sunny.
James Hanlon’s reporting for The Spokesman-Review is funded in part by Report for America and members of the Spokane community. This story may be republished for free by other organizations under a Creative Commons license. For more information, contact our newspaper’s managing editor.
