The National Weather Service in Spokane reports that a ridge of high pressure will bring above-normal temperatures to the Inland Northwest from Monday through Wednesday. Moisture from a system moving into British Columbia will result in mid and high-level clouds across the region, but temperatures are expected to warm significantly, reaching the 70s to mid-80s today.
As the ridge shifts eastward into eastern Idaho and western Montana on Tuesday, the area will see a 90 to 100 percent chance of temperatures exceeding 80 degrees. By Wednesday, the ridge will continue to move east as an upper-level trough associated with a low-pressure system in the Gulf of Alaska approaches. This system is expected to bring a front across the Inland Northwest late Wednesday afternoon and evening, with high temperatures still reaching into the 80s.
Wind conditions are anticipated to pick up late Wednesday morning, particularly across areas like the Waterville Plateau and Columbia Basin, where sustained winds above 20 mph and gusts exceeding 35 mph are likely. Although precipitation chances will remain low in these areas, a 70 to 80 percent chance of showers is expected along the Cascade crest, with a 50 to 60 percent chance for the Idaho Panhandle.