Hot weather primes area for wildfire danger

Two days of searing heat will send the fire danger soaring, forecasters said Wednesday.

Highs in downtown Spokane could reach 98 degrees on Thursday and Friday before moderating some this weekend.

Coeur d’Alene will be a few degrees cooler.

National Weather Service forecasters earlier this week predicted highs could reach 101 on Friday in Spokane, but they retreated from their triple-digit outlook by a few degrees.

A series of weak disturbances is predicted to travel over a strong, hot ridge of high air pressure.

That will hold down the worst of the heat, but also kick up breezy conditions on the east slopes of the Cascades and the western Columbia Basin.

“Gusty winds with humidities near critical levels may result in rapid fire spread for any new or ongoing wildfires,” forecasters said Wednesday online.

A hazardous weather outlook was posted Wednesday for the hot temperatures.

Temperatures will slowly moderate with highs of 94 on Saturday, 92 on Sunday and 87 on Monday.

Lows will be in the middle 60s, which will inhibit nighttime cooling in places not equipped with air conditioning.