Weekend weather: Heat wave sticking around

This week’s hot weather is going to ratchet up several degrees as high temperatures rise into the upper 90s in Spokane on Saturday through Wednesday, according to the National Weather Service.

Spokane will remain in the lower 90s today and Friday before going to 97 on Saturday and 99 on Sunday in the core urban area.

Coeur d’Alene should be something of a refuge from the extreme heat with highs today and Friday in the upper 80s going to the lower to middle 90s on Saturday and Sunday.

Sandpoint will be a degree or two cooler than Coeur d’Alene.

Highs will cross the century mark in some locations, including the Wenatchee and Lewiston areas. The Columbia Basin should be mainly in the upper 90s.

The heat is going to linger into early next week, forecasters said.

A string of five or more days hotter than 95 degrees is fairly unusual in Spokane.

Since record keeping began in 1881, Spokane has seen only 13 heat waves with five or more consecutive days at 96 degrees or hotter. Since 1990, that has occurred only twice, forecasters said.

Spokane more commonly sees a few hot days before temperatures fall back below 95, forecasters said on Wednesday.

A strong ridge of higher air pressure that’s been in place along the western U.S. this week is going to strengthen starting on Friday night and Saturday.

In the mountains of North Idaho, highs above 5,000 feet in elevation will be in the lower to middle 70s with lows in the lower to middle 50s.

In the Cascades, highs at Snoqualmie Pass should be in the upper 70s with lows near 50. The passes and mountain gaps in the Cascades could see breezy conditions today from a dry cold front on Wednesday.

In the Kettle Range at Sherman Pass, highs will be in the upper 70s and lower 80s with lows in the middle to upper 50s.

Conditions should be sunny with light winds and no risk of thunderstorms.

Smoky skies over Spokane on Wednesday came from a wild fire near Manson in central Washington.