Weekend Weather: Region basks in stretch of warm weather

Another stretch of warm April weather has arrived across the region and will persist through Sunday.

High temperatures are expected to reach the middle 70s Thursday in Spokane under sunny skies.

The warm weather could peak on Friday with highs in the upper 70s and maybe lower 80s in warmer spots of the Inland Northwest.

Coeur d’Alene should see 72 today and 76 on Friday.

Record-high temperatures are possible in some locations on Friday.

Temperatures cool by several degrees during the weekend with highs going from about 70 on Saturday to the middle 60s on Sunday.

The mild weather may continue on Monday and Tuesday, although showers are possible on Tuesday, forecasters said.

Higher air pressure has moved on shore along the West Coast, and the strength of the system should force the storm track to split with half going north into British Columbia and the other half into California where El Nino has brought periods of rainy weather so far this year.

Low temperatures in the Spokane area should get to the upper 40s and low 50s.

The warm weather is going trigger snowmelt in the mountains and raise some stream levels, National Weather forecasters said.

So far, only the Stehekin River in north-central Washington is at risk of filling its banks.

However, the weather service has issued warnings for people to use caution around lakes and streams since the water levels are high and water temperatures are cold enough to cause potentially fatal hypothermia in a short period of time.

In Spokane, average temperatures for early April range from the middle 50s for highs to about 35 for lows.