Weekend weather: Nicest stretch of summer in store

Some of the nicest weather of the summer is expected through the weekend and will continue for Monday’s arrival of a total solar eclipse.

Thousands of people will be hitting the road this weekend, most of them headed south of Spokane where the path of totality crosses through the central part of eastern Oregon and the heart of central Idaho.

The forecast for eclipse day on Monday calls for sunny weather virtually across the entire Pacific Northwest.

However, there is a chance of morning fog and partly sunny skies on the Oregon coast where the path of totality makes landfall.

And some clouds are possible in Idaho. However, the forecast for locations in the path of totality in the Gem State called for sunny weather on Monday.

National Weather Service forecasters said moist air and clouds, which they called “monsoonal moisture,” are going to remain well south of the eclipse path.

To the north, smoke from fires in British Columbia and the North Cascades may invade communities such as Omak, Republic, Colville and Bonners Ferry near the Canadian border.

“The translation is…our region should be free of clouds. Wildfire smoke could be the wild card particularly over north central and northeast Washington,” forecasters said online.

Highs are going to be in the middle to upper 80s through Monday with lows mainly in the upper 50s.

On Thursday, a weak disturbance moving from northwest to east may cause winds through the Cascades to increase, causing problems for existing fires and increasing the risk of new fire starts.

Then, a broad low pressure area is expected to cross British Columbia on Friday.

“As an onshore flow increases throughout the day, a west to east pressure gradient will cause west or southwest winds in the 10 to 15 mph range over much of the Inland Northwest,” forecasters said.