Slight chance of thunderstorms on Labor Day with 90-plus degree heat forecast through the week

Showers, hail and thunder could be coming your way this Labor Day as meteorologists eye a late summer storm brewing over the region.

A slight chance of thunderstorms from the Central Cascades to the Idaho Panhandle is forecast for Monday and into early Tuesday, the National Weather Service said.

Forecasts indicate a 20% chance of storming over the Central Cascades, Columbia Basin and southeastern Washington on Monday morning. Chances of storms increase to as high as 30% later in the afternoon and evening over the Idaho Panhandle and southeastern Washington as the system moves eastwardly.

Over Spokane, there’s a 20% chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11 a.m. Monday with calm winds and increasing clouds gathering in the afternoon; temperatures are expected to reach as a high of 93 degrees. The service forecasts nighttime storm activity before 8 p.m. and after 11 p.m. Conditions are otherwise cloudy and windy, with a low around 58 degrees Monday night, the service forecasts.

“It’s an upper -level disturbance that will be emerging out of north California and Oregon on Monday and Monday night,” service meteorologist Greg Koch said.

Storms include the possibility of showers, hail, wind gusts, thunder and isolated lightning strikes that could start new wildfires. In affected areas, strong gusts aren’t forecast after the storm, Koch said.

“Fortunately, this upper level disturbance is not expected to generate a lot of gusty winds Tuesday into Wednesday,” Koch said. “Some of our most significant fire episodes occur with dry lightning followed by strong winds.”

Temperatures are forecast as high as 86 degrees on Tuesday and are expected to climb to 90 degrees on Wednesday, 93 Thursday, 95 Friday, 94 Saturday and 93 Sunday. Forecasts are well above the 30-year average high temperatures of around 78 degrees on those days.