Friday, March 29, 2024
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70 degrees on the way

| April 15, 2021 1:00 AM

COEUR d’ALENE — The weather’s been nice and sunny lately and it’s expected to get even better — almost like summer.

North Idaho could see its first 70-degree day of the year this weekend, said climatologist Cliff Harris on Wednesday.

The forecast calls for sunny and warm conditions through Monday, with a possible high of 71 on Sunday.

Harris said a high-pressure ridge northwest of Portland is keeping the moisture out of this area, flattening the air and leading to warmer temperatures than usual.

“It’s blocking all the storm systems coming from the Gulf of Alaska,” he said.

But while all this sunshine of late is appreciated, it has raised drought worries, Hartis said.

“We’ve been very, very dry,” he said. “That could cause big problems down the road.”

Still, he said people like good weather, and spring in North Idaho is usually rainy, windy and cold, so it’s OK to just have fun in the sun this weekend and not fret too much about droughts down the road.

Rain is expected to return on Tuesday.

“Enjoy what you’ve got,” said Harris, who is battling some health problems. “Because it’s not always going to be the way.”