SPOKANE, Wash. — Fall officially begins Wednesday, Sept. 22 as the sun passes directly over the equator.
The autumnal equinox occurs at 12:20 pm in Spokane, marking the start of the three-month period with the most drastic cooling. But as the season arrives, it might feel a bit more like lake-side weather than time to hit the pumpkin patch.
After a welcomed stretch of cool wet weather across the Northwest, the return of an atmospheric ridge will bring with it, above average temperatures and plenty of sunshine. A pattern that looks to hold through the weekend.
The typical high temperature in Spokane this time of year is in the low 70s with overnight lows dipping into the mid-40s. That is what is in the forecast through the middle of the week. A weak system moving under the ridge will bring about more cloud cover on Wednesday and a little bit of a breeze, but that is the biggest weather-maker in the days to come.
The overall weather pattern favors ample sunshine and mild temperatures. With the ridge staying in place, temperatures will continue to climb each day though the weekend. From the mid 70s on Thursday to the upper 70s on Friday and near 80 by Saturday.
The first weekend of Fall will feel more like summer than the last two weekends of summer did.
A meteorological word of caution: enjoy it while you can. Fall stretches from Sept. 22 to Dec. 21, and in that time the average high falls from the low 70s to just 33 degrees.
Getting there is never easy. The season is known for drastic temperature swings and everything from snow to rain and what lies in between. So enjoy this beautiful weekend, the warm sunny days are numbered.