KHQ Right Now - News and Weather for Spokane and North Idaho | 'Very cold' temps expected through weekend

'Very cold' temps expected through weekend

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SPOKANE, Wash. - As a strong ridge of high pressure stays locked off the coast a cold northerly flow will continue across the Inland Northwest bringing with it unseasonably cold temperatures for the weekend.

This map from the National Weather Service depicts where temps will be the lowest and where wind will whip up more dust >>Enlarge

This front will usher in the coldest air of the season for the upcoming weekend with temperatures more typically reserved for early November. Very cold low temperatures - around 20 degrees below normal - are forecast for both Friday night and Saturday Night.

Thursday night, winds are expected to gust up to 25 miles per hour and by Friday afternoon, those gusts could reach 40 miles per hour. Due to the high winds, blowing dirt and dust could become a problem.

Strong winds last weekend whipped up dust causing poor visibility along I-90 last weekend forcing authorities to close a stretch of the interstate  near Ritzville for most of Sunday.

Other roads in Grant and Adams counties also were closed Sunday afternoon.
     
The blowing dust caused a number of multi-vehicle accidents on many local roads. In one of the accidents, which involved two semis and three passenger vehicles, 7 people were injured and one person died.

A return to more seasonal weather is expected by early next week.