Hoopfest and beyond: Spokane’s summer forecast

Even the weather seems to be pitching in for Hoopfest this weekend.

This week has been marked by a cold front due to low pressure bringing notably chilly weather for mid-June. But that won’t hinder Spokane’s busiest annual event, with temperatures heating up to the low 80s by Saturday.

Saturday and Sunday are expected to be mostly sunny and warm, with a minor chance of rain on Sunday and a smattering of cloudy weather throughout the weekend, said Rachael Fewkes, National Weather meteorologist in the Spokane office. Hoopfest, which will take over many downtown streets Saturday and Sunday is expecting more than 4,200 teams, 800 more than last year, the first year back after the pandemic.

A headline on the weather service’s website declared “A Pleasant Weekend Ahead for Outdoor Activities,” so even those not in a basketball mood have plenty of options, including Spokane, Spokane Valley and Spokane County pools that opened for the summer in the past week, coinciding with the end of the school year.

Sunny days, however, aren’t here to stay.

This coming week is setting up to be a combination of hot – reaching into the high 80s or low 90s these next few weeks – and partially overcast, with up to a 20% possibility of rain on Wednesday. A bit longer term, chances for hotter weather are a toss-up, as there’s a 40-50% chance to be hotter and drier than last year in Eastern Washington and the Idaho panhandle, particularly after July.

The Northwest is expected to be a hotbed for wildfires from now until September, though currently few are active. The Oasis fire, which began on June 19 near Walla Walla, has been contained after burning 4,200 acres, and all evacuation orders have been lifted.