March madness; 70 degrees again

COEUR d'ALENE — For the third straight day Tuesday it hit 70 degrees in Coeur d'Alene.

Not even climatologist Cliff Harris has ever seen such madness in March.

"I can't find any mid-March on record that ever had three 70-degree days," he said. 

Tuesday's 70 degrees broke the previous March 19 high of 67 degrees set in Coeur d'Alene in 1947.

Monday's 70 degrees tied the record for March 18 set in 1972, and Sunday's 71 degrees on St. Patrick's Day broke the mark of 70, also set in 1972.

"This is really unusual," Harris said. "But people are enjoying it."

However, don't get your sunscreen out just yet.

Harris expects temperatures to gradually cool down this week, and go as low as the 20s this weekend, a drop of more than 40 degrees in a matter of days.

He is calling for mostly rain with a chance of snow in the morning hours Saturday and Sunday.

"The other shoe is about to drop," Harris said.