COEUR d’ALENE — After Monday's short-but-fierce rainstorm broke the heatwave in North Idaho, Tuesday brought fairer weather and highs in the neighborhood of 80 degrees.

July is normally the driest month in North Idaho, averaging less than an inch of rainfall, and this year seems to be following that trend. Monday’s 22-minute shower was the first rainfall in three weeks.

“That’s why we have to have sprinklers here in beautiful Coeur d’Alene,” said climatologist Cliff Harris. “We’re dry.”

Downtown Coeur d’Alene buzzed with activity Tuesday afternoon, especially along the waterfront, where beachgoers soaked up the sun and cyclists whizzed down the paved paths.

On the courts at City Park, Bren Altenbach and Nathen Pichette played a friendly game of basketball.

“Even though I can’t play basketball today,” Altenbach joked, after Pichette made another shot.

The pair were on a break from rehearsals for Coeur d’Alene Summer Theater’s production of “Footloose," which opens July 21. When they’re not shooting hoops, they’re dancing in the ensemble.

Pichette said Tuesday’s fair weather was a welcome relief from the recent scorching heat.

“I love that it’s a little bit chillier than it has been, so I’m not dying,” he said with a laugh. “Those thunderstorms were great.”

Temperatures are expected to reach the low 90s by the end of the week. Harris said it’s important to stay safe while enjoying the summer weather.

“We’ve got to be careful with our animals and our children,” he said. “That’s good weather for outdoor activities, but we have to be careful — can’t be out in the sun too long. Sunburns aren’t very appealing.”

Well, he added — they’re sometimes a-peeling later on.

Hot summer temperatures aren’t the only natural phenomena North Idaho residents can look forward to this week. A solar storm forecast for Thursday is expected to make the northern lights visible across several states, including Idaho.

For a chance to spot the aurora borealis, Harris recommends looking northeast between 10 p.m. Thursday and 2 a.m. Friday.