COEUR d’ALENE — The same hot, windy weather that sent people to the beach in droves Friday poses a risk of wildfire with little sign of letting up.

“We have been drier than the Sahara,” said Coeur d’Alene climatologist Cliff Harris. “In the past 41 days, we’ve only had a quarter of an inch of rain.” 

The Coeur d’Alene area has seen about 3 inches of precipitation since April 1, according to the National Weather Service. Normal rainfall for the same period is closer to 6 and a half inches. 

“It definitely has been dry in the whole Idaho Panhandle compared to normal,” said Daniel Butler, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Spokane. “There are definitely some deficits.” 

Temperatures are expected to reach the high 80s and low 90s through the weekend and into next week, with winds of up to 18 mph and gusts of up to 25 mph blowing from the southwest. 

Friday’s fire danger was high, according to the Coeur d’Alene Interagency Dispatch Center, and growing winds through the weekend are expected to increase that danger. 

“Any fire that gets started in these winds will be capable of spreading quickly,” Butler said. 

Harris said he’s gravely concerned about the conditions because a dry winter followed by drought has left plant life vulnerable. 

“It’s very, very dry for the trees,” he said. “They’re not looking good. They’ve cast off their pine cones in many cases. They’re just holding on because we’re in a desert with big, tall trees that could go up like Roman candles if they catch fire.” 

Especially when winds are high, Butler advised community members to avoid activities that could spark a fire, such as lighting campfires, dragging trailer chains, driving over dry grass or even doing yard work in very dry grasses. 

Conditions will remain warm and dry for the foreseeable future, Butler said, though area meteorologists are monitoring the potential for wetter conditions beginning Wednesday or Thursday. 

“But that might be accompanied by thunderstorms,” he said. “This time of year, that’s not usually a good thing.” 

Harris, who has been recording and reporting weather since the age of 9, almost 75 years ago, said he believes the current fire conditions are the worst since at least 1913. He urged community members to exercise caution and avoid activities that could cause a fire. 

“It only takes one cigarette butt to cause a tremendous fire,” he said.