815
FXUS66 KOTX 020702
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1202 AM PDT THU APR 2 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- SNOW OVER PASSES WILL IMPACT TRAVEL THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING.
- BREEZY AND WET AND CLOUDY FOR THE LOWLANDS TODAY.
- WARMER AND DRIER FOR THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK.
SYNOPSIS
LOW PRESSURE TODAY WILL BRING RAIN, MOUNTAIN SNOW AND BREEZY WINDS.
DRIER WEATHER RETURNS ON FRIDAY WITH A WARMING TREND INTO THE
WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM ABOVE NORMAL WITH HIGHS IN THE UPPER
60S TO THE LOW 70S SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. THE POTENTIAL FOR SHOWERS
RETURN BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES COOLING BACK TO
NEAR NORMAL AND BREEZY WINDS AT TIMES.
TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT: A DEEP UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
WILL MOVE EAST ALONG THE WASHINGTON/OREGON BORDER THIS MORNING AND
INTO SOUTHERN IDAHO BY THURSDAY AFTERNOON. A DEFORMATION BAND
PIVOTING AROUND THE LOW WILL BRING STRATIFORM PRECIPITATION ACROSS
THE IDAHO PANHANDLE AND ALONG THE NORTHERN MOUNTAIN ZONES THROUGH
THURSDAY MORNING. THERE IS A 30-60% CHANCE THAT THIS BAND WRAPS
FURTHER SOUTH INTO THE NORTHERN COLUMBIA BASIN AND MOSES LAKE AREA
AS THE LOW MOVES INTO IDAHO BY MID TO LATE MORNING AND EARLY
AFTERNOON HOURS. THE MAIN IMPACT FROM THIS STRATIFORM BAND OF
PRECIPITATION WILL BE FOR SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS AND WINTER TRAVEL
CONDITIONS OVER THE MOUNTAIN PASSES. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR SNOW ABOVE 3,000 FEET IN THE CASCADES WITH
LIGHT SNOW OVER STEVENS PASS AND LOUP LOUP PASS. SHERMAN PASS WILL
SEE A BETTER POTENTIAL FOR SNOW WITH A 40% CHANCE FOR AT LEAST 6
INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH THIS MORNING. STRATIFORM PRECIPITATION WILL
TRANSITION TO SHOWERY PRECIPITATION BY THIS AFTERNOON WITH NUMEROUS
SHOWERS POPPING UP ACROSS THE REGION. SNOW WILL LESS LIKELY
ACCUMULATE IN THE AFTERNOON WITH THE WARMER ROAD TEMPERATURES, BUT
LOOKOUT PASS MAY SEE SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS IN THE EVENING AS SNOW
SHOWERS CONTINUE THERE WITH THE LOW EXITING. WINDS WILL ALSO BE
BREEZY TODAY WITH GUSTS UP TO 30-35 MPH ACROSS THE EXPOSED AREAS OF
THE COLUMBIA BASIN. DRIER AIR MOVES IN FOR FRIDAY WITH ONLY ISOLATED
SHOWERS IN THE PANHANDLE WITH DIURNAL HEATING ON FRIDAY.
SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT: A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD
IN OVER THE WEEKEND AND THIS WILL RESULT IN WARMING TREND.
TEMPERATURES WILL WARM ABOVE NORMAL. HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL WARM UP
INTO THE UPPER 60S TO MID 70S BY MONDAY. THESE TEMPERATURES WILL DRY
THINGS OUT AFTER THE PERIOD OF WET WEATHER A COOL CONDITIONS LAST
NIGHT INTO TODAY.
TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: WE TRANSITION OUT THE RIDGE AROUND THE
MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK. THE FLOW PATTER BECOMES SPLIT WITH A
CLOSED UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE CIRCULATION MOVING INTO NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA AND OREGON BY TUESDAY NIGHT. THE NORTHERN BRANCH
ALSO BRINGS ACROSS THE SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE AROUND THIS TIME.
THERE IS UNCERTAINTY WITH HOW MUCH MOISTURE WILL BE AVAILABLE
FOR PRECIPITATION. A LOT OF THIS WILL DEPEND ON THE SOUTHERN
BRANCH AND THE TRAJECTORY OF THE CLOSED LOW. THERE ARE TIMING
DIFFERENCES WITH THE MODEL ENSEMBLES AS WELL. AS A RESULT, THERE
IS LOW CHANCES FOR MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION STARTING TUESDAY
NIGHT AND MAINLY FOR EXTREME EASTERN WASHINGTON AND THE IDAHO
PANHANDLE. THERE IS HIGHER CONFIDENCE THAT TEMPERATURES WON'T BE
AS WARM AND THERE WILL BE MORE IN THE WAY OF CLOUD COVER.
TEMPERATURES LOOK TO COOL BACK DOWN TO AROUND NORMAL BY THURSDAY
AND FRIDAY OF NEXT WEEK. /SVH
AVIATION
06Z TAFS: A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE PNW WILL BRING A
BAND OF STRATIFORM RAIN ACROSS THE AIRPORTS IN EXTREME EASTERN
WASHINGTON AND INTO THE IDAHO PANHANDLE. THIS BAND WILL WRAP
AROUND ACROSS THE NORTHERN MOUNTAIN ZONES FOR THE MORNING HOURS
AFTER 13Z AND MAY SEE MORE LIGHT RAIN INTO THE NORTHERN COLUMBIA
BASIN AS WELL. THIS WILL MOISTEN UP THE BOUNDARY LAYER WITH IFR
CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT KPUW/KGEG/KSFF/KCOE. RAIN MAY ALSO BE
MODERATE TO HEAVY AT TIMES FOR KGEG/KSFF/KCOE WITH VISIBILITY
DOWN TO 2SM THROUGH 09Z. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REGION
AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW DRIFTS ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH FRIDAY
AFTERNOON. CEILINGS WILL SEE SOME IMPROVEMENT, BUT MVFR
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED INTO AT LEAST THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS
FOR KGEG/KSFF/KCOE/KPUW. WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL BE GUSTY
AS WELL WITH GUSTS UP TO BETWEEN 25-35 KTS.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR CEILINGS DOWN TO AT LEAST 1 KFT AGL AND
MVFR CONDITIONS FOR KGEG/KSFF/KCOE/KPUW AND MODERATE CONFIDENCE
FOR IFR CONDITIONS THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. THERE IS A SMALL
CHANCE (LESS THAN 30%) FOR SNOW TO MIXING IN WITH RAIN AT
KGEG/KCOE/KPUW AFTER 10Z TONIGHT. /SVH
-----------------------
CONFIDENCE DESCRIPTORS:
LOW - LESS THAN A 30 PERCENT CHANCE
MODERATE - 30 TO 70 PERCENT CHANCE
HIGH - GREATER THAN A 70 PERCENT CHANCE
FOR ADDITIONAL PROBABILISTIC INFORMATION FOR NWS SPOKANE
AIRPORTS,PLEASE REFER TO THE AVIATION DASHBOARD ON OUR
WEBPAGE: HTTPS:/WWW.WEATHER.GOV/OTX/AVNDASHBOARD
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
SPOKANE 46 32 52 33 61 35 / 60 20 0 0 0 0
COEUR D'ALENE 44 32 51 32 59 35 / 80 50 0 0 0 0
PULLMAN 43 32 52 34 60 38 / 60 30 0 0 0 0
LEWISTON 50 35 57 38 64 41 / 30 30 0 0 0 0
COLVILLE 50 32 52 30 60 32 / 100 10 10 0 0 0
SANDPOINT 43 34 47 32 56 34 / 100 50 20 0 0 0
KELLOGG 41 35 48 31 57 36 / 90 80 20 0 0 0
MOSES LAKE 57 32 59 35 65 39 / 30 0 0 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 54 36 59 37 63 43 / 30 0 0 0 0 0
OMAK 57 34 58 35 63 39 / 80 0 0 0 0 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING FOR
OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS-WESTERN CHELAN COUNTY-WESTERN OKANOGAN
COUNTY.
ID...NONE.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page