313
FXUS66 KOTX 301740
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1040 AM PDT THU APR 30 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- WARMER AND DRIER CONDITIONS FOR MAJORITY OF THE REGION THURSDAY
INTO THE UPCOMING WEEKEND.
- ISOLATED SHOWERS ALONG THE CASCADE CREST SATURDAY.
SYNOPSIS
TEMPERATURES BEGIN A GRADUAL WARMING TREND THROUGH THE REST OF
THE WEEK HEADING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. BY MONDAY, HIGH
TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE 80S, WITH SOME ISOLATED AREAS SEEING
90. CONDITIONS WILL BE DRY OUTSIDE SMALL CHANCES FOR MOUNTAIN
SHOWERS EARLY IN THE WEEKEND.
DISCUSSION
TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT: A RIDGE POSITIONED OFF THE CANADIAN
COAST WILL MIGRATE EASTWARD THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA. NORTHWEST
FLOW CONTINUES TO FAVOR WARMING TEMPERATURES. WITH THESE HIGHER
HEIGHTS MOVING IN, TEMPERATURES TODAY WILL BE 4-5 DEGREES WARMER
THAN YESTERDAY. MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL REACH THE LOW 70S AND
MINIMUM TEMPERATURES WILL REACH THE MID 40S.
FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: AS THE RIDGE MOVES EASTWARD AND
WEAKENS, A SECOND, STRONGER RIDGE BEGINS STRENGTHENING OFF THE
CANADIAN COAST FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. A LOW FORMING AND
STRENGTHENING OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL USHER IN A COUPLE
SHORTWAVES SATURDAY. THIS WILL RESULT IN LOW (10-20%) CHANCES
FOR SHOWERS MOSTLY ALONG THE CASCADE CREST, AND A 5-10% CHANCE
IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. ELSEWHERE THROUGHOUT THE INLAND
NORTHWEST, EXPECT A DRY AND WARMING WEEKEND. AS THE RIDGE
PERSISTS, TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO WARM INTO THE HIGH 70S TO LOW
80S BY THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK, WHICH IS ROUGHLY 15 DEGREES
ABOVE NORMAL. SOME AREAS SUCH AS THE MOSES LAKE, WENATCHEE,
OMAK, CHELAN, AND COULEE DAM AREAS COULD HIT 90 DEGREES. WITH
THESE WARMING TEMPERATURES, MINOR HEATRISK VALUES ARE EXPECTED
NEARLY REGIONWIDE, PRIMARILY AFFECTING THOSE EXTREMELY SENSITIVE
TO HEAT. AS THE CALIFORNIA LOW WEAKENS TUESDAY, THE RIDGE
BROADENS OVER MUCH OF THE WESTERN US WHILE WEAKENING SLIGHTLY.
THIS WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO COOL BY A COUPLE DEGREES TUESDAY
THROUGH THURSDAY, BUT EXPECT WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS THROUGH AT
LEAST MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK. /AS
AVIATION
18Z TAFS: VFR CONDITIONS WITH LIGHT WINDS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH
THE FORECAST PERIOD. CUMULUS CLOUDS ARE DEVELOPING OVER THE
MOUNTAINS AND FEW ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AROUND KGEG/KSFF/KCOE
THIS AFTERNOON WITH BASES BETWEEN 2K-4KFT AGL. THESE WILL
DISSIPATE AFTER SUNSET. LATER THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT, A
WEAK DISTURBANCE WILL MOVE THROUGH AND BRING AN INCREASE IN HIGH
LEVEL CLOUDS.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE IN VFR CONDITIONS.
-----------------------
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 71 44 75 49 77 50 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
COEUR D'ALENE 70 43 74 47 76 49 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
PULLMAN 68 42 73 48 76 49 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
LEWISTON 73 46 78 50 80 52 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
COLVILLE 75 41 77 45 81 46 / 0 0 0 0 10 10
SANDPOINT 69 43 72 46 74 47 / 0 0 0 0 10 10
KELLOGG 69 44 72 48 76 49 / 0 0 0 0 10 10
MOSES LAKE 77 45 80 52 84 55 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 75 51 78 57 81 57 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OMAK 77 47 79 51 81 52 / 0 0 0 0 10 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
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