813
FXUS66 KOTX 120555
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1055 PM PDT WED MAR 11 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- HIGH WINDS OVERNIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING WITH POTENTIAL FOR
TREE DAMAGE AND POWER OUTAGES. HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES NEED TO
TAKE CAUTION.
- MODERATE TO HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW THIS WEEK OVER THE CASCADES
AND NORTH IDAHO MOUNTAIN PASSES.
SYNOPSIS
PERSISTENT MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW WILL BRING WINTER TRAVEL
CONDITIONS OVER THE MOUNTAINS THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. THERE IS
POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT LOWLAND SNOW ACCUMULATIONS IN THE MOUNTAIN
VALLEYS AS WELL WEDNESDAY MORNING AND FRIDAY MORNING. HIGH WINDS
ARE EXPECTED WEDNESDAY EVENING AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
DISCUSSION
...PERIODS OF HEAVY SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS INTO FRIDAY. HIGH
WINDS THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...
TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY: A WET WARM FRONT IS CURRENTLY DRAPED
ACROSS THE REGION BRINGING LOWLAND RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW.
COLDER AIR ENTRENCHED ALONG THE CASCADES ARE KEEPING THE MID
SLOPE LOCATIONS INCLUDING LEAVENWORTH AND PLAIN AS SNOW. AN
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER IS STILL PUMPING THE REGION WITH MOISTURE WITH
PRECIPITABLE WATER AMOUNTS RANGING FROM 200-250% OF NORMAL FOR
THE CASCADES AND 150-200% FOR THE REST FOR THE REGION. IT IS
CAUSING VERY HIGH AMOUNTS OF SNOW FOR STEVENS PASS AND MODERATE
AMOUNTS TO THE IDAHO PANHANDLE. A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BE
SWEEPING ACROSS THE INLAND NORTHWEST AND BRINGING HIGH WINDS
ALONG THE WITH IT.
SNOW: ENSEMBLES CONTINUE TO SHOW 2-3 FEET OF SNOW FOR THE
RIDGES OF THE CASCADES INCLUDING STEVENS PASS. THE MIDSLOPES CAN
EXPECT 4-8 INCHES. THE IDAHO PANHANDLE CAN EXPECT 8-14 INCHES
WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS THROUGH CENTRAL AND LOWER PANHANDLE
MOUNTAINS.
WIND: A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP THROUGH THE REGION
OVERNIGHT BRINGING HIGH WINDS ACROSS THE REGION. 850MB WINDS
WILL BE IN THE 55-65 MPH RANGE. ENSEMBLES HAVE PULLED BACK ON
THE WINDS SLIGHTLY. CURRENT TRENDS HAVE THE RIDGES RECEIVING
55-70 MPH GUSTS. THE BASIN IS EXPECTED TO GET 50-60 MPH GUSTS
FROM 11PM-06AM. IMPACTS INCLUDE DOWNED TREES AND POWER LINES,
DAMAGES TO ROOFS, AND BLOWING DUST ACROSS THE CENTRAL BASIN.
THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: MODERATE TO HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW
CONTINUES THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT AS THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER PLUME
WAVERS NORTH AND SOUTH. STEVENS PASS AND LOOKOUT PASS CAN EXPECT
ANOTHER 1 TO 3 FEET OF SNOW THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. ADDITIONAL
PERIODS OF LIGHT VALLEY SNOW ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT INTO
FRIDAY MORNING IN EXTREME EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH ID. THE
EXTENDED PERIOD OF PRECIP OF 0.5-1 INCHES OVER SOUTHEAST
WASHINGTON AND LOWER IDAHO PANHANDLE IS LEADING TO POTENTIAL FOR
RIVER RISES AND FLOODING FOR THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WINDS
WILL DECREASE BEHIND THE EXITING COLD FRONT THROUGH THURSDAY.
SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY: THE PATTERN BEGINS TO SHIFT OVER
THE WEEKEND. THE MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL TAPER OFF THROUGH THE
WEEKEND AS DRIER AIR STARTS TO FILTER INTO THE REGION. WINDS
WILL REMAIN BREEZY WITH GUSTS INTO UPPER 20S AND LOW 30S DURING
THE AFTERNOON HOURS. ANOTHER QUICK MOVING SYSTEM WILL BRING A
PUNCH OF MOUNTAIN SNOW TO THE REGION LATE SUNDAY INTO MONDAY. A
RIDGE WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION BY MIDWEEK. /JDC
AVIATION
06Z TAFS: COLD FRONT PASSAGE ARRIVES BETWEEN NOW AND 12Z, WHICH
MAY RESULT IN A BRIEF PERIOD OF LIGHT RAIN AT KGEG-KSFF-KCOE.
WEST-SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL INCREASE OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS A
LOW PRESSURE MOVES EASTWARD ACROSS SOUTHWESTERN ALBERTA. THE
STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR OVERNIGHT WITH THE PASSAGE OF A COLD
FRONT BETWEEN 06-12Z WITH HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR GUSTS BETWEEN
45-55 KNOTS AT KGEG-KSFF-KCOE. THE NORTHERN EDGE OF THE MOISTURE
PLUME WILL WAIVER ACROSS SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON THURSDAY WITH
INTERMITTENT PERIODS OF PRECIPITATION AT KPUW AND KLWS BRINGING
MVFR TO IFR CEILINGS. THERE IS A 20% CHANCE OF IFR CIGS AT KLWS
BETWEEN 21-06Z AND A 70-100% CHANCE AT KPUW. SNOW MAY MIX IN AT
TIMES AT KPUW ESPECIALLY AFTER 3Z FRI.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: HIGH CONFIDENCE
FOR STRONG WINDS RAMP DOWN TO BEGIN RAMPING UP THIS EVENING
WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OCCURRING OVERNIGHT. HIGH CONFIDENCE
FOR MVFR CIGS AT KPUW-KLWS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. LOW
CONFIDENCE FOR IFR CIGS AT KLWS.
-----------------------
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 38 44 31 44 32 43 / 80 30 60 70 80 40
COEUR D'ALENE 35 43 31 42 31 42 / 90 50 80 80 80 70
PULLMAN 35 43 33 42 34 40 / 90 80 90 100 100 80
LEWISTON 43 49 37 48 39 48 / 90 90 100 90 100 80
COLVILLE 34 46 28 45 27 44 / 90 30 40 50 50 40
SANDPOINT 34 41 29 40 30 41 / 100 70 80 80 80 80
KELLOGG 34 39 32 40 34 37 / 100 90 90 100 90 90
MOSES LAKE 39 50 32 51 33 49 / 40 20 30 50 50 10
WENATCHEE 38 43 32 47 31 44 / 90 50 40 60 50 10
OMAK 34 47 29 47 28 47 / 80 30 30 30 30 10
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR CENTRAL CHELAN
COUNTY-LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-MOSES LAKE AREA-
NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS-NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN
HIGHLANDS-OKANOGAN VALLEY-SPOKANE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA
BASIN-WASHINGTON PALOUSE-WATERVILLE PLATEAU-WENATCHEE
AREA.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR WESTERN OKANOGAN
COUNTY.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR
CENTRAL CHELAN COUNTY.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WESTERN
CHELAN COUNTY.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 5 AM THURSDAY TO 5 AM PDT SATURDAY
FOR WESTERN CHELAN COUNTY.
BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 5 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR WESTERN CHELAN
COUNTY.
ID...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR CENTRAL
PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS-COEUR D'ALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE-
NORTHERN PANHANDLE.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 AM PDT SATURDAY FOR CENTRAL
PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR LEWIS AND SOUTHERN
NEZ PERCE COUNTIES-LEWISTON AREA.
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