318
FXUS66 KOTX 260835
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1235 AM PST THU FEB 26 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS THROUGH FRIDAY.
- PERSISTENT LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS ON THE CASCADE PASSES THROUGH
FRIDAY AND AT TIMES OVER NORTH IDAHO.
- DRIER AND WARMER WEEKEND EXPECTED OVER THE REGION.
SYNOPSIS
BREEZY TO GUSTY WINDS EXPECTED THROUGH FRIDAY. MUCH OF THE
REGION WILL DRY OUT THOUGH SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ALONG THE
CASCADE CREST AND IDAHO PANHANDLE WITH WINTER TRAVEL CONDITIONS
AT TIMES. A DRIER AND WARMER WEEKEND IS EXPECTED FOR THE INLAND
NORTHWEST.
DISCUSSION
TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY: MUCH OF THE REGION WILL SEE A BREAK FROM
PRECIPITATION OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS IN THE
CASCADES AND CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS WILL CONTINUE, THOUGH
AMOUNTS WILL BE MOSTLY LIGHT. THROUGH TOMORROW NIGHT, STEVENS PASS
WILL SEE 2-3 INCHES OF SNOW AND LOOKOUT PASS WILL SEE UP TO AN INCH.
TRAVELERS SHOULD STILL EXPECT TO SEE WINTRY DRIVING CONDITIONS,
THOUGH IMPACTS WILL BE MINIMAL. MAIN WEATHER THROUGH FRIDAY WILL BE
GUSTY WINDS. A REGION OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND A
STRONG UPPER LEVEL LOW MOVING SOUTHWEST DOWN INTO CANADA WILL BE
CLOSE ENOUGH TO CREATE A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT. YESTERDAY, MUCH OF
THE REGION SAW WIND GUSTS 25-30 MPH. THOSE WIND GUSTS WILL CONTINUE
TO BE SEEN THROUGH FRIDAY, WITH SLIGHTLY STRONGER WINDS THIS
AFTERNOON AT 30-35 MPH. EXPOSED RIDGETOPS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO GUST
UP TO 50 MPH. WIND HEADLINES WON'T BE NEEDED BUT TRAVELERS,
ESPECIALLY IN HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES, COULD SEE DRIVING IMPACTS.
ADDITIONALLY, BLOWING OBJECTS AND LOCALIZED MINOR TREE DAMAGE
ARE POSSIBLE.
SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY: THE PRESSURE GRADIENT RELAXES BY THIS
WEEKEND AND DRY CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE REGION CONTINUE.
ADDITIONALLY, WITH HIGHER HEIGHTS MOVING OVER THE AREA, TEMPERATURES
WILL INCREASE INTO THE MID TO HIGH 40S OVER THE WEEKEND. WITH THIS
REGION BEING TREATED TO SUNSHINE, PARTICULARLY ON SUNDAY, IT IS SET
TO BE A VERY PLEASANT WEEKEND FOR THE INLAND NORTHWEST. NO
SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED. MOVING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK,
TEMPERATURES RISE FURTHER AS A WEAK RIDGE MOVES ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MANY PLACES TO SEE 50 DEGREE
MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES BY MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THIS IS ROUGHLY 5-10
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. THINGS START TO LOOK
MORE UNSETTLED MID TO LATE NEXT WEEK, WITH ENSEMBLE CLUSTERS
FAVORING A TROUGH MOVING INTO THE AREA. BOTH THE CPC'S 6-10 AND 8-14
DAY OUTLOOKS FAVOR A MORE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN SETTING IN, SHOWING
INCREASED CHANCES OF ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES AND ABOVE NORMAL
PRECIPITATION. /AS
AVIATION
06Z TAFS: BREEZY TO GUSTY WINDS HAVE MOVED THROUGH AND SCOURED
OUT THE STRATUS LAYER. CEILINGS ARE ANTICIPATED TO STAY AT VFR
THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. PUW SEEMS TO BE MOVING IN AND OUT
OF VFR/MVFR STATUS CURRENTLY, BUT SHOULD BE VFR FOR MUCH OF THE
PERIOD. THE NEXT ROUND OF WIND GUSTS IS EXPECTED TO MOVE
THROUGH AROUND 17Z, MOVING IN A COUPLE HOURS LATER THAN THAT FOR
PUW AND LWS. WIND GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE 20-25KTS WITH SOME
ISOLATED GUSTS 25-30KTS. HIGH- RES GUIDANCE IS IN GOOD AGREEMENT
OF WINDS DECREASING DOWN TO 10-15KTS SUSTAINED AROUND 01Z.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE IN VFR CONDITIONS. MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE
IN TIMING OF WIND MOVING IN AND DECREASING LATER IN THE TAF
PERIOD. MAIN ALTERNATE SCENARIO WOULD BE WIND TIMING BEING OFF
BY A COUPLE HOURS. /AS
-----------------------
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 45 32 47 28 47 28 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
COEUR D'ALENE 45 32 48 29 48 28 / 0 10 0 10 0 0
PULLMAN 44 30 46 31 47 31 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
LEWISTON 52 33 55 34 52 35 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
COLVILLE 44 30 47 26 46 25 / 10 20 20 10 0 0
SANDPOINT 42 33 43 28 44 26 / 20 30 40 30 10 0
KELLOGG 40 32 43 30 45 28 / 0 10 10 10 10 0
MOSES LAKE 51 31 53 30 50 29 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 48 34 49 32 48 33 / 10 0 0 0 0 0
OMAK 48 33 50 30 47 29 / 10 0 0 0 0 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
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