352
FXUS66 KOTX 272342
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
442 PM PDT MON JUL 27 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- ELEVATED TO LOCALIZED CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TUESDAY
FOR CENTRAL WA.
- NEAR NORMAL TEMPERATURES IN THE 80S THROUGH WEDNESDAY. ABOVE
NORMAL TEMPERATURES RETURN THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY WITH
HIGHS IN THE 90S.
- CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER EXPECTED FOR PORTIONS OF THE INLAND
NORTHWEST SATURDAY, AUGUST 1ST DUE TO WINDY AND DRY CONDITIONS.
SYNOPSIS
BREEZY WINDS ACROSS CENTRAL WASHINGTON ON TUESDAY WILL BRING
ELEVATED TO LOCALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR SEASONAL NORMALS IN THE 80S
THROUGH WEDNESDAY BEFORE WARMING BACK INTO THE 90S TOWARD THE
END OF THE WEEK. SATURDAY WILL BE THE DAY TO WATCH FOR CRITICAL
FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY.
DISCUSSION
TUESDAY: AN UPPER-LEVEL TROUGH PLANTED OFF THE COAST OF BRITISH
COLUMBIA WILL EJECT A SHORTWAVE ACROSS THE REGION TUESDAY,
SENDING A DRY "COLD" FRONT THROUGH THE INLAND NORTHWEST. WITH
THE FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL COME BREEZY WEST WINDS TUESDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING THROUGH THE CASCADE GAPS, OVER THE
WATERVILLE PLATEAU, AND INTO THE WESTERN COLUMBIA BASIN. EXPECT
SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 10 TO 20 MPH AND GUSTS UP TO 30 MPH. LOOKING
AT TEMPERATURES, THE COLD FRONT WON'T HAVE MUCH OF A COOLING
EFFECT. AFTERNOON HIGHS WILL ONLY COOL BY A DEGREE OR TWO FROM
TUESDAY TO WEDNESDAY, REMAINING IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S FOR MOST
LOCATIONS.
WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: WEDNESDAY WILL BE QUIET WEATHER-WISE
WITH LIGHT WINDS AND AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE MID TO UPPER 80S FOR
MOST AREAS. TEMPERATURES WARM BACK INTO THE UPPER 80S TO MID 90S
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS UP FROM
THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. IN ADDITION TO WARMING TEMPERATURES,
THURSDAY WILL SEE ANOTHER SHORTWAVE RIPPLE THROUGH THE BROADER
RIDGE, BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF BREEZY WINDS ACROSS CENTRAL
WASHINGTON WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 10 TO 15 MPH AND GUSTS UP
TO 25 MPH.
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: SATURDAY WILL BE THE BIG DAY TO WATCH AS
THE UPPER LEVEL LOW OFF THE COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA TRACKS
INLAND, SENDING A ROBUST DRY COLD FRONT ACROSS THE NORTHWEST AND
SHIFTING A POWERFUL UPPER-LEVEL JET DIRECTLY OVER THE REGION.
THIS EVENT IS LOOKING MUCH LIKE WHAT WE SAW THIS PAST SATURDAY,
IF NOT STRONGER. THE LATEST NBM SHOWS A 50 TO 90 PERCENT CHANCE
OF WINDS GUSTING TO 40+ MPH OVER THE WATERVILLE PLATEAU AND
COLUMBIA BASIN. FOR THE WATERVILLE PLATEAU WHERE THE STRONGEST
WINDS ARE EXPECTED, THERE IS A 30 TO 60 PERCENT CHANCE OF GUSTS
OVER 50 MPH. STRONG WINDS COMBINED WITH RHS IN THE TEENS
SATURDAY WILL RESULT IN CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS ACROSS
MUCH OF THE REGION. FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE,
TEMPERATURES WILL COOL BY AROUND 10 DEGREES WITH SUNDAY'S HIGHS
TOPPING OUT IN THE LOW TO MID 80S. /FEWKES
AVIATION
00Z TAFS: MAINLY VFR THROUGH THE 00Z TAF CYCLE. ANY FLIGHT
RESTRICTIONS WILL BE DUE TO LOWERED VISIBILITIES RESULTING FROM
SURFACE LEVEL WILDFIRE SMOKE. HIGH RESOLUTION SMOKE GUIDANCE IS
MOST CONFIDENT IN POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO GEG, SFF, COE, PUW, AND
LWS AROUND 05-12Z. FUTURE AMENDMENTS MAY BE NEEDED AS SMOKE
IMPACTS UNFOLD. OTHERWISE, EXPECT BREEZY WINDS CONTINUING
THROUGH AROUND 04-06Z, THEN RELAXING. THESE WINDS WILL PICK UP
AGAIN AROUND 18-22Z, BEING STRONGER THAN THIS AFTERNOON WITH
GUSTS 20-25KTS DUE TO AN INCOMING COLD FRONT.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: LOW CONFIDENCE
IN IMPACTS TO VISIBILITIES AT THE TAF SITES FROM REGIONAL
WILDFIRE SMOKE. MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE IN EXPECTED WIND
SPEEDS AND DIRECTIONS.
-----------------------
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 57 88 56 86 55 89 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
COEUR D'ALENE 58 87 57 86 57 89 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
PULLMAN 52 84 50 83 51 86 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
LEWISTON 62 92 61 91 62 94 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
COLVILLE 52 87 50 87 50 89 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
SANDPOINT 58 86 57 85 56 89 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
KELLOGG 55 84 55 83 55 86 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
MOSES LAKE 58 89 54 88 56 90 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 64 86 59 88 62 91 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OMAK 58 91 54 89 58 92 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL 11 AM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR CENTRAL CHELAN
COUNTY-LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-NORTHEAST BLUE
MOUNTAINS-NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS-OKANOGAN
VALLEY-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-WATERVILLE PLATEAU-WENATCHEE
AREA-WESTERN CHELAN COUNTY-WESTERN OKANOGAN COUNTY.
ID...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL NOON PDT WEDNESDAY FOR CENTRAL
PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS-IDAHO PALOUSE-LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ
PERCE COUNTIES-LEWISTON AREA.
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