291
FXUS66 KOTX 140817
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
117 AM PDT SAT MAR 14 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- HEAVY RAIN INTO LEWISTON-CLARKSTON VALLEY AND CAMAS PRAIRIE
WILL INCREASE THE RISK OF RIVER AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING THIS
MORNING.
- DRIER AND WARMER NEXT WEEK IN THE LOWLANDS.
- RAIN ON SNOW IN THE CASCADES NEXT WEEK INCREASES HYDROLOGY
CONCERNS.
SYNOPSIS
RAIN OVER THE PALOUSE INTO THE SOUTHERN IDAHO PANHANDLE WILL
LEAD TO RISES ON RIVERS AND SMALL STREAMS THIS MORNING. DRIER
AND BREEZY OVER THE WEEKEND AND WARMING ABOVE NORMAL NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
TODAY: LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN AND SNOW WILL CONTINUE THE NEXT
FEW HOURS IN SE WA AND THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN ID PANHANDLE AS A
COLD FRONT SAGS SOUTH. THE FRONT IS NEARLY PARALLEL WITH I-90
THROUGH WA AND NORTH ID. AN ADDITIONAL 1-2 INCHES OF SNOW IS
POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY FOR HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF BENEWAH, LATAH, AND
SHOSHONE COUNTIES IN ID. THE FLOOD ADVISORY IN SE WA AND
CENTRAL/SOUTH ID HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A FLOOD WARNING WITH
REPORTS OF FLOODED ROADS AS MODERATE RAIN CONTINUES THIS
MORNING. RIVERS WILL START TO DECREASE AFTER THE RAIN ENDS LATER
THIS MORNING. THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST OUT OF THE
AREA BY SUNRISE USHERING IN DRIER CONDITIONS AND GUSTY NORTHWEST
WINDS (SUSTAINED 10-25 MPH, GUSTING UP TO 40 MPH, ESPECIALLY IN
SE WA, L-C VALLEY, AND THE CAMAS PRAIRIE). TEMPERATURES TODAY
WILL BE COOL IN THE 30S AND 40S. TEMPERATURES TONIGHT WILL BE
COLD IN THE 20S AS WINDS DECREASE AND DRY AIR ALLOWS FOR STRONG
RADIATIONAL COOLING.
SUNDAY AND MONDAY: SUNDAY WILL BE DRY AND COOL IN THE MORNING HOURS
BUT A WARM FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH A DEEPENING LOW PRESSURE IN
THE GULF OF ALASKA DRAWS MORE SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE TO THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THIS BRINGS LIGHT RAINS TO THE VALLEYS AND
OTHER 1-2 INCHES FOR STEVENS PASS AND LOOKOUT PASS SUNDAY NIGHT
INTO MONDAY.
TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY: NEXT WEEK LOOKS QUITE MILD AND WET
NEAR THE CASCADE CREST. TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE 50S AND
60S BY MIDWEEK (AND EVEN 70S IN THE LOWER BASIN/L-C VALLEY). THE
NATIONAL BLEND HAS 1-3 INCHES OF RAIN NEAR THE CASCADE CREST
WHICH BRINGS POTENTIAL FOR HYDROLOGY ISSUES COMBINED WITH SNOW.
THE STEHEKIN RIVER IS FORECAST TO CREST NEAR 21.5 FEET BY FRIDAY
NEXT WEEK. THE IDAHO PANHANDLE WILL SEE MUCH LESS RAIN AROUND
0.10 TO 0.5 INCHES AS THE AR PLUME DISPLACED TO THE WEST. DB
AVIATION
06Z TAFS: A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST
TONIGHT BETWEEN 06-12Z AND RAIN AND SNOW WILL DECREASE. THIS
WILL PUSH THE MOISTURE PLUME WITH THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER (AR) OFF
TO THE SOUTHEAST WITH IT. DRIER AIR BEHIND THE FRONT WILL BRING
IMPROVEMENTS TO CEILINGS AND CLEAR OUT THE LOW CLOUDS THROUGH
THE COURSE OF SATURDAY. IT MAY TAKE UNTIL THE AFTERNOON BEFORE
THE LOW CLOUDS MIX OUT OF KGEG/KSFF/KCOE-KPUW/KLWS AIRPORT
TERMINALS THOUGH. STRONGER WINDS MIXING DOWN WITH THE FRONT AND
A TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL ALSO RESULT IN GUSTY WEST TO
SOUTHWEST WINDS ON SATURDAY. LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR IS EXPECTED
AT KPUW TONIGHT UNTIL AROUND 12Z.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: HIGH CONFIDENCE
FOR WIDESPREAD MVFR-IFR CONDITIONS AND EVENTUAL IMPROVEMENTS
LATER IN THE MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON.
-----------------------
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 41 22 42 33 49 41 / 40 0 0 60 30 20
COEUR D'ALENE 41 18 40 32 47 40 / 70 10 0 70 60 50
PULLMAN 39 25 41 35 51 43 / 80 10 0 60 50 30
LEWISTON 49 30 48 39 57 45 / 80 10 0 50 30 20
COLVILLE 44 20 43 30 48 35 / 30 0 0 60 40 20
SANDPOINT 39 18 39 30 44 38 / 80 30 0 70 80 60
KELLOGG 36 16 38 32 46 42 / 90 40 10 80 80 70
MOSES LAKE 47 27 47 35 59 41 / 0 0 0 10 10 0
WENATCHEE 42 26 42 33 56 40 / 0 0 0 30 30 10
OMAK 46 26 44 33 51 38 / 10 0 0 40 20 10
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM PDT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR
SPOKANE AREA-WASHINGTON PALOUSE.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 AM PDT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR
WESTERN CHELAN COUNTY.
ID...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM PDT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR
COEUR D'ALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING FOR CENTRAL
PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS.
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