221
FXUS66 KOTX 181858
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1058 AM PST WED DEC 18 2024
SYNOPSIS
THE PASSAGE OF A COLD FRONT TODAY WILL CREATE WIND GUSTS AS HIGH
AS 60 MPH ACROSS THE SPOKANE AREA, PALOUSE AND COLUMBIA BASIN.
THE REST OF THE WEEK WILL FEATURE MILD TEMPERATURES AND A TREND OF
MORE WET WEATHER TOWARDS THE WEEKEND INTO NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
MORNING UPDATE TO INCREASE WIND SPEEDS THIS MORNING INTO THE EARLY
AFTERNOON AND TO EXPIRE THE WINTER STORM WARNING AND WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY IN THE CASCADES. THE COLD FRONT IS PASSING ACROSS
THE REGION THIS MORNING MIXING DOWN MUCH STRONGER WINDS ALOFT THAT
HAS RESULTED IN WIDESPREAD WIND GUSTS OF 50-60 MPH ACROSS THE
SPOKANE AREA, PALOUSE, AND INTO PORTIONS OF THE IDAHO PANHANDLE.
THESE WINDS HAVE UNFORTUNATELY RESULTED IN NUMEROUS TREES BEING
BLOWN DOWN. WINDS ARE ON TRACK TO DECREASE INTO THE AFTERNOON AS
THE LOW LEVEL JET WITH STRONGER WINDS ALOFT SHIFT EAST OF THE
REGION. IF WILL REMAIN GUSTY WITH WIND GUSTS GENERALLY BETWEEN
35-45 MPH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON BEFORE DECREASING FURTHER IN THE
EVENING, BUT WE ARE NOT EXPECTING THOSE GUSTS OF 55+ MPH TO
CONTINUE.
DRIER AIR BEHIND THE COLD FRONT HAS SHUT OFF THE PRECIPITATION
ACROSS THE CASCADES ASIDE FROM A PUGET SOUND CONVERGENCE ZONE
(PSCZ) JUST NORTH OF STEVENS PASS. THIS CONVERGENCE ZONE WILL
BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL LIGHT SNOW OVER THE CASCADE
CREST, BUT ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO BE RELATIVELY
MINOR COMPARED TO THE HEAVY ACCUMULATIONS FROM YESTERDAY INTO THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS. /SVH
AVIATION
18Z TAFS: A RIGOROUS COLD FRONT WILL DELIVER GUSTY WEST TO
SOUTHWEST WINDS ACROSS THE REGION. WIND GUSTS OF 40+ KTS CAN BE
EXPECTED ACROSS THE BASIN, SPOKANE/COEUR D'ALENE CORRIDOR, AND ON
THE PALOUSE. WIND OF THIS MAGNITUDE ARE EXPECTED THROUGH ABOUT
NOON BEFORE SEEING A GRADUAL DECREASE WITH GUSTS MORE IN THE 30+
KT MAGNITUDE IN THE AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL THEN DECREASE FURTHER
TONIGHT. PRECIPITATION WILL QUICKLY DECREASE AND LOW LEVEL CLOUDS
SCATTER OUT WITH DRIER AIR MIXING DOWN BEHIND THE FRONT THIS
AFTERNOON. THIS WILL SET UP A BREEZY TO WINDY AFTERNOON, BUT WITH
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING. WEAKENING WINDS WILL SET UP THE
POTENTIAL FOR LOW STRATUS BY EARLY THURSDAY MORNING AROUND KMWH TO
THE SPOKANE-COEUR D'ALENE CORRIDOR AND ACROSS THE VALLEYS OF
NORTHEAST WASHINGTON AND INTO THE IDAHO PANHANDLE.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: HIGH CONFIDENCE IN
VFR CONDITIONS TODAY. CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW OF WHERE STRATUS AND
FOG WILL DEVELOP OVERNIGHT.
-----------------------
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 48 30 39 32 43 31 / 0 0 0 10 0 10
COEUR D'ALENE 47 29 39 32 44 32 / 10 0 0 10 0 10
PULLMAN 48 30 41 33 46 34 / 10 0 0 0 0 0
LEWISTON 56 33 45 36 50 35 / 10 0 0 0 0 0
COLVILLE 44 24 36 29 39 28 / 0 0 10 20 0 20
SANDPOINT 42 28 37 31 41 31 / 30 0 10 20 10 20
KELLOGG 42 31 42 33 46 35 / 40 0 0 10 0 10
MOSES LAKE 49 30 43 33 44 33 / 0 0 10 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 44 30 37 32 40 33 / 0 0 10 10 0 0
OMAK 40 25 37 32 40 32 / 0 0 10 10 0 10
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
ID...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR COEUR D'ALENE
AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE.
WA...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR LOWER GARFIELD
AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-SPOKANE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-
WASHINGTON PALOUSE-WATERVILLE PLATEAU.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page