896  
FXUS66 KOTX 182029  
AFDOTX  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA  
1229 PM 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.  
 
 
   
UPDATE  
 
EXTENDED THE WIND ADVISORY THROUGH 3 PM TODAY.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
WINDS ARE ON THE DECREASE, BUT NOT LOOKING TO WEAKEN BELOW  
ADVISORY CRITERIA UNTIL A BIT LATER ON IN THE AFTERNOON. THE WIND  
ADVISORY HAS BEEN EXTENDED FOR A COUPLE MORE HOURS THROUGH 3PM  
THIS AFTERNOON WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS OF 20-30 MPH AND GUSTS UP TO  
40-45 MPH. WINDS CONTINUE TO DECREASE THROUGH THIS EVENING AND  
BECOME LIGHT OVERNIGHT. /SVH  
 
 
   
PREV DISCUSSION  
/ISSUED 1058 AM PST WED DEC 18 2024/  
 
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 33 43 32 / 0 0 0 10 0 10  
COEUR D'ALENE 48 29 39 32 44 32 / 0 0 0 10 0 10  
PULLMAN 51 31 40 34 46 34 / 0 0 0 0 0 0  
LEWISTON 58 33 46 37 50 36 / 0 0 0 0 0 0  
COLVILLE 43 24 36 30 39 29 / 0 0 10 30 0 20  
SANDPOINT 46 28 36 32 41 31 / 10 0 10 20 10 20  
KELLOGG 45 31 41 33 46 34 / 10 0 0 10 0 10  
MOSES LAKE 48 30 42 33 44 33 / 0 0 10 10 0 0  
WENATCHEE 41 31 37 32 40 33 / 0 0 10 10 0 0  
OMAK 39 27 37 32 40 32 / 0 0 10 20 0 10  
 
 
   
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
ID...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR COEUR D'ALENE  
AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE.  
 
WA...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR LOWER GARFIELD  
AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-SPOKANE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-  
WASHINGTON PALOUSE-WATERVILLE PLATEAU.  
 
 
 
 
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