007
FXUS66 KOTX 062058
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MISSOULA MT
158 PM PDT TUE MAY 6 2025
KEY MESSAGES
- ELEVATED GRASS FIRE CONCERNS IN CENTRAL WASHINGTON THIS AFTERNOON
AND EVENING
- SHOWERY WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND A BRIEF COOLDOWN IN THE 60S
THURSDAY
SYNOPSIS
DRY WEATHER IS EXPECTED THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEK. WINDS WILL BE BREEZY AT
TIMES. TEMPERATURES RETURN INTO THE 70S TUESDAY AND CONTINUE TO BE WARMER
THAN NORMAL THROUGHOUT THE WORK WEEK. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BRING A CHANCE
FOR LIGHT SHOWERS AND GUSTY WINDS ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT.
DISCUSSION
AS A RIDGE MOVES INTO THE AREA, IT WILL BRING WARMER TEMPERATURES AND DRY
CONDITIONS THROUGH TOMORROW EVENING. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ABOVE NORMAL
FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. WINDS THIS EVENING WILL BE SEASONABLY BREEZY, WITH
GUSTS 10-15 MPH THROUGHOUT THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND OKANOGAN VALLEY. RELATIVE
HUMIDITY WILL BE LOWER THAN NORMAL, SO THESE BREEZY WINDS WILL
RESULT IN ELEVATED GRASS FIRE CONCERNS THIS EVENING THROUGH
TONIGHT. TOMORROW WILL BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE TWO, WITH HIGH
TEMPERATURES BEING IN THE MID TO HIGH 70S WITH SOME 80S
SPRINKLED AROUND IN THE DEEPER VALLEYS.
WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING, A COLD FRONT WILL USHER IN GUSTY
WINDS AND COOLING TEMPERATURES ALONGSIDE A SMALL CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION
THROUGHOUT THE CASCADES AND NORTHERN IDAHO PANHANDLE. WINDS IN THE
CASCADES, MOSES LAKE, WATERVILLE PLATEAU, AND THE NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS
WILL BE GUSTY TOMORROW, WITH WIND GUSTS REACHING 35-40 MPH THROUGH THE
EVENING AND INTO THE MORNING. RIGHT NOW, WINDS ARE NOT AT ADVISORY LEVELS,
SO WE ARE NOT PLANNING ANY WIND HEADLINES. POPS RISE, BUT APART FROM SOME
LIGHT PRECIPITATION (A TENTH OF AN INCH OR LESS) IN THE CASCADES AND THE
NORTHERN IDAHO PANHANDLE, MOST AREAS WILL NOT SEE ANY RAIN WITH THIS
SYSTEM.
THIS COOLDOWN WILL BE SHORT LIVED, AS ANOTHER RIDGE SETS UP FRIDAY AND
LOOKS TO LAST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. TEMPERATURES WILL RISE BACK UP TO THE
HIGH 70S AND LOW 80S, AND CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN DRY, WITH LOWER THAN
NORMAL RELATIVE HUMIDITIES. RIGHT NOW, WINDS DO NOT LOOK TO BE
A CONCERN, BUT WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THEM FOR CONTINUED GRASS
FIRE POTENTIAL.
OUR BIGGEST SHOT FOR WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION LIES IN THE EXTENDED
FORECAST, WITH A LOW ANTICIPATED TO MOVE IN OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST
SUNDAY NIGHT AND INTO NEXT WEEK. CURRENT CLUSTER ANALYSIS AGREES THAT
WEATHER WILL BECOME MORE UNSETTLED, BUT ARE STILL DISAGREEING ON THE
LOCATION AND STRENGTH OF THE LOW. IN TANDEM WITH CLUSTER ANALYSIS, THE
CPC 6-10 DAY OUTLOOK HAS A 50-60 PERCENT CHANCE OF ABOVE NORMAL
PRECIPITATION, SO STAY TUNED FOR EARLY NEXT WEEK.
AVIATION
00Z TAFS: VFR CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS WILL PREVAIL AT ALL TAF SITES
THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: HIGH CONFIDENCE
IN VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE NEXT TAF PERIOD.
-----------------------
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 44 76 45 65 40 75 / 0 0 10 0 0 0
COEUR D'ALENE 43 76 46 65 38 75 / 0 0 20 0 0 0
PULLMAN 44 75 45 63 40 74 / 0 0 20 0 0 0
LEWISTON 49 83 53 72 46 82 / 0 0 10 0 0 0
COLVILLE 39 75 39 67 35 74 / 0 0 10 0 0 0
SANDPOINT 42 74 46 64 38 73 / 0 0 30 0 0 0
KELLOGG 47 73 49 62 42 74 / 0 0 30 0 0 0
MOSES LAKE 43 81 42 69 41 79 / 0 0 10 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 50 79 43 69 45 76 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OMAK 46 78 41 69 40 76 / 0 0 10 0 0 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page