335
FXUS66 KOTX 030027
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
427 PM PST FRI JAN 2 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- ANOTHER WINTRY MIX NEAR THE CASCADES AND NORTHERN VALLEYS
TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
- ROUNDS OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
- MODERATE TO HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW AND RAIN AND SNOW VALLEYS
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
SYNOPSIS
ANOTHER WINTRY MIX IS FORECAST NEAR THE CASCADES AND NORTHERN
VALLEYS TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING. OTHERWISE OCCASIONAL
ROUNDS OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW WILL TRACK THROUGH THE REGION
SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. A STRONGER WEATHER SYSTEM HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO BRING MODERATE TO HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW, ALONG WITH
RAIN OR SNOW IN THE VALLEYS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
DISCUSSION
TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY: THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES
AS A LOW OFF THE CALIFORNIA COAST SENDS A WEAK WARM FRONT INTO
THE REGION TONIGHT. TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN SLOWLY MODIFYING
ACROSS THE REGION, EXCEPT ON THE PALOUSE AND LC VALLEY WHERE
MORE SIGNIFICANT WARMING HAS OCCURRED DUE TO BREAKS IN THE
CLOUDS AND LOCALLY WEAK DOWNSLOPE WINDS WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW TO
MID 40S. HOWEVER, THE WINTRY MIX THREAT ISN'T OVER FOR PARTS OF
THE REGION. ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES AND NORTHERN
VALLEYS SURFACE TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO HOVER NEAR THE FREEZING
MARK. WITH ADDITIONAL WARMING ALOFT TONIGHT AS SNOW LEVELS
CLIMB TO 6000-7000 FEET, POCKETS OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN ARE
EXPECTED IN PLACES LIKE LEAVENWORTH, PLAIN, WATERVILLE,
COLVILLE, AND BONNERS FERRY. THUS WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES ARE
IN EFFECT. FOR THE METHOW VALLEY, THE COLD AIR REMAINS DEEP
ENOUGH THAT SOUNDINGS FAVOR LIGHT SNOW, WITH UP TO ONE INCH
ACCUMULATION. SATURDAY AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO
MODERATE WITH ALL VALLEYS EXPECTED TO BE JUST RAIN, WITH SNOW
LEVELS RANGING FROM 4500 FEET NEAR THE CASCADES TO 6000 FEET
OVER NORTH IDAHO.
SUNDAY AND MONDAY: THE OFFSHORE TROUGH PUSHES IN ALLOWING FOR
LOWERING OF SNOW LEVELS AND SHOWERY CONDITIONS. SNOW LEVELS
LOWER TO 3000-4000 FEET SUNDAY, AND 2000-3500 FEET MONDAY. LIGHT
TO MODERATE SNOW OVER STEVENS AND LOOKOUT PASSES WILL LEAD TO
WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS AT TIMES.
TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: A MORE CONSOLIDATED TROUGH PASSAGE
FROM THE NORTHWEST TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY WILL GIVE SOME OF OUR
VALLEYS THE BEST CHANCES FOR SIGNIFICANT SNOW SEEN SO FAR THIS
SEASON. 850MB TEMPERATURES PRIOR TO ITS ARRIVAL RANGE FROM -3 TO
-6C WITH SNOW LEVELS 1000-2500 FEET TO START (LOWEST ACROSS THE NORTH),
RISING TO 2000-3000 FEET. THE FLOW PATTERN WILL PROVIDED AN
ADDED UPSLOPE BOOST INTO THE CASCADE CREST AND ID PANHANDLE,
WHILE DOWNSLOPE FLOW INTO CENTRAL WA IS LIKELY TO KEEP AMOUNTS
ON THE LIGHTER SIDE. MODELS CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE MODERATE TO
HEAVY SNOW FOR STEVENS AND LOOKOUT PASSES WITH THIS EVENT.
ANOTHER WAVE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THIS SYSTEM ARRIVES BY
THURSDAY WITH LOW SNOW LEVELS ONCE AGAIN. JW
AVIATION
00Z TAFS: STRATUS AND FOG CONTINUE TO IMPACT THE COLOMBIA BASIN
AND VALLEYS BRINGING IFR CONDITIONS TO MANY OF THE REGIONS TAF
SITES AND AIRFIELDS. A BAND OF MOISTURE MOVING THROUGH THE
INLAND NORTHWEST. POCKETS OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW ARE
POSSIBLE AS IT PASSES. VFR CONDTIONS WILL CONTINUE FOR KLWS-
KPUW. MODELS HAVE TRENDED TO PROLONGING THE IFR-MVFR CONDITIONS
ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. IMPROVING
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO START AROUND 15Z FOR KGEG-KSFF-
KCOE. IFR-MVFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR KEAT-
KMWH.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE ON THE CONTINUE STRATUS AND FOG
CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION. MODERATE CONFIDENCE ON THE SPOKANE
CORRIDOR CONDITIONS IMPROVING. MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE ON
THE IFR-MVFR CONDITIONS FRO KMHW-KEAT.
-----------------------
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 33 43 36 45 33 41 / 40 70 80 70 30 30
COEUR D'ALENE 34 42 37 44 34 40 / 50 70 90 90 60 50
PULLMAN 37 46 39 45 35 42 / 20 50 60 80 60 50
LEWISTON 38 51 40 50 38 45 / 20 30 40 50 50 30
COLVILLE 31 40 34 43 30 40 / 80 90 90 90 40 40
SANDPOINT 32 41 36 41 34 38 / 70 90 100 100 70 70
KELLOGG 38 43 39 42 36 39 / 50 60 90 100 80 80
MOSES LAKE 31 41 33 45 30 40 / 40 60 60 20 10 10
WENATCHEE 32 39 35 41 31 40 / 60 80 70 30 10 10
OMAK 32 38 35 42 31 39 / 70 80 70 40 10 10
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM PST
SATURDAY FOR NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST SATURDAY FOR
WATERVILLE PLATEAU.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST SATURDAY FOR CENTRAL
CHELAN COUNTY-WESTERN CHELAN COUNTY.
ID...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM PST
SATURDAY FOR NORTHERN PANHANDLE.
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