615
FXUS66 KOTX 031204
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
404 AM PST SAT JAN 3 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- ANOTHER WINTRY MIX NEAR THE CASCADES AND NORTHERN VALLEYS
THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
- ROUNDS OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
- MODERATE TO HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW WITH RAIN AND SNOW IN THE
VALLEYS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY.
SYNOPSIS
ANOTHER WINTRY MIX IS FORECAST NEAR THE CASCADES AND NORTHERN
VALLEYS 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
THROUGH SATURDAY: WHILE AREAS OF FOG CONTINUE TONIGHT, MOST
LOCATIONS ARE SEEING THE DENSITY OF THE FOG DECREASE TONIGHT.
STILL SOMETHING TO WATCH OVERNIGHT. THE POTENTIAL FOR DANGEROUS
FREEZING RAIN PERSISTS, HOWEVER, MAINLY ACROSS THE EAST SLOPES
OF THE CASCADES AND INTO NORTHERN VALLEYS OF NE WA AND N ID
WHERE SURFACE TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO BE NEAR FREEZING. WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS. DAYTIME
TEMPERATURES WILL WARM ABOVE WHAT WE'VE SEEN THE LAST FEW DAYS,
WITH SNOW LEVELS RISING AND ICE/SNOW MELTING IN VALLEYS THAT
RECENTLY EXPERIENCED IT.
SUNDAY AND MONDAY: DAYTIME TEMPS PEAK FOR MOST LOCATIONS SUNDAY,
BEFORE CONDITIONS TURN COLDER AND SNOW LEVELS LOWER AGAIN
MONDAY. LIGHT TO OCCASIONALLY MODERATE SNOW ACROSS MOUNTAIN
PASSES WILL LIKELY LEAD TO WINTER DRIVING CONDITIONS.
TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: A STRONGER STORM SYSTEM WILL GIVE
MANY VALLEY LOCATIONS SOME BETTER CHANCES FOR SNOWFALL, THOUGH
THE PASSES AND MTNS WILL AGAIN SEE THE BRUNT OF THE ACTION.
CERTAINLY SOMETHING SNOW WE'LL BE MONITORING IN THE COMING
DAYS. /KD
AVIATION
12Z TAFS: KGEG/KSFF/KCOE CONTINUE TO HAVE IFR/LIFR CEILINGS AS
FOG AND STRATUS CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA. KGEG HAS FOG
FLUCTUATING BETWEEN 1/4 AND 1/2 MILE, WHICH IS EXPECTED TO
CONTINUE THROUGH 18Z KEAT ALSO HAS RECENTLY OBSERVED LOWERED
CEILINGS AND HAS JUST BEGUN SEEING RAIN AS A BAND MOVES INTO THE
FORECAST AREA. TIMING OF THIS BAND PUTS PREVAILING RAIN IN MOST
TAFS AROUND 15Z. KPUW/KLWS WILL STAY WITHIN VFR/MVFR THROUGH THE
TAF PERIOD, HEADING DOWN TO MVFR WITH RAIN MOVING THROUGH. KMWH
WILL START OUT AT VFR/MVFR, THEN SLOWLY COME DOWN TO IFR/LIFR.
FOR KGEG/KSFF/KCOE, NBM PROBABILITIES SHOW A 25% CHANCE OR
HIGHER OF IFR CEILINGS THROUGH MUCH OF THE TAF PERIOD.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE ON THE CONTINUING STRATUS AND FOG
CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION. MODERATE CONFIDENCE IN TIMING OF
RAIN. HREF/NBM GUIDANCE FOR FREEZING RAIN HAS DROPPED CONFIDENCE
TO LOW, WITH RAIN BEING THE PRIMARY PRECIPITATION AT EACH TAF
SITE. /AS
-----------------------
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 42 37 45 33 40 27 / 60 80 80 40 30 0
COEUR D'ALENE 42 37 45 33 40 29 / 70 90 90 60 60 10
PULLMAN 46 39 45 34 40 30 / 60 70 80 60 50 10
LEWISTON 49 42 51 37 46 32 / 30 50 50 50 30 10
COLVILLE 40 34 43 30 40 26 / 90 90 90 50 40 10
SANDPOINT 40 36 42 33 38 29 / 90 90 100 80 80 30
KELLOGG 43 39 42 34 38 30 / 70 90 100 80 80 30
MOSES LAKE 41 34 46 30 41 27 / 60 60 20 20 0 0
WENATCHEE 39 35 42 31 40 28 / 80 70 30 20 10 0
OMAK 38 34 42 31 39 27 / 80 70 40 20 10 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING FOR
CENTRAL CHELAN COUNTY-NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN
HIGHLANDS-WATERVILLE PLATEAU-WESTERN CHELAN COUNTY.
ID...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING FOR
NORTHERN PANHANDLE.
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