876
FXUS66 KOTX 031830
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1030 AM PST SAT JAN 3 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- 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
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
18Z TAFS: A SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING PERIODIC PRECIPITATION
OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS, WITH TAFS VACILLATING BETWEEN IFR AND
VFR. THE TREND FROM IFR TO VFR WILL BE FOUND THIS AFTERNOON,
THEN A REDUCTION IN CONDITIONS IS FORECAST FOR HEADING INTO THIS
EVENING INTO EARLY SUNDAY WITH THE NEXT ROUND OF PRECIPITATION.
THIS WILL BE MAINLY IN THE FORM OF RAIN, WITH SOME SNOW POSSIBLY
MIXED IN AROUND THE NORTHERN VALLEYS LIKE COLVILLE AND
SANDPOINT. LLWS WILL FEATURE NEAR PUW AT TIMES.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
LOW TO MODERATE CONFIDENCE IS TRANSITIONS FORM IFR TO MVFR/VFR
CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE IN A
RETURN TO IFR CONDITIONS LATER THIS EVENING INTO EARLY SUNDAY,
WITH LOWER CONFIDENCE IN PRECISE HOUR.
-----------------------
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 36 45 32 40 28 36 / 80 80 50 30 0 70
COEUR D'ALENE 36 44 33 39 28 36 / 90 90 60 60 10 80
PULLMAN 39 45 34 40 28 36 / 80 80 60 40 10 60
LEWISTON 41 50 37 45 32 41 / 50 60 40 30 10 30
COLVILLE 33 43 30 40 25 35 / 100 90 50 50 10 80
SANDPOINT 35 41 32 37 30 34 / 100 100 70 80 30 90
KELLOGG 38 41 34 37 30 34 / 90 100 70 80 30 80
MOSES LAKE 34 46 30 41 27 38 / 60 30 20 0 0 30
WENATCHEE 35 42 31 40 28 36 / 80 40 20 10 0 50
OMAK 35 41 31 39 28 35 / 90 40 20 10 0 40
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
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