721
FXUS66 KOTX 062255
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
255 PM PST TUE JAN 6 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- MODERATE TO HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW CONTINUES THROUGH THURSDAY WITH
LIGHT TO LOCALLY MODERATE SNOW IN THE VALLEYS.
- GUSTY WINDS TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY.
- TURNING DRIER FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
SYNOPSIS
MODERATE TO HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW, PERIODS OF LOWLAND RAIN AND SNOW,
AND GUSTY WINDS CONTINUE THROUGH THURSDAY, THEN A PATTERN SHIFT
BRINGS DRIER CONDITIONS FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND.
DISCUSSION
...MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW TO CONTINUE OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES THROUGH
THURSDAY...
TUESDAY EVENING: THE FIRST OF TWO FRONTAL SYSTEMS THIS WEEK IS
CURRENTLY UNDERWAY, BRINGING HEAVY MOUNTAIN SNOW, AREAS OF LOWLAND
SNOW, AND GUSTY WINDS TO THE INLAND NORTHWEST. VALLEYS ALONG THE
EAST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES AS WELL AS LOWLAND LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT
THE EASTERN THIRD OF WA AND THE ID PANHANDLE HAVE SEEN STEADY LIGHT
SNOW THROUGH MUCH OF THE DAY. LATEST HREF RUNS INDICATE MOST LOWLAND
LOCATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO SEE SNOW INTO THE EVENING RATHER THAN
TRANSITIONING TO RAIN OR MIXED PRECIP. EXCEPTIONS INCLUDE LOWLAND
AREAS IN THE SOUTHEASTERN PORTION OF THE REGION INCLUDING PULLMAN
AND LEWISTON. FOR THESE LOCATIONS, RAIN WILL BE THE FAVORED PRECIP
TYPE THROUGH THE EVENING.
TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING: FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONTAL
PASSAGE TONIGHT, PRECIPITATION WILL RECEDE TO THE MOUNTAINS. BREAKS
IN THE CLOUDS ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN WA OVERNIGHT COMBINED WITH
FRESH SNOW ON THE GROUND COULD POTENTIALLY LEAD TO THE DEVELOPMENT
OF DENSE FOG AHEAD OF THE WEDNESDAY MORNING COMMUTE. IN ADDITION TO
FOG POTENTIAL, SLICK CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED WEDNESDAY MORNING
DUE TO PRECIP MELTING ON SURFACES THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING AND
REFREEZING OVERNIGHT. THE MAIN TAKEAWAYS ARE TO DRIVE WITH CAUTION,
INCREASE FOLLOWING DISTANCE, AND GIVE YOURSELF EXTRA TIME TO GET
WHEREVER YOU NEED TO GO WEDNESDAY MORNING.
WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY: THE SECOND AND FINAL SYSTEM OF
THE WEEK MOVES IN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF
LOWLAND SNOW FOR THE EASTERN THIRD OF WA AND THE ID PANHANDLE.
AMOUNTS WITH THIS SECOND WAVE ARE LOOKING LIGHTER WITH LESS MOISTURE
AVAILABLE IN THE ATMOSPHERE. CURRENT FORECAST AMOUNTS RANGE FROM 0.5
TO 2 INCHES FOR LOWLAND AREAS INCLUDING SPOKANE, COEUR D'ALENE,
COLVILLE, SANDPOINT, AND PULLMAN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
SNOW WILL TAPER OFF WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR LOWLANDS, LINGERING INTO
THURSDAY MORNING OVER THE CASCADES AND ID PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS.
WIND: PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL INCREASE THROUGH THIS EVENING WITH THE
FRONTAL PASSAGE AND AGAIN WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING, LEADING
TO BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS 15-25 MPH AND GUSTS TO 35-45 MPH IN
CENTRAL AND EASTERN WA.
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: ENSEMBLES ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT ON A SHIFT
TOWARD A DRY AND QUIET PATTERN HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND AS A RIDGE
OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN. /FEWKES
AVIATION
18Z TAFS: SNOW HAS BEGUN MOVING IN ACROSS EASTERN WA AND NORTH
ID, DEGRADING VISIBILITIES TO IFR FOR KGEG, KSFF, AND KDEW.
SNOW AND IFR VISIBILITIES WILL LIKELY REACH KCOE WITHIN THE NEXT
HOUR OR SO. FURTHER SOUTH FOR KPUW AND KLWS, PRECIP WILL MOVE IN
LATER THIS AFTERNOON BETWEEN 20-23Z. EXPECT A TRANSITION TO A
RAIN/SNOW MIX BY 01-04Z. FOR KLWS, ANY PRECIP WILL LIKELY
IMPROVE CONDITIONS GIVEN THEY ARE SOCKED IN WITH FOG THIS
MORNING. KMWH AND KEAT MAY SEE PERIODIC SNOW OR A RAIN/SNOW
MIX, BUT WILL BE LARGELY SHIELDED FROM PRECIP BY THE CASCADES.
IN ADDITION TO PRECIP, WINDS WILL RAMP UP THIS AFTERNOON AND
OVERNIGHT OUT OF THE SOUTHWEST WITH GUSTS TO 25-35 KTS.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR DEGRADED VISIBILITIES THROUGH THE AFTERNOON
WITH SNOWFALL FOR KGEG, KSFF, KCOE, AND KPUW. LOW CONFIDENCE FOR
PRECIP FALLING AT KEAT AND KMWH. LOW TO MODERATE CONFIDENCE FOR
TIMING OF TRANSITION TO A RAIN-SNOW MIX FOR SITES THAT ARE
STARTING OUT AS SNOW. HIGH CONFIDENCE IN WINDS RAMPING UP FOR
KGEG, KSFF, KCOE, AND KPUW.
-----------------------
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 28 36 26 35 26 37 / 70 20 70 20 10 10
COEUR D'ALENE 27 34 27 34 24 37 / 100 40 90 50 20 30
PULLMAN 30 35 28 34 29 38 / 90 30 80 50 30 20
LEWISTON 36 44 31 40 32 44 / 90 20 50 30 30 10
COLVILLE 29 37 26 32 21 32 / 70 20 60 20 0 10
SANDPOINT 29 35 26 30 20 33 / 100 50 90 70 30 30
KELLOGG 27 33 27 31 26 35 / 100 70 90 90 50 50
MOSES LAKE 31 43 26 42 29 42 / 20 10 10 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 31 39 28 39 30 41 / 50 30 20 10 0 0
OMAK 29 37 25 33 24 34 / 30 10 10 10 0 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR
NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR NORTHEAST
BLUE MOUNTAINS.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR
SPOKANE AREA.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST THURSDAY FOR WESTERN
CHELAN COUNTY.
ID...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR NORTHERN
PANHANDLE.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR COEUR
D'ALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR CENTRAL
PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS.
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