481
FXUS66 KOTX 261144
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
344 AM PST MON JAN 26 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- COLD TEMPERATURES THROUGH TUESDAY WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE
TEENS TO LOW 20S
- QUIET WEATHER PATTERN THROUGH TUESDAY
- INCOMING SYSTEM WILL BRING MILDER AND WETTER PATTERN STARTING
WEDNESDAY
- MOUNTAIN PASS SNOW POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY
SYNOPSIS
COLD TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY WITH OVERNIGHT
LOWS IN THE TEENS TO LOWER 20S. A QUIET WEATHER PATTERN IS
EXPECTED THROUGH TUESDAY BEFORE A MILDER AND POTENTIALLY WET
PATTERN DEVELOPS. CONDITIONS TURN WARMER AND WETTER WITH MIDWEEK
SYSTEM.
DISCUSSION
TODAY TO TUESDAY: THE INLAND NW WILL REMAIN IN DRY PATTERN WITH
COOLER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES TODAY MODERATING TO CLOSER TO
NORMAL TOMORROW. A LONG-WAVE RIDGE IS OVER THE WEST, WHILE A
TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE IS APPROACHING THE COAST. SOME PATCHY
MORNING FOG AND CLOUDS ARE EXPECTED NEAR THE SHELTERED CASCADE
VALLEYS AND OKANOGAN VALLEY TODAY, WITH A RISK OVER THE
SHELTERED NORTHEAST VALLEYS BRIEFLY. AT THE SAME TIME A MID-
LEVEL IMPULSES RIDES IN, BRINGING AN INCREASE IN MIDDLE TO HIGH
CLOUDS BEFORE DECREASING AGAIN LATER THIS EVENING INTO THE
TUESDAY. THEN THE NEXT TROUGH STARTS TO APPROACH ON TUESDAY,
LEADING TO ANOTHER INCREASING IN CLOUDS TOWARD THE AFTERNOON.
SOME SNOW CHANCES START INTO THE CASCADES TUESDAY EVENING AND A
SLIGHT CHANCE EVEN STARTS TO EMERGE INTO THE UPPER COLUMBIA
BASIN OVERNIGHT TUESDAY.
WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY: THE PATTERN STARTS TO CHANGE AS THE
OFFSHORE TROUGH PUSHES IN AND CARRIES IN A SERIES OF SHORTWAVES
AND TAPS INTO SOME INCREASED MOISTURE. A CHANCE OF MOUNTAIN SNOW
AND LOWLAND SNOW AND RAIN DEVELOPS OVER A GOOD PORTION OF THE
AREA WEDNESDAY. THEN HEADING INTO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY THE
PRECIPITATION POTENTIAL INCREASED TO HIGH CHANCE TO LIKELY, WITH
FRIDAY CURRENTLY HAVE THE OVERALL HIGHEST POPS. CHANCES BACK
OFF SOME SATURDAY INTO MONDAY, BUT DO NOT END ENTIRELY.
PRECIPITATION TYPES WILL EVOLVE BETWEEN THURSDAY TO FRIDAY AS
WELL. A RAIN/SNOW MIX OR LOCALLY ALL SNOW WILL BE POSSIBLE
THURSDAY MORNING, THEN MILDER AIR WILL LEAD TO MAINLY LOWLAND
RAIN AND A RAIN/SNOW MIX IN THE MOUNTAINS. THAT CONTINUES TO BE
THE CASE SATURDAY TO MONDAY. AS FOR SNOW AMOUNTS THE BEST
CHANCES WILL BE WEDNESDAY AROUND THE CASCADES WHERE, AROUND 2-4
INCHES IS POSSIBLE NEAR PLACES LIKE STEVENS PASS. OTHER PASSES
ARE SHOWING 1 INCH OR LESS. BY THURSDAY THE POTENTIAL FOR
ACCUMULATIONS THROUGH MOST PASSES BECOMES LIMITED TO LESS THAN
AN INCH, IF THAT AND MORE LIKELY IN THE MORNING. SOME LIGHT
ACCUMULATIONS ARE FORECAST IN THE HIGHER CASCADES VALLEYS, SUCH
AS THE UPPER METHOW VALLEY NEAR MAZAMA AND WESTWARD AND THE
UPPER WENATCHEE VALLEY, NEAR TO WEST OF LEAVENWORTH AND PLAIN;
0.5 TO 2 INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE HERE ON WEDNESDAY TO EARLY
THURSDAY. SOME LIGHT SNOW IS ALSO POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHEAST WA
AND NORTH ID VALLEYS WEDNESDAY AND EARLY THURSDAY, BUT
ACCUMULATIONS ARE LIGHT AT TRACE TO LESS THAN HALF INCH.
TEMPERATURES WARM INTO THE 30S TO LOW 40S WEDNESDAY, COLDEST
NEAR THE CASCADES VALLEYS, THE UPPER 30S AND 40S THURSDAY AND
LARGELY 40S THEREAFTER FRIDAY TO MONDAY, SAVE FOR SOME UPPER 30S
IN THE SHELTERED VALLEYS NEAR THE CASCADES AND SOME AREAS
PUSHING NEAR 50 IN THE L-C VALLEY BY SATURDAY. /SOLVEIG
AVIATION
12Z TAFS: AN INFLUX OF DRY AIR IS RESULTING IN VFR SKIES FOR
MOST TERMINALS ACROSS THE INLAND NW. SATELLITE REVEALS VERY
SMALL PATCHES OF FOG NEAR LARGER WATER BODIES WITH VERY LITTLE
EXPANSION BETWEEN 8-12Z. ADDITIONALLY, A FEW BANKS OF STRATUS
BETWEEN 28-33K FT AGL REMAIN IN THE NORTHERN OKANOGAN VALLEY
AND FEW OF THE RIVER VALLEYS OF THE EAST SLOPES. OTHERWISE, THE
UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE IS FLATTENING TODAY WITH A WEAK DISTURBANCE
MOVING THROUGH. THIS WILL RESULT IN PASSING MID AND HIGH CLOUDS
BUT CONTINUED DRY CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
MODERATE CONFIDENCE FOR PATCHY FOG NEAR LARGER WATER BODIES BUT
LOW CONFIDENCE FOR THIS TO IMPACT ANY TERMINALS. GREATEST RISK
WILL BE AROUND CHELAN, OMAK, AND WINTHROP AIRPORTS WHERE THERE
ARE MORE ESTABLISHED BANKS OF STRATUS THOUGH INCREASING HIGH
CLOUDS ARE NOW MASKING THESE CLOUDS LEADING TO LOW CONFIDENCE
WHERE OR IF THIS ACTIVITY WILL DRIFT AROUND. AS OF 12Z, NO
RUNWAY OBSERVATIONS ARE INDICATING RESTRICTIONS. /SB
-----------------------
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 30 21 36 27 39 30 / 0 0 0 10 30 20
COEUR D'ALENE 33 21 38 28 39 31 / 0 0 0 10 40 20
PULLMAN 34 26 40 31 42 32 / 0 0 0 10 30 10
LEWISTON 37 28 43 33 46 35 / 0 0 0 0 10 0
COLVILLE 30 18 33 25 37 28 / 0 0 0 10 30 30
SANDPOINT 31 22 35 26 36 31 / 0 0 0 10 40 30
KELLOGG 35 25 41 31 39 34 / 0 0 0 10 50 30
MOSES LAKE 33 23 39 26 39 29 / 0 0 0 10 10 10
WENATCHEE 34 24 37 27 38 30 / 0 0 0 20 20 30
OMAK 33 22 36 27 38 30 / 0 0 0 10 10 20
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
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