392
FXUS66 KOTX 282201
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
201 PM PST WED JAN 28 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- MILDER AND WETTER PATTERN THROUGH THE WEEK
- WINTRY MIX POSSIBLE FOR UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN, WATERVILLE
PLATEAU THURSDAY MORNING
SYNOPSIS
A MILDER AND WETTER PATTERN IS EXPECTED THIS WEEK WITH PERIODS
OF PRECIPITATION MOVING ACROSS THE REGION. A WINTRY MIX WILL
AGAIN BE POSSIBLE THURSDAY MORNING BEFORE SNOW LEVELS CLIMB
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.
DISCUSSION
TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY: AN INCREASINGLY MILD WEATHER PATTERN
WILL OCCUR AS A PERSISTENT TROUGH OUT IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC
PROVIDES A MILD SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ACROSS THE INLAND NW. THERE
WILL BE SEVERAL MID LEVEL WAVES TRACKING THROUGH THE REGION
BRINGING PERIODS OF PRECIPITATION, AND INCREASING SNOW LEVELS.
THE FIRST WAVE ARRIVES LATE TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING.
PRECIPITATION TYPE NORTH OF I-90 AND NEAR THE CASCADES CARRY THE
MOST UNCERTAINTY WITH MODEL WET BULB ZERO PROFILES SUPPORTING
MAINLY SNOW ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES AND NEAR THE
CANADIAN BORDER AND A WINTRY MIX FROM THE WATERVILLE PLATEAU
INTO THE UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN AND WEST PLAINS. YET TEMPERATURES
ARE EXPECTED TO BE MARGINAL WITH LOW CONFIDENCE FOR DEGREE OF
IMPACTS WITH THE HREF ONLY SHOWING A 20-30% CHANCE OF LIGHT
FREEZING RAIN. BOTTOM LINE IS LOCALLY SLICK CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED MAINLY NORTH OF I-90. FROM INTERSTATE 90 SOUTHWARD
TEMPERATURES HAVE MODERATED FURTHER WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE
UPPER 30S TO MID 40S, WHICH COMBINED WITH THICKENING CLOUD COVER
THROUGH THE EVENING IS EXPECTED TO RESULT IN MAINLY RAIN. FOR
THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST SNOW LEVELS RANGE FROM NEAR 4000
TO 6000 FEET WITH SNOW LIMITED TO THE HIGHER PASSES AND MOUNTAIN
PEAKS.
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY: ENSEMBLES SHOW A STRENGTHENING UPPER
LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE REGION. SOMETIMES STRONG HIGH PRESSURE IN
EARLY FEBRUARY CAN MEAN STRONGER INVERSIONS WITH MILDER AIR JUST
IN THE MOUNTAINS. BUT GIVEN WE ARE STARTING OUT MILD PRIOR TO
THE RIDGE ARRIVAL IS LIKELY TO BRING MILD CONDITIONS REGIONWIDE
WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE 40S TO NEAR 50 WHICH IS AROUND 10
DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. JW
AVIATION
18Z TAFS: SATELLITE TRENDS AS OF 17Z THIS MORNING SHOWED
CLEARING ON THE BACK SIDE OF AN EXITING WEATHER DISTURBANCE OVER
CENTRAL WASHINGTON INCLUDING KEAT/KMWH, WHILE MAINLY MVFR
STRATUS WAS FOCUSED OVER NE WASHINGTON INTO THE ID PANHANDLE
INCLUDING KGEG/KSFF/KCOE. WITH MOIST UPSLOPE BOUNDARY LAYER
WINDS PERSISTING INTO NE WA/N IDAHO IN THE AFTERNOON THIS
STRATUS IS EXPECTED TO PERSIST. CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER AGAIN
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AS THE NEXT WAVE OF MOISTURE MOVES INTO THE
REGION BRINGING A 20-40% CHANCE FOR LIGHT PRECIPITATION AFTER
07Z, INCREASING TO 50-70% AFTER 12Z OVER CENTRAL AND NE
WASHINGTON INTO THE ID PANHANDLE. POCKETS OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN
ARE POSSIBLE AROUND KEAT/KMWH WITH TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO BE
NEAR 32F WHEN PRECIPITATION DEVELOPS.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE IN THE CEILING FORECAST THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON AS MAINLY MVFR STRATUS PERSISTS OVER NE WA/ID
PANHANDLE INCLUDING KGEG/KSFF/KCOE WITH VFR CONDITIONS FOR
KEAT/KMWH/KPUW/KLWS. LOW CONFIDENCE REGARDING THE PRECIPITATION
TYPE 08Z-15Z FOR KEAT/KMWH. JW
-----------------------
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 32 39 34 45 33 45 / 30 70 40 50 20 10
COEUR D'ALENE 32 40 35 45 34 45 / 30 80 40 60 30 10
PULLMAN 33 39 36 46 37 47 / 20 50 20 30 20 10
LEWISTON 35 45 38 50 38 50 / 10 30 10 10 10 0
COLVILLE 30 37 32 41 33 42 / 30 90 50 90 20 10
SANDPOINT 31 37 35 41 35 43 / 40 90 60 80 50 10
KELLOGG 34 40 37 45 39 47 / 50 80 60 70 40 10
MOSES LAKE 32 40 33 43 33 46 / 30 60 30 30 10 0
WENATCHEE 32 40 31 42 35 42 / 50 80 40 40 10 10
OMAK 32 40 32 41 35 42 / 20 60 30 40 10 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page