824
FXUS66 KOTX 310842
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1242 AM PST SAT JAN 31 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- PERIODS OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS
WITH TEMPERATURES TRENDING WARMER.
- DRY AND QUIET WEATHER RETURNS NEXT WEEK.
SYNOPSIS
A MILDER AND WETTER PATTERN IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEK WITH
PERIODS OF LOWLAND RAIN AND HIGH MOUNTAIN SNOW. THE FORECAST
TRENDS DRIER BY EARLY NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
TODAY THROUGH MONDAY: THE MILD WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES AS AN
UPPER TROUGH IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC RESULTS IN A SOUTHWEST FLOW
OVER THE INLAND NW. EMBEDDED MID LEVEL WAVES WILL TRACK INTO THE
REGION BRINGING PERIODS OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION IN THE FORM OF RAIN
AND HIGH MOUNTAIN SNOW. BOUNDARY LAYER WINDS OUT OF THE SOUTH AND
SOUTHEAST WILL KEEP AN ABUNDANCE OF BOUNDARY LAYER MOISTURE IN
PLACE ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES INTO THE NORTHERN
VALLEYS EACH DAY WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S
WITH AN ABUNDANCE OF STRATUS AND PATCHY FOG. FOG HAS ALSO
DEVELOPED AROUND THE MOSES LAKE AREA, AND DENSE IN SOME AREAS WITH
VISIBILITY AT OR BELOW A QUARTER MILE. A DENSE FOG ADVISORY IS IN
EFFECT THROUGH 10 AM THIS MORNING. FOR THE COLUMBIA BASIN INTO
THE SPOKANE/COEUR D'ALENE AREA SOUTHWARD THROUGH THE PALOUSE AND
LC VALLEY MILDER TEMPERATURES WILL BE FOUND EACH DAY WITH HIGHS
IN THE MID 40S TO LOW 50S.
TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: ENSEMBLES CONTINUE TO SHOW A STRONG UPPER
RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE REGION. THIS WILL RESULT IN DRY AND MILD
TEMPERATURES WITH HIGHS IN THE MID 40S TO MID 50S REGIONWIDE. THE
RIDGE WILL ALLOW FOR AREAS OF FOG TO FORM DURING THE OVERNIGHT AND
MORNING HOURS OTHERWISE DRY AND QUIET WEATHER IS EXPECTED. JW
AVIATION
06Z TAFS: AN ABUNDANCE OF MID AND HIGH CLOUDS ON SATELLITE IS
MASKING THE LOWER STRATUS AND FOG MAKING IT DIFFICULT TO
DETERMINE PRECISE LOCATIONS AND EXTENT OF FOG/STRATUS THIS
EVENING.
A MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER OVER CENTRAL AND NE WASHINGTON WILL
CONTINUE TO PROMOTE AREAS OF MVFR STRATUS AND PATCHY FOG. FOG
HAS BEEN MORE PREVALENT AROUND KMWH, AND WITH LATEST GUIDANCE
SHOWING LITTLE CHANGE IN VISIBILITY AROUND THAT AREA THE TAF
KEPT VISIBILITY AT 1/4SM THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY. FOR
KGEG/KSFF/KCOE MODELS SHOW AN INCREASE IN BOUNDARY LAYER
MOISTURE OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING AS LOWER LEVEL WINDS
BECOME SOUTHWEST WITH DROPPING CIGS AND VISIBILITY EXPECTED TO
IFR AND MVFR. FOR KPUW/KLWS CONTINUED DOWNSLOPE BOUNDARY LAYER
WINDS IS EXPECTED TO LEAD TO CONTINUED VFR CONDITIONS.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
LOW CONFIDENCE ON TIMING OF WHEN VISIBILITY RISES ABOVE 1/4SM AT
KMWH. LOW CONFIDENCE ON TIMING AND DEGREE OF DEGRADED VISIBILITY
AND CEILINGS AT KGEG/KSFF/KCOE OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING.
HIGH CONFIDENCE IN VFR CONDITIONS AT KPUW/KLWS THROUGH 06Z
SUNDAY. MODERATE CONFIDENCE IN LOWERING CIGS AT KEAT OVERNIGHT
INTO SATURDAY MORNING, BUT ALSO LOW CONFIDENCE WITH DEGREE OF
DEGRADATIONS. 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 46 33 46 33 45 34 / 10 0 20 10 30 20
COEUR D'ALENE 46 34 46 34 45 36 / 10 0 30 20 40 20
PULLMAN 50 37 47 34 46 37 / 10 0 10 10 30 20
LEWISTON 54 39 53 37 50 39 / 10 0 0 0 10 10
COLVILLE 41 32 43 32 42 34 / 20 10 50 10 50 20
SANDPOINT 43 34 43 36 41 36 / 20 10 40 50 50 40
KELLOGG 48 39 48 38 44 39 / 20 10 30 40 50 40
MOSES LAKE 47 33 46 32 47 33 / 10 0 20 0 20 0
WENATCHEE 43 36 46 35 45 36 / 20 0 30 10 30 10
OMAK 41 35 43 35 43 35 / 10 0 20 0 20 10
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...DENSE FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING FOR MOSES LAKE
AREA.
ID...NONE.
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