928
FXUS66 KOTX 311851
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1051 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 PATTERN IS EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY WITH PERIODS OF
LIGHT PRECIPITATION. SNOW WILL BE LIMITED TO THE MOUNTAINS AND
ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE VERY LIGHT WITH LITTLE TO NO IMPACTS
EXPECTED OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES. THE FORECAST TRENDS DRIER AGAIN
NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
UPDATE (AT 1000AM): THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR THE MOSES LAKE
AREA HAS EXPIRED. A WARM FRONT PUSHING IN ACROSS THE REGION IS
HELPING THE MIX THE BOUNDARY LAYER ENOUGH THAT FOG IS SEEING A
DECREASING TREND, ESPECIALLY FOR THE MOSES LAKE AREA. A TRAILING
COLD FRONT SLATED TO PUSH ACROSS THE INLAND NORTHWEST FOR SUNDAY
AFTERNOON WILL ALSO VEER WINDS IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER OFF OF THE
HIGHER TERRAIN IN THE IDAHO PANHANDLE ACROSS THE PALOUSE REGION.
THIS WILL HAVE THE IMPACT OF MIXING OUT THE LOW CLOUDS ACROSS
THE SPOKANE/COEUR D'ALENE CORRIDOR THROUGH THE REST OF TODAY.
THE DRIER AIR DOESN'T LOOK TO MIX THE LOW CLOUDS OUT COMPLETELY
CLOSER TO THE CASCADES AND IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAIN VALLEYS
WHERE PATCHY FOG TO LOW STRATUS LOOKS TO HANG OUT. /SVH
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
18Z TAFS: A MIX OF FOG AND LOW STRATUS WILL HOLD FIRM IN THE
EAST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES AND NORTHERN MOUNTAIN VALLEYS TODAY
WITH IFR TO MVFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED. THIS INCLUDES AIRPORTS
FROM KMWH-KEAT-KS52-KOMK-K63S. SOUTHEASTERLY FLOW IN THE
BOUNDARY LAYER OVER SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON WILL ERODE THE STRATUS
DECK ALONG THE SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PERIPHERY TODAY AND
IMPROVING FROM IFR/MVFR TO VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT KGEG/KSFF
KCOE BY EARLY AFTERNOON (19-21Z) TODAY. A WARM FRONT PASSING
THROUGH TODAY WILL SPREAD ADDITIONAL HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS, BUT NOT
MOIST NOR DYNAMIC ENOUGH FOR MUCH IF ANY PRECIPITATION WITH IT.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: CONFIDENCE HAS
INCREASED FOR LOW CLOUDS TO DISSIPATE AT KGEG/KSFF/KCOE WITH
HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR VFR CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP BY 19-21Z. WHERE
CONFIDENCE DECREASES IS IF THE STRATUS/FOG DISSIPATES OVER THE
WESTERN PORTION OF THE COLUMBIA BASIN. THERE IS A 30-50% CHANCE
FOR LOW CLOUDS TO SCATTER OUT AT KMWH BETWEEN 23-01Z WITH VFR
CONDITIONS INTO THE EVENING, BUT PROBABILITIES FOR CEILINGS TO
LIFT AT KEAT ARE LESS THAN A 30% CHANCE TODAY AND TONIGHT. /SVH
-----------------------
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 44 33 46 34 / 10 0 40 20 20 10
COEUR D'ALENE 46 34 45 34 44 35 / 10 0 50 40 20 20
PULLMAN 50 37 46 34 47 36 / 0 0 30 10 10 10
LEWISTON 54 39 52 37 51 39 / 0 0 10 10 10 10
COLVILLE 41 32 43 33 42 33 / 20 0 70 20 40 20
SANDPOINT 43 35 42 36 41 35 / 20 10 60 60 40 40
KELLOGG 48 39 47 38 44 37 / 10 0 50 60 40 30
MOSES LAKE 47 32 45 31 46 33 / 10 0 30 0 10 10
WENATCHEE 43 36 44 34 44 36 / 20 0 50 10 30 10
OMAK 42 36 42 34 42 35 / 10 0 30 0 20 10
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
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