897
FXUS66 KOTX 121141
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
341 AM PST THU FEB 12 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- AREAS OF MORNING FOG AND BLACK ICE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF
DAYS.
- HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR WINTER TRAVEL CONDITIONS OVER MOUNTAIN
PASSES THIS WEEKEND.
SYNOPSIS
THE INLAND NORTHWEST RETURNS TO A DRY PERIOD THROUGH THURSDAY.
PATCHY VALLEY FOG AND TEMPERATURES BELOW FREEZING COULD RESULT
IN SLICK ROADS EACH MORNING. A MORE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN
RETURNS LATE FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND, WITH MOUNTAIN SNOW AND A
MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW IN THE VALLEYS. COLDER TEMPERATURES, WITH
LOWERING SNOW LEVELS FOR THE LATTER HALF OF THE WEEKEND INTO
NEXT WEEK, WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT LOWLAND SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS.
DISCUSSION
THROUGH THURSDAY: WEAK RIDGING WILL LEAD TO DRY AND GENERALLY
BENIGN CONDITIONS. ANY IMPACTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIMITED TO
THOSE FROM AREAS OF FOG DEVELOPMENT THURSDAY MORNING. AREAS MOST
LIKELY TO SEE FOG ARE SHELTERED VALLEYS AND THOSE ADJACENT TO
BODIES OF WATER. WITH LOW TEMPERATURES DIPPING BELOW FREEZING
AGAIN, PATCHY BLACK ICE COULD AFFECT THE MORNING COMMUTE.
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: FORECAST TURNS MORE UNSETTLED THROUGH
THIS PERIOD. EXPECT AREAS OF LIGHT PRECIPITATION BEGINNING
FRIDAY NIGHT, MAINLY IN THE FORM OF MOUNTAIN SNOW (PRIMARILY THE
CASCADES) AND A MIX OF RAIN AND SNOW INTO THE LOWLANDS. RAIN AND
SNOWFALL TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT, THOUGH STEVENS PASS
AND LOOKOUT PASS ARE BOTH LIKELY TO EXCEED 2 INCHES OF SNOWFALL
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ANY RAINFALL ACROSS THE LOWLANDS HAS THE
OPPORTUNITY OF FOR FREEZING OVERNIGHT ON AREA ROADWAYS.
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY: EXTENDED RANGE MODELS AND THE CPC'S
6-10 OUTLOOK FAVOR COOL CONDITIONS WITH OCCASIONAL PRECIP.
WHILE CONFIDENCE IN THE TIMING OF ANY PARTICULAR FEATURE REMAINS
LOW, WE SHOULD ANTICIPATE A WINTRY MIX OF PRECIPITATION TO
IMPACT MUCH OF THE INLAND NORTHWEST THRU THE PERIOD. /KD
AVIATION
12Z TAFS: NIGHTTIME MICROPHYSICS SATELLITE SHOW HIGH CLOUDS
MOVING INTO THE INLAND NORTHWEST WITH FOG IN THE VALLEYS AND
NEAR WATER BODIES OF NORTH IDAHO. FOG HAS SHRUNK IN COVERAGE
COMPARED TO THIS TIME YESTERDAY AND THE ARRIVAL OF HIGH CLOUDS
MAY LIMIT OVERALL EXPANSION THIS MORNING. FOG HAS EXPANDED INTO
KCOE BUT THERE IS LOWER CONFIDENCE IF IT WILL SPREAD INTO
KSFF/KLWS EARLY THIS MORNING. HOWEVER, KEPT THE MENTION IN THE
TAFS, BUT DELAYED THE ONSET BY 1-2 HOURS. OTHERWISE, WIDESPREAD
VFR CONDITIONS ARE ANTICIPATED BY THE LATE MORNING AND CONTINUE
THROUGH THE DAY.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR PRIMARILY VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD.
THE EXCEPTION WILL BE FOR TERMINALS NEAR WATER BODIES WHICH
COULD SEE SHALLOW FOG AND INTERMITTENT IFR/LIFR CONDITIONS
EARLY THIS MORNING.
-----------------------
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 44 30 42 33 41 / 0 0 0 0 40 30
COEUR D'ALENE 28 44 30 43 34 41 / 0 0 0 10 60 60
PULLMAN 30 45 31 44 35 43 / 0 0 0 0 50 60
LEWISTON 32 49 34 49 39 47 / 0 0 0 0 30 40
COLVILLE 27 43 28 39 31 41 / 0 0 0 10 50 40
SANDPOINT 28 41 31 39 34 39 / 0 0 0 20 70 80
KELLOGG 30 45 31 42 36 40 / 0 0 0 10 70 90
MOSES LAKE 28 44 28 42 31 45 / 0 0 0 0 10 10
WENATCHEE 32 44 33 43 31 43 / 0 0 0 10 10 10
OMAK 31 44 31 41 31 43 / 0 0 0 0 10 10
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
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