866
FXUS66 KOTX 202347
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
447 PM PDT FRI MAR 20 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- HYDROLOGY CONCERNS: RAIN ON SNOW IN THE CASCADES AND IDAHO
PANHANDLE WILL LEAD TO RISES ON CREEKS AND STREAMS THROUGH THE
WEEKEND.
- COOLING TREND: A COLD FRONT TONIGHT WILL DROP TEMPERATURES BY
10 TO 15 DEGREES, BRINGING US BACK NEAR SEASONAL AVERAGES FOR
LATE MARCH.
- NEXT SYSTEM: UNSETTLED WEATHER RETURNS TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY,
BRINGING MOUNTAIN SNOW AND POTENTIAL TRAVEL IMPACTS OVER
MOUNTAIN PASSES.
SYNOPSIS
TONIGHT WILL MARK THE START OF A COOLING AND DRYING TREND AS A
COLD FRONT PUSHES THE CURRENT PLUME OF MOISTURE SOUTHEASTWARD
OUT OF THE REGION. THIS WILL BRING A DRY AND SEASONABLY COOL
WEEKEND. UNSETTLED WEATHER IS FORECAST TO RETURN TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY AS THE NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM BRINGS MOUNTAIN SNOW,
LOWLAND RAIN, AND BREEZY WINDS.
DISCUSSION
TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY: THE PLUME OF MOISTURE THAT HAS BEEN
DIRECTED AT THE NORTHWEST THE PAST FEW DAYS WILL BE PUSHED
SOUTHEASTWARD AND OUT OF THE REGION OVERNIGHT AS A COLD FRONT
MOVES IN. ONE LAST BAND OF PRECIPITATION WILL SET UP ALONG THE
FRONT TONIGHT STRETCHING FROM SOUTHEAST WA INTO THE CENTRAL ID
PANHANDLE BEFORE DRY AIR MOVES IN BEHIND THE FRONT.
FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE, SATURDAY WILL FEEL NOTICEABLY
COOLER THAN TODAY WITH AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE 50S. SATURDAY
NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING WILL FEATURE THE COLDEST LOW
TEMPERATURES OF THE WEEK AHEAD. CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS WILL
ALLOW FOR EFFICIENT RADIATIONAL COOLING, DROPPING LOWS INTO THE
UPPER 20S TO LOW 30S FOR MOST LOCATIONS. MONDAY REMAINS DRY
WITH A SLIGHT BUMP IN TEMPERATURES AS CLOUD COVER INCREASES
AHEAD OF THE MIDWEEK SYSTEM.
TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY: CONFIDENCE IS MODERATE FOR A RETURN
TO UNSETTLED WEATHER BY MIDWEEK AS OUR NEXT LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
MOVES IN, THOUGH MODELS STILL DISAGREE ON THE STRENGTH AND TRACK
OF THE SYSTEM. MODELS ARE SPLIT BETWEEN TWO SCENARIOS. IN THE
FIRST SCENARIO, A STRONGER, DEEPER LOW TRACKS THROUGH THE REGION
BRINGING MORE PRECIPITATION AND HIGHER WIND SPEEDS. IN THE
SECOND, THE SYSTEM IS DEFLECTED TO OUR NORTH BRINGING LESS
PRECIPITATION AND LOWER SPEEDS. REGARDLESS OF THE TRACK, SNOW
LEVELS WILL FALL LOW ENOUGH TO BRING A RETURN OF MOUNTAIN SNOW
AND WINTRY TRAVEL CONDITIONS TO THE MOUNTAIN PASSES. PASS
TRAVELERS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE FORECAST CLOSELY FOR
THIS TUESDAY-WEDNESDAY TIME PERIOD.
THURSDAY ONWARD: ENSEMBLES GENERALLY AGREE ON A TREND TOWARD
DRIER CONDITIONS TO CLOSE OUT THE WEEK WITH TEMPERATURES
REMAINING NEAR SEASONAL AVERAGES. /FEWKES
AVIATION
00Z TAFS: AN INCOMING COLD FRONT IS PUSHING A BAND OF MOISTURE
SOUTHEASTWARD ACROSS THE REGION, BRINGING INCREASING CHANCES FOR
LIGHT RAIN TO KGEG, KSFF, AND KCOE AFTER 03Z AND TO KPUW AND
KLWS AFTER 09Z. DESPITE CHANCES FOR RAIN, VFR CONDITIONS ARE
FORECAST THROUGH THE NEXT 24 HOURS WITH CLOUD CEILINGS REMAINING
ABOVE 5K FEET. WINDS WILL BE BREEZY INTO THE EVENING FOR MOST
SITES WITH GUSTS OF 20 TO 30 KTS. WINDS WILL SUBSIDE OVERNIGHT
BEFORE RAMPING BACK UP TOMORROW AFTERNOON WITH SIMILAR SPEEDS AS
WE SAW TODAY.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR CONDITIONS TO REMAIN VFR THROUGH THE PERIOD
AT TAF SITES. MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE IN PERIODIC SHOWERS
THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD. MODERATE CONFIDENCE IN TIMING OF
WIND.
-----------------------
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 42 54 30 50 32 54 / 40 10 0 0 0 0
COEUR D'ALENE 42 54 30 50 31 54 / 70 20 0 0 0 0
PULLMAN 44 51 31 50 34 54 / 70 60 0 0 0 0
LEWISTON 50 57 35 55 37 57 / 50 70 0 0 0 0
COLVILLE 38 57 28 52 30 55 / 10 0 0 0 0 0
SANDPOINT 41 51 30 47 31 51 / 70 30 0 0 0 0
KELLOGG 43 51 32 48 33 54 / 90 60 0 0 0 0
MOSES LAKE 42 57 30 56 34 58 / 10 0 0 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 39 52 32 53 34 56 / 10 0 0 0 0 0
OMAK 38 54 31 52 32 54 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
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