037
FXUS66 KOTX 191707
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1007 AM PDT SUN APR 19 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- DRY AND WARM CONDITIONS THROUGH TUESDAY.
- INCREASING RISK FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY EVENING.
- LIGHT TO MODERATE RAINS WEDNESDAY, WITH A CHANCE FOR
THUNDERSTORMS.
SYNOPSIS
DRY, WARM CONDITIONS THROUGH TUESDAY. UNSETTLED WEATHER RETURNS
TUESDAY AFTERNOON INTO WEDNESDAY NEXT WEEK, WITH POTENTIAL FOR
SOME MODERATE RAINS.
DISCUSSION
TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING: A RIDGE CENTERED OVER THE STATE OF
WASHINGTON WILL RESULT IN MOSTLY DRY AND WARMING CONDITIONS WITH
LITTLE TO NO IMPACTS THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. HIGH
TEMPERATURES WILL RISE INTO THE MID 70S WITH SOME ISOLATED LOW 80S
BY MONDAY. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL RISE INTO THE HIGH 40S BY MONDAY
NIGHT.
TUESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: CHANCES FOR PRECIPITATION INCREASE AS A
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM NEARS THE PNW COAST AND MOVES INLAND OVER THE
CALIFORNIA/OREGON BORDER. BY MIDDAY TUESDAY, POPS WILL HAVE
INCREASED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. AS THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES
FURTHER INLAND AND TO THE NORTHEAST, HEIGHTS WILL LOWER ACROSS THE
EASTERN THIRD OF WASHINGTON AND THE IDAHO PANHANDLE THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. PAIRED WITH A SURFACE LOW RESULTING IN A FRONTAL PASSAGE,
MUCH OF THE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW WILL BE
CONFINED TO THIS AREA, THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL
SEE AT LEAST A WETTING RAIN (0.10 INCHES) BY WEDNESDAY EVENING.
WEDNESDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING, MUCH OF THE IDAHO
PANHANDLE AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON SEE 0.5 INCHES OF RAIN. ISOLATED
HIGHER RAINFALL TOTALS NEARING 0.75 INCHES OF RAIN ARE POSSIBLE IN
THE WA/ID PALOUSE AND IN THE FOOTHILLS OF THE CENTRAL ID PANHANDLE.
THIS WILL LEAD TO RISES ON RIVERS AND STREAMS, AND POSSIBLE NUISANCE
FLOODING IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. IN PARTICULAR, KOOTENAI RIVER AT
BONNERS FERRY IS FORECAST TO GO INTO ACTION STAGE BY EARLY THURSDAY
MORNING. STEHEKIN RIVER IS SEEING ONGOING HYDROLOGIC ISSUES, AND IS
EXPECTED TO REACH MINOR FLOOD STAGE BY MONDAY.
ASIDE FROM THE RAIN, THERE ARE A FEW OTHER CHARACTERISTICS OF THIS
WEATHER PATTERN THAT WILL RESULT IN IMPACTS ACROSS THE AREA. SNOW
LEVELS WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BE VERY HIGH, STARTING AT 8000 FEET AND
LOWERING TO 4500-5000 FEET BY THURSDAY. MUCH OF THIS SNOW WILL BE
ABOVE PASS LEVEL. LOOKOUT PASS DOES HAVE A CHANCE OF AN INCH OR SO
OF SNOW THROUGH WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. BOTTOM LINE: EXPECT
LITTLE TO NO WINTRY TRAVEL IMPACTS ALONG MOUNTAIN PASSES. CHANCES
FOR THUNDERSTORMS INCREASE, PARTICULARLY ON TUESDAY AS TEMPERATURES
WILL STILL BE WARM AHEAD OF THE INCOMING FRONTAL PASSAGE. CAPE
VALUES ARE MODEST ON TUESDAY NIGHT, WITH 300-500 J/KG EXPECTED
THROUGH TUESDAY EVENING. MAIN RISKS WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE, WINDS
WILL INCREASE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE CASCADES,
OKANOGAN VALLEY AND HIGHLANDS, WATERVILLE PLATEAU, MOSES LAKE,
BASIN, AND NORTHERN BLUES AREAS, WITH GUSTS 20-25 MPH EXPECTED AND
LOCALLY HIGHER WIND GUSTS NEAR 35-40 MPH. ADDITIONALLY, HIGH
TEMPERATURES WILL DROP CONSIDERABLY, NEARLY 15-20 DEGREES, FROM
TUESDAY TO WEDNESDAY. LOW TEMPERATURES WILL NOT SEE QUITE AS
DRAMATIC A DROP, THOUGH IT WILL STILL BE NOTICEABLE AT 10-15
DEGREES.
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: BY FRIDAY, THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL HAVE
MOVED OUT OF THE AREA AND HEIGHTS WILL HAVE INCREASED DUE TO A RIDGE
OFF THE COAST OF CANADA. THIS IS WHERE CLUSTERS AND LONG TERM MODELS
DIVERGE. THERE IS LITTLE AGREEMENT IN HOW FAR THE HIGHER
HEIGHTS MOVE INLAND. HOWEVER, EVEN WITH THIS DISAGREEMENT, THERE
WILL OVERALL BE A WARMING AND DRYING TREND THROUGH NEXT WEEKEND
WITH THE DEPARTURE OF THE LOW. /AS
AVIATION
18Z TAFS: AN UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE IS CURRENTLY OVER THE INLAND
NORTHWEST WITH A DEEP UPPER-LEVEL CLOSED LOW OFFSHORE. VFR
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE WITH PASSING MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS
THROUGH THE PERIOD. WINDS WILL BE EASTERLY BETWEEN 10-15 KNOTS
FOR KCOE/KPUW THROUGH THIS MORNING AND GRADUALLY DECREASE
THROUGH THE EARLY AFTERNOON.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR VFR CONDITIONS.
-----------------------
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 70 44 75 48 76 48 / 0 0 0 0 0 40
COEUR D'ALENE 70 44 75 48 76 48 / 0 0 0 0 0 50
PULLMAN 67 45 75 48 72 46 / 0 0 0 0 10 60
LEWISTON 73 47 79 51 76 51 / 0 0 0 0 10 60
COLVILLE 71 41 78 45 80 48 / 0 0 0 0 10 40
SANDPOINT 67 43 72 46 75 48 / 0 0 0 0 10 50
KELLOGG 68 46 75 49 77 48 / 0 0 0 0 10 50
MOSES LAKE 76 46 81 49 79 52 / 0 0 0 0 10 40
WENATCHEE 72 50 77 54 77 55 / 0 0 0 0 10 30
OMAK 72 46 79 51 79 53 / 0 0 0 0 10 20
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
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