509
FXUS66 KOTX 052126
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
226 PM PDT FRI JUN 5 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- GUSTY WINDS LEADING TO ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS
TODAY.
- BREEZY WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY.
- COOLER SUNDAY INTO MONDAY WITH PATCHY FROST ACROSS THE
NORTHERN MOUNTAIN VALLEYS.
SYNOPSIS
GUSTY WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS TODAY. FOR THE WEEKEND, COOLER
AND SHOWERY CONDITIONS RETURN, WITH BREEZY TO WINDY
CONDITIONS. COOLER TEMPERATURES OVER THE WEEKEND WITH
OVERNIGHT LOWS SUNDAY AND MONDAY INTO THE 30S AND 40S.
ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS EXPECTED MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
FRIDAY: THE GULF OF ALASKA LOW HAS STARTED TO MOVE INLAND, BRINGING
INCREASING CLOUD COVER AND COOLING TEMPERATURES. A SURFACE LOW
USHERED IN A DRY COLD FRONT, WHICH HAS RESULTED IN GUSTY WINDS
REGIONWIDE. MOST PLACES WILL SEE WIND GUSTS 25-30 MPH, WITH
LOCALIZED WIND GUSTS 35-40 MPH ALONG THE CASCADE GAPS. IMPACTS FROM
THIS INCLUDE BLOWING OBJECTS AND CHALLENGING DRIVING CONDITIONS,
ESPECIALLY FOR HIGH PROFILE VEHICLES. ADDITIONALLY, ANY AREAS WITH
FRESHLY PLOWED FIELDS HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO SEE BLOWING DUST
IMPACTS. THIS WILL BE CLOSELY MONITORED THROUGH THE DAY. LOW
RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES HAVE ALSO RESULTED IN ENHANCED FIRE
WEATHER CONCERNS, ESPECIALLY FOR ANY NEW FIRE STARTS IN GRASSY
AREAS.
SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: AS THE LOW CONTINUES TO TRACK THROUGH THE
STATE, TEMPERATURES ON SATURDAY WILL BE 5-10 DEGREES COOLER THAN ON
FRIDAY. THESE TEMPERATURES, LOW TO MID 60S, ARE UNSEASONABLY COOL
FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. 850MB TEMPERATURES ALONG THE CASCADE CREST
WILL BE COLD ENOUGH TO SUPPORT LIGHT SNOW, THOUGH NO ACCUMULATIONS
ARE EXPECTED. ELSEWHERE, THE PRECIPITATION TYPE WILL BE RAIN. POPS
HAVE INCREASED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA, ESPECIALLY SOUTHWARD. AREAS
THAT HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION WILL BE THE CASCADES AND
NORTHERN MOUNTAINS, THOUGH A 10-20% CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION EXTENDS
DOWN TO SPOKANE AND MOSES LAKE. STEEP LAPSE RATES AND 100-200 J/KG
OF CAPE WILL RESULT IN A CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE CASCADES AND THROUGH THE NORTHERN
MOUNTAINS DOWN TO DEER PARK. MAIN IMPACTS FROM THESE
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SMALL HAIL, LIGHTNING, AND GUSTY OUTFLOW
WINDS UP TO 40 MPH.
MAIN IMPACTS SEEN ON SUNDAY WILL BE SEEN VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING
WITH THE RISK FOR FROST. TEMPERATURES IN THE NORTHERN VALLEYS EARLY
SUNDAY MORNING LOOK TO DROP INTO THE MID 30S. FROST HEADLINES ARE
BECOMING INCREASINGLY LIKELY. SENSITIVE VEGETATION MAY BE HARMED BY
THESE COLDER TEMPERATURES. POPS WILL BE VERY LIMITED ON SUNDAY TO
THE IDAHO PANHANDLE, AND THERE IS A CHANCE FOR AFTERNOON AND EVENING
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTHERN PANHANDLE.
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY: ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL IMPACT
THE AREA AT THE BEGINNING OF THE NEXT WORK WEEK, AND IS EXPECTED TO
BRING A ROUND OF WIDESPREAD BENEFICIAL PRECIPITATION TO THE FORECAST
AREA. MUCH OF THIS RAIN WILL FALL TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY.
TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO TREND A FEW DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. LONG
TERM MODELS GFS/ECMWF SUPPORT 100-200 J/KG OF CAPE ON TUESDAY
AFTERNOON, INCREASING THE CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS WITH THESE
SHOWERS. WE'LL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL. CURRENT
PRECIPITATION ESTIMATES SHOW THE COLUMBIA BASIN SEEING 0.1-0.2
INCHES OF RAIN TUESDAY THROUGH LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT, WITH DEEPER
BASIN AREAS SEEING LESS AT LESS THAN 0.10 INCHES. MOUNTAIN AREAS
COULD RECEIVE UP TO 0.50 INCHES. /AS
AVIATION
18Z TAFS: VFR AND DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED AT ALL TAF SITES WITH
WINDY CONDITIONS. A DRY COLD FRONT MOVING IN FROM THE WEST HAS
BROUGHT INCREASED WINDS TO THE REGION. WINDS WILL PEAK AROUND
20Z-03Z, WITH GUSTS 25-30KTS, THEN BEGIN DECREASING AFTER
03-04Z. LOCALLY HIGHER WIND GUSTS NEAR 35-40KTS NEAR THE CASCADE
GAPS.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
HIGH CONFIDENCE IN VFR CONDITIONS. MODERATE CONFIDENCE IN THE
TIMING OF WINDS. /AS
-----------------------
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 45 63 40 65 42 67 / 0 20 20 0 0 20
COEUR D'ALENE 46 61 41 62 42 66 / 0 20 20 10 0 20
PULLMAN 44 60 39 61 40 65 / 0 10 10 10 0 10
LEWISTON 51 68 47 69 46 72 / 0 10 0 10 0 0
COLVILLE 38 64 32 67 36 68 / 0 40 40 10 0 20
SANDPOINT 44 60 38 60 40 65 / 0 20 30 30 0 20
KELLOGG 46 59 41 59 40 67 / 0 20 20 30 0 10
MOSES LAKE 42 68 37 72 44 72 / 0 20 10 0 0 10
WENATCHEE 48 65 45 71 51 70 / 0 10 10 0 0 20
OMAK 43 65 38 71 44 71 / 0 60 10 0 0 20
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page