522
FXUS66 KOTX 252132
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
232 PM PDT THU JUN 25 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- WINDY AND DRY THROUGH THURSDAY EVENING WITH ELEVATED TO
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
- WEATHER CHANGES ARRIVE FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND WITH MUCH
COOLER TEMPERATURES, GUSTY WINDS, AND RAIN SHOWERS.
SYNOPSIS
WARM AND WINDY CONDITIONS THURSDAY WILL BRING ELEVATED TO
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. A PATTERN CHANGE ARRIVES ON
FRIDAY AS A WEATHER SYSTEM DELIVERS MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES,
GUSTY WINDS, AND RAIN SHOWERS FOR MUCH OF THE REGION. COOL AND
SHOWERY CONDITIONS PERSIST THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY
NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
THURSDAY: A DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM HAS BEGUN SLIDING DOWN THE
COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA TOWARD THE INLAND NORTHWEST. HIGH
LEVEL CLOUDS CAN BE SEEN ON SATELLITE SPREADING ACROSS
WA, OR, AND ID OUT AHEAD OF THE LOW. COOL, MOIST AIR PUSHING
ONSHORE WEST OF THE CASCADES HAS TIGHTENED THE CROSS- CASCADE
PRESSURE GRADIENT, AND WE ARE SEEING BREEZY SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS
THROUGH THE CASCADE GAPS AND ACROSS THE INLAND NW TODAY AS A
RESULT. WINDS WILL CONTINUE GUSTING TO BETWEEN 20 AND 35 MPH
INTO THIS EVENING. COMBINED WITH THE WARM AND DRY AIR STILL
PRESENT OVER EASTERN WA AND ID, THE GUSTY WINDS ARE BRINGING
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WITH A RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT
ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION THROUGH 9PM TONIGHT.
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: A SUBSTANTIAL PATTERN CHANGE IS IN STORE
FOR FRIDAY AS THE AFOREMENTIONED DEEP LOW ROLLS INTO THE
NORTHWEST AND REMAINS OVER THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WITH
THIS LOW WILL COME MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES IN THE 60S TO LOW
70S, RAIN SHOWERS, AND PERIODS OF AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS.
CHANCES FOR SHOWERS LOOK BEST ON FRIDAY AND SUNDAY WITH THE
INITIAL PLUME OF MOISTURE AND LEADING COLD FRONT PASSING
THROUGH ON FRIDAY, THEN ADDITIONAL MOISTURE WRAPPING AROUND THE
LOW AND BACK INTO THE REGION ON SUNDAY.
MOUNTAIN AREAS HAVE THE HIGHEST CHANCES (80-100 PERCENT) OF
SEEING GREATER THAN 0.10 INCHES OF RAIN ON FRIDAY, WHILE
LOWLAND AREAS INCLUDING SPOKANE, THE PALOUSE, THE COLUMBIA
BASIN, AND THE OKANOGAN VALLEY HAVE A 30-70 PERCENT CHANCE OF
SEEING MORE THAN 0.10 INCHES OF PRECIP.
WINDS WILL BE PERIODICALLY GUSTY THROUGH THE PERIOD,
PARTICULARLY IN THE LEE OF THE CASCADES. FORTUNATELY, COOLER
TEMPERATURES AND HIGHER HUMIDITY VALUES WILL KEEP FIRE WEATHER
CONCERNS AT BAY.
MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: ENSEMBLES KEEP A TROUGHING PATTERN OVER
THE NORTHWEST WITH POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVES MOVING
AROUND THE BROADER TROUGH. TEMPERATURES LOOK TO GRADUALLY TREND
WARMER, STAYING IN THE 60S TO 70S FOR THE MOST PART THROUGH AT
LEAST THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. PRECIPITATION CHANCES DO NOT
LOOK AS ROBUST HEADING INTO NEXT WEEK, BUT PERIODIC CHANCES FOR
SHOWERS WILL STILL BE PRESENT OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
AVIATION
18Z TAFS: VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH AT LEAST 12Z
FRIDAY WITH BREEZY SOUTHWEST WINDS AROUND 15-25 KT THROUGH
THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE IS A 10-20% CHANCE OF MVFR
CEILINGS FOR KGEG, KSFF, KCOE, KEAT, KLWS, AND KPUW AFTER 13Z
FRIDAY AS SHOWER COVERAGE INCREASES.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: CONFIDENCE IS
MODERATE TO HIGH FOR PERSISTENT SOUTHWEST WINDS THURSDAY
AFTERNOON AND EVENING AHEAD OF AN INCOMING COLD FRONT.
CONFIDENCE IS LOW FOR MVFR CEILINGS DEVELOPING AT TAF SITES.
-----------------------
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 53 70 49 68 47 67 / 30 60 60 10 20 40
COEUR D'ALENE 55 68 51 67 48 63 / 20 70 60 10 30 60
PULLMAN 50 68 46 64 43 62 / 10 60 30 20 20 50
LEWISTON 60 75 55 71 52 69 / 20 60 60 40 20 60
COLVILLE 50 71 44 70 43 71 / 10 70 90 80 30 50
SANDPOINT 55 65 51 66 49 61 / 10 80 80 40 30 70
KELLOGG 54 66 49 63 46 58 / 10 70 50 40 40 70
MOSES LAKE 54 78 49 73 47 76 / 10 30 20 10 10 20
WENATCHEE 59 75 54 71 54 74 / 20 30 10 10 10 10
OMAK 58 77 52 74 50 78 / 10 50 50 50 20 10
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR COLVILLE
RESERVATION (ZONE 702)-EASTERN COLUMBIA BASIN -PALOUSE -
SPOKANE AREA (ZONE 708)-FOOTHILLS OF CENTRAL WASHINGTON
CASCADES (ZONE 705)-LOWER PALOUSE -SNAKE RIVER (ZONE
709)-OKANOGAN VALLEY (ZONE 703)-WATERVILLE PLATEAU (ZONE
706)-WESTERN COLUMBIA BASIN (ZONE 707).
ID...NONE.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page