793
FXUS66 KOTX 031803
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
1103 AM PDT MON AUG 3 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- WILDFIRE SMOKE CONTINUES TO BRING UNHEALTHY AIR QUALITY.
- BREEZY NORTHERLY WINDS DOWN THE OKANOGAN VALLEY THROUGH
MONDAY MORNING.
- COOLER TEMPERATURES CONTINUE FOR MONDAY THEN WARMING BACK TO
SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
SYNOPSIS
BROAD RIDGE PATTERN WILL BRING A WARMING, DRY TREND OVER THE
REGION. WILDFIRE SMOKE WILL BRING DEGRADED AIR QUALITY FOR THE
INLAND NORTHWEST. SMOKE COULD REDUCE DAILY HIGHS A FEW DEGREES.
DISCUSSION
MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: AN UPPER TROUGH SWINGING THROUGH THE
REGION OVERNIGHT WILL EXIT INTO MONTANA THIS MORNING. AS THIS
TROUGH EXITS A DRY NORTHWEST FLOW PATTERN DEVELOPS OVER THE REGION
FOLLOWED BY HIGH PRESSURE GRADUALLY BUILDING INTO TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY AND LINGERING INTO THURSDAY. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR A
WARMING TREND WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY EACH DAY. GIVEN THE
NORTH- NORTHWEST FLOW TODAY MORE ROUNDS OF SMOKE WILL IMPACT THE
REGION FROM REGIONAL WILDFIRES, INCLUDING SMOKE COMING DOWN FROM
BRITISH COLUMBIA. THEN WITH LIGHTER WINDS AND BUILDING HIGH
PRESSURE THE SMOKE ISSUES WILL LIKELY CONTINUE. SEVERAL AIR
QUALITY AGENCIES HAVE ISSUED AIR QUALITY ALERTS FOR SEVERAL
COUNTIES ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO.
CURRENT TEMPERATURE FORECASTS ARE FROM THE NATIONAL BLEND OF
MODELS. DEPENDING ON AMOUNT OF SMOKE COVER, TEMPERATURES COULD NOT
REACH POTENTIAL AND END UP COOLER THAN FORECAST.
FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: ENSEMBLE MEANS SHOW HIGH PRESSURE
BEGINNING TO FLATTEN LATE IN THE WEEK, BUT WITH DRY AIR
PERSISTING. THE ZONAL FLOW AND DRY AIR MASS WILL BRING AN UPTICK
IN WIND SPEEDS WITH ECMWF ENSEMBLES SHOWING 15-25 MPH GUSTS ACROSS
EASTERN WASHINGTON EACH DAY, AND 25-35 MPH THROUGH THE CASCADE
GAPS. THIS HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BRING ELEVATED TO LOCALLY
CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS. JW
AVIATION
18Z TAFS: MVFR CONDITIONS HAVE CONTINUED ACROSS MANY TERMINALS
THIS MORNING DUE TO SMOKE FROM AREA WILDFIRES. PILOT REPORTS
AROUND EASTERN WA AND NORTH ID INDICATE A THICKER LAYER AROUND
5000 FT WITH SCATTERED SMOKE ABOVE, THOUGH CONDITIONS REMAIN
VARIABLE AS THE SMOKE IS TRANSPORTED. EXPECT CONTINUED
VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS IN SMOKE FOR MANY TERMINALS INCLUDING
KGEG, KSFF, KCOE, KMWH AND KEAT THROUGH THE PERIOD. NORTHERLY
SURFACE WINDS ACROSS MOST TERMINALS TODAY, WITH WINDS EASING
OVERNIGHT.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: MODERATE TO HIGH
CONFIDENCE IN WINDS. MODERATE CONFIDENCE FOR SMOKE IMPACTS
BRINGING MVFR TO IFR VISIBILITIES FOR AREA 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 80 50 85 52 90 56 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
COEUR D'ALENE 79 50 84 53 89 57 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
PULLMAN 76 44 83 46 88 50 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
LEWISTON 82 54 88 57 94 60 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
COLVILLE 82 42 86 45 91 50 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
SANDPOINT 77 45 82 48 88 52 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
KELLOGG 75 49 81 52 85 55 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
MOSES LAKE 83 52 89 53 93 57 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 84 60 89 63 94 66 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OMAK 85 54 90 57 94 61 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL 5 PM PDT THURSDAY FOR CENTRAL CHELAN
COUNTY-LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-MOSES LAKE AREA-
NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS-NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN
HIGHLANDS-OKANOGAN VALLEY-SPOKANE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA
BASIN-WASHINGTON PALOUSE-WATERVILLE PLATEAU-WENATCHEE
AREA-WESTERN CHELAN COUNTY-WESTERN OKANOGAN COUNTY.
ID...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL NOON PDT TODAY FOR CENTRAL PANHANDLE
MOUNTAINS-IDAHO PALOUSE-LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE
COUNTIES-LEWISTON AREA.
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