749
FXUS66 KOTX 032110
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
ISSUED BY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
210 PM PDT MON AUG 3 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- EXTENSIVE AMOUNTS OF SMOKE WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REGION THIS
WEEK, MAINTAINING UNHEALTHY AIR QUALITY.
- TEMPERATURES STEADILY WARM THROUGH THE THROUGH THE WEEK AHEAD,
WITH TEMPERATURES WARMING ABOVE NORMAL BY THE MIDDLE OF THE
WEEK.
- DRY CONDITIONS AND BREEZY WINDS INCREASE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
ACROSS PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WASHINGTON, BRINGING ELEVATED FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS.
SYNOPSIS
HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES ACROSS THE REGION THIS WEEK, BRINGING
STEADILY WARMER AND DRIER CONDITIONS EACH DAY. WILDFIRE SMOKE
WILL BRING DEGRADED AIR QUALITY FOR THE INLAND NORTHWEST. BREEZY
WINDS INCREASE LATE IN THE WEEK, LEADING TO INCREASED FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
DISCUSSION
WIDESPREAD SMOKE REMAINS ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON, WITH
A DRY NORTHWEST FLOW PATTERN EMERGING BEHIND THE DEPARTED UPPER
TROUGH. HIGH PRESSURE THEN CONTINUES TO BUILD OVER THE AREA
THROUGH MIDWEEK. THIS WILL MAINTAIN WARMER DAYTIME TEMPERATURES
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES EACH DAY. WITH WINDS GENERALLY
FROM THE NORTH/NORTHWEST, EXPECT ADDITIONAL ROUNDS OF SMOKE TO
IMPACT THE REGION FROM LOCAL AND REGIONAL FIRES. ONCE THE SMOKE
ARRIVES, EASING WINDS AND STRONGER HIGH PRESSURE WILL LEAVE
LINGERING ISSUES. AIR QUALITY ALERTS HAVE BEEN ISSUED BY AIR
QUALITY AGENCIES ACROSS CENTRAL AND EASTERN WASHINGTON, AS WELL
AS NORTH IDAHO. WHILE THE CURRENT TEMPERATURE FORECAST CONTINUES
TO REFLECT TEMPERATURES REACHING WELL INTO THE 90S WEDNESDAY
THROUGH FRIDAY, THE IMPACT OF THE WIDESPREAD SMOKE ACROSS THE
REGION COULD HOLD DAYTIME TEMPERATURES A LITTLE COOLER THAN
WOULD OTHERWISE BE EXPECTED.
LOOKING AHEAD TO THE END OF THE WEEK AND INTO THE WEEKEND, DRY
AIR REMAINS IN PLACE BUT THE HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE BEGINS TO
FLATTEN OUT. THIS ZONAL FLOW AND THE DRY AIR MASS WILL BRING
INCREASED POTENTIAL FOR WIND GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH THROUGH THE
CASCADE GAPS AND AROUND 20 MPH ACROSS PORTIONS OF EASTERN
WASHINGTON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. THIS WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL
FOR ELEVATED TO LOCALLY CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS.
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 50 85 52 90 56 95 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
COEUR D'ALENE 50 84 53 89 57 94 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
PULLMAN 44 83 46 88 50 93 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
LEWISTON 54 88 57 94 60 100 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
COLVILLE 42 86 45 91 50 96 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
SANDPOINT 45 82 48 89 52 94 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
KELLOGG 49 81 52 85 55 92 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
MOSES LAKE 52 89 53 93 57 98 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 60 89 63 94 66 99 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OMAK 54 90 57 94 61 98 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE FOR ADAMS, ASOTIN,
CHELAN, DOUGLAS, FERRY, GARFIELD, GRANT, LINCOLN, OKANOGAN, PEND
OREILLE, SPOKANE, STEVENS, AND WHITMAN COUNTIES
ID...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL NOON PDT WEDNESDAY FOR BOUNDARY,
BONNER, BENEWAH, CLEARWATER, IDAHO, KOOTENAI, LATAH, LEWIS, AND
NEZ PERCE, AND SHOSHONE COUNTIES
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