965
FXUS66 KOTX 231150
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
450 AM PDT SUN AUG 23 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS OVER NORTHEAST WA AND NORTH ID THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING.
- BREEZY WINDS ACROSS THE BASIN ON SUNDAY.
SYNOPSIS
A WEATHER SYSTEM CONTINUES TO IMPACT THE REGION THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING GUSTY
OUTFLOW WINDS, ALONG WITH BREEZY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE
HUMIDITY EXPECTED. SUNDAY WILL REMAIN BREEZY AND DRY, BUT
COOLER. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM AGAIN AT THE START OF NEXT WEEK
WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS RETURNING BY THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
TODAY: THE LOW WILL BE PASSING THROUGH THE NORTH IDAHO INTO
ALBERTA. THERE IS STILL ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO GENERATE SHOWERS
AND OCCASIONAL ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM OVER NORTHEAST WA AND NORTH
IDAHO THROUGH THE MORNING. THESE AREAS HAVE A ROUND 10-30%
PROBABILITY OF THUNDERSTORMS. THE THUNDERSTORM THREAT WILL
DIMINISH THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AS THE SYSTEM CONTINUES EASTWARD.
THE SYSTEM WILL BRING GUSTY WINDS ACROSS THE BASIN WITH GUSTS
IN THE 20-30 MPH RANGE. WINDS WILL BE BREEZY THROUGH THE DAY
BEFORE DECLINING BY THE EVENING. HIGHS WILL BE COOLER WITH A
RANGE OF UPPER 70S TO 80S EXPECTED.
MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY: A RIDGE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION
ALONG THE CONTINENTAL DIVIDE WHILE A TROUGH DIGS IN OFF THE
COAST. A SIMILAR PATTERN WILL BE SETTING UP FROM THIS PAST
WEEKEND. THE RIDGE WILL BE IN PLACE FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS LEADING
TO DRY, WARM PATTERN. HIGHS WILL CLIMB BACK INTO THE 90S.
MODERATE HEATRISK WILL RETURN FOR MOST LOWLAND LOCATIONS ON
TUESDAY. THE TROUGH BEGIN TO PUSH INTO THE REGION ON WEDNESDAY
AND SLOWLY TRACK EAST THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. ENSEMBLES
HAVE WEAK INSTABILITY OVER THE CASCADES, NORTHERN MOUNTAINS, AND
THE IDAHO PANHANDLE. PRECIPITABLE WATER AMOUNTS ARE 0.5-0.75 OF
AN INCH. THESE AREAS WILL LIKELY HAVE ISOLATED SHOWERS WITH AN
OCCASIONAL LIGHTNING STRIKE. NBM HAS AROUND A 10% PROBABILITY OF
LIGHTNING. WINDS WILL INCREASE THROUGH THE OKANOGAN VALLEY AND
WATERVILLE PLATEAU WITH GUSTS IN THE 20-30 MPH RANGE. WHILE IT
DOES NOT BRING IN A MEANINGFUL AMOUNT OF RAIN, THE TROUGH WILL
DROP HIGHS BACK INTO THE 80S THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. /JDC
AVIATION
12Z TAFS: SHOWERS OVER FAR NE WA INTO N IDAHO WILL MOVE OUT OF
THE AREA THIS MORNING ALONG WITH A FEW EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS.
ANOTHER WAVE PASSING THROUGH IN THE AFTERNOON WILL ALLOW FOR
SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS TO REDEVELOP NEAR
THE CANADIAN BORDER. OTHERWISE A DRY WESTERLY FLOW IS EXPECTED
TO PROMOTE VFR CONDITIONS FOR ALL TAF SITES ALONG WITH BREEZY
WEST TO SOUTHWEST WINDS. THESE WINDS WILL QUICKLY DECREASE
BETWEEN 1Z-4Z THIS EVENING AS PRESSURE GRADIENTS RELAX AS HIGH
PRESSURE BEGINS TO DEVELOP OVER THE REGION.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: PREVAILING WEST
TO SOUTHWEST WINDS TODAY IS EXPECTED TO KEEP THE BULF OF THE
SMOKE FROM REGIONAL WILDFIRES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA AND EAST
SLOPES OF THE CASCADES NORTH OF KEAT- KGEG- KSFF- KCOE THROUGH
THE AFTERNOON. DEPEND ON AMOUNT OF SMOKE PRODUCTION FROM AREA
WILDFIRES AS INVERSIONS DEVELOP TONIGHT AND WINDS SHIFT TO
NORTH-NORTHWEST COULD SEE SOME VISIBILITY RESTRICTIONS AT
KEAT/KMWH BUT CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN CONDITIONS DROPPING TO BELOW
VFR. JW
-----------------------
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 58 80 53 86 55 93 / 30 0 0 0 0 0
COEUR D'ALENE 58 79 52 86 55 93 / 50 0 0 0 0 0
PULLMAN 50 76 45 86 49 93 / 30 0 0 0 0 0
LEWISTON 61 85 56 92 61 98 / 30 0 0 0 0 0
COLVILLE 51 78 43 86 46 93 / 20 30 10 0 0 0
SANDPOINT 55 76 46 82 50 90 / 50 10 0 0 0 0
KELLOGG 54 76 51 84 54 91 / 50 10 0 0 0 0
MOSES LAKE 55 84 52 89 57 94 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 63 82 61 87 64 92 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OMAK 55 83 53 88 57 93 / 20 10 0 0 0 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 11 AM PDT SUNDAY FOR SELKIRK MOUNTAINS
OF NORTHEAST WASHINGTON (ZONE 700).
AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE FOR CENTRAL CHELAN
COUNTY-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS-OKANOGAN VALLEY-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-
WATERVILLE PLATEAU-WENATCHEE AREA-WESTERN CHELAN COUNTY-WESTERN
OKANOGAN COUNTY.
ID...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 11 AM PDT SUNDAY FOR NORTHERN AND CENTRAL IDAHO
PANHANDLE (ZONE 101).
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