980
FXUS66 KOTX 082349
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
449 PM PDT TUE SEP 8 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- A WARMING AND DRYING TREND EXPECTED TODAY (TUESDAY) THROUGH
THURSDAY.
- BREEZY WINDS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AHEAD OF THE NEXT WEATHER
SYSTEM.
- COOL AND SHOWERY CONDITIONS RETURN FRIDAY THROUGH THE
WEEKEND.
SYNOPSIS
A WARMING AND DRYING TREND COMMENCES TODAY (TUESDAY) AS HIGHER
PRESSURE RETURNS TO THE REGION. WINDS PICK UP OUT OF THE WEST
THURSDAY AFTERNOON AHEAD OF THE NEXT WEATHER SYSTEM, THEN
SHOWERS AND COOLER TEMPERATURES RETURN FRIDAY THROUGH THE
WEEKEND.
DISCUSSION
TODAY (TUESDAY) THROUGH THURSDAY: A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE
NUDGING IN FROM THE WEST WILL GAIN INFLUENCE OVER THE WEATHER
PATTERN THROUGH THE DAY TODAY, USHERING IN DRIER AIR AND
CLEARING OUT CLOUD COVER FROM WEST TO EAST. TEMPERATURES WILL
TREND 5 TO 10 DEGREES WARMER THAN YESTERDAY WITH HIGHS TODAY
RANGING FROM THE UPPER 60S IN NORTH ID TO THE LOW 80S IN CENTRAL
WA. LOW TEMPERATURES TONIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING WILL FALL
INTO THE 40S TO LOW 50S. CLEAR SKIES AND LIGHT WINDS COMBINED
WITH A MOIST BOUNDARY LAYER FROM RECENT RAINS MAY LEAD TO FOG
DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE SHELTERED NORTHERN VALLEYS.
BY WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY, TEMPERATURES WILL CLIMB INTO THE MID
TO UPPER 70S FOR NORTH ID, UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S FOR THE EASTERN
THIRD OF WA, AND LOW TO UPPER 80S FOR CENTRAL WA. WINDS WILL
ALSO INCREASE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. FOR WEDNESDAY, BREEZY
CONDITIONS WILL BE MORE LOCALIZED ACROSS CENTRAL WA, PRIMARILY
AFFECTING THE WATERVILLE PLATEAU AND OKANOGAN VALLEY. WINDS ON
WEDNESDAY WILL BE OUT OF THE SOUTH WITH SUSTAINED SPEEDS IN THE
TEENS AND GUSTS UP TO 25 MPH.
ON THURSDAY, A TROUGH PUSHES SOUTH INTO THE REGION FROM OVER
BRITISH COLUMBIA AND ALBERTA, TIGHTENING THE PRESSURE GRADIENT
ACROSS THE INLAND NORTHWEST AND BRINGING WIDESPREAD GUSTY
WESTERLY WINDS. SUSTAINED SPEEDS THURSDAY WILL BE IN THE 15 TO 20
MPH RANGE WITH GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH THROUGH THE CASCADE GAPS,
OVER THE WATERVILLE PLATEAU, ACROSS THE COLUMBIA BASIN, AND OVER
THE BLUE MOUNTAINS AND PALOUSE. BLOWING DUST COULD BE A
CONCERN AFTER HAVING A BREAK FROM PRECIPITATION TUESDAY AND
WEDNESDAY. A WEAK DISTURBANCE RIPPLES THROUGH THE BROADER TROUGH
THURSDAY EVENING, BRINGING A 30 TO 60 PERCENT CHANCE OF SHOWERS
TO THE CASCADES, ID PANHANDLE, AND BLUE MOUNTAINS.
FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY: HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND, A ROBUST LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM TRACKS DOWN FROM THE BRITISH COLUMBIA COAST AND
THEN SWINGS ACROSS THE INLAND NORTHWEST, BRINGING BACK COOL AND
SHOWERY CONDITIONS ALONG WITH MORE WIND. SHOWER CHANCES MOVE
INTO THE NORTH CASCADES FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY, THEN EXPAND
ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY NIGHT. SHOWER
CHANCES RETREAT TO THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY AS
THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM MOVES OUT. SOME MODERATE RAINS (0.25 TO
0.75 INCHES) ARE POSSIBLE AROUND THE MOUNTAIN ZONES SATURDAY AND
SUNDAY, WITH LIGHTER AMOUNTS (0.05 TO 0.30 INCHES) ELSEWHERE.
EMBEDDED T-STORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE AND MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY
HIGHER PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS, THOUGH CHANCES FOR T-STORMS LOOK
RELATIVELY LOW (5 TO 15%) AT THIS POINT.
TEMPERATURES COOL INTO THE MID 60S TO LOW 70S FRIDAY THROUGH
MONDAY WITH OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE 40S FOR MOST LOCATIONS. WINDS
LOOK RATHER BREEZY OUT OF THE NORTH-NORTHEAST SATURDAY
AFTERNOON, SO THAT WILL BE SOMETHING TO KEEP AN EYE ON IN THE
COMING DAYS. /FEWKES
AVIATION
00Z TAFS: VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED AT EACH TERMINAL THROUGH
THE FORECAST PERIOD. WINDS WILL REMAIN LIGHT AND LESS THAN 10
KTS. TOMORROW MORNING AROUND 07-09Z AND LASTING THROUGH 16Z,
PATCHY AND LOCALIZED FOG WILL DEVELOP IN NORTHERN SHELTERED
VALLEYS IN E WA AND THE ID PANHANDLE, THERE IS POTENTIAL FOR
CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES TO DROP DOWN TO IFR AND BELOW FOR
TERMINALS 63S, DEW, AND SZT. AT THE MAIN TERMINALS, THERE IS
POTENTIAL FOR MORNING FOG AT GEG AND SFF. HIGH-RES MODELS SHOW
SOME PATCHY FOG ALONG THE I-90, BUT THERE IS LITTLE CONFIDENCE
FOR EITHER SPECIFIC TERMINAL TO SEE CONDITIONS DROP BELOW VFR,
SO NO DEGRADATIONS INCLUDED IN TAFS AT THIS TIME.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: HIGH CONFIDENCE
FOR VFR CONDITIONS FOR ALL TERMINALS BUT GEG AND SFF. LOW
CONFIDENCE IN PATCHY FOG AT GEG AND SFF FROM 08-16Z. THIS WILL
BE THE MOST IMPACTFUL ALTERNATE SCENARIO AND TERMINALS WILL BE
CLOSELY MONITORED FOR ANY NECESSARY AMENDMENTS. /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 48 78 55 77 47 69 / 0 0 0 0 20 0
COEUR D'ALENE 47 77 51 75 47 68 / 0 0 0 0 30 10
PULLMAN 45 77 50 76 45 66 / 0 0 0 0 20 0
LEWISTON 50 83 55 85 54 74 / 0 0 0 0 30 0
COLVILLE 44 78 48 78 44 72 / 0 0 10 10 10 0
SANDPOINT 46 74 50 74 45 64 / 0 0 0 10 30 30
KELLOGG 45 74 50 73 44 64 / 0 0 0 0 50 10
MOSES LAKE 47 82 54 82 50 74 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 55 83 62 80 52 73 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OMAK 51 81 57 80 49 74 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
ID...NONE.
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page