333
FXUS66 KOTX 061752
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
952 AM PST THU NOV 6 2025
KEY MESSAGES
- PERIODS OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW AND BREEZY WINDS THROUGH
FRIDAY.
- HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OVER WASHINGTON PASS THROUGH FRIDAY
MORNING.
- DRIER WEATHER THIS WEEKEND.
SYNOPSIS
SEVERAL STORM SYSTEMS WILL IMPACT THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEK
WITH MILD TEMPERATURES RESULTING IN VALLEY RAIN AND MOUNTAIN
SNOW. WINTER TRAVEL CONDITIONS OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES AT TIMES
THROUGH FRIDAY. HEAVIEST SNOW WILL IMPACT WASHINGTON PASS.
WINDS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH FRIDAY AS WELL WITH GUSTS
30-40 MPH. THE WEEKEND INTO THE FIRST HALF OF NEXT WEEK WILL
BRING A BREAK IN THE WET WEATHER WITH CONTINUED MILD
TEMPERATURES FOR NOVEMBER.
DISCUSSION
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY: WEATHER WILL REMAIN ACTIVE FOR THE END OF THE
WORKWEEK. SHOWERS OCCURRING TONIGHT WILL RETREAT TO THE MOUNTAINS
OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS MID-LEVEL DRYING AND WARMING OCCURS AHEAD
OF THE NEXT APPROACHING SYSTEM. FOR THURSDAY, A SURFACE LOW WILL
DEEPEN AS IT APPROACHES THE VANCOUVER COAST, AMPLIFYING A BRIEF
UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE INLAND NORTHWEST. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR
TEMPERATURES TO SLIGHTLY WARM THURSDAY AFTERNOON COMPARED TO
WEDNESDAY, WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID 50S. THE FRONT BECOMES
OCCLUDED AS IT MOVES INLAND THURSDAY EVENING. THIS WILL BRING
ANOTHER ROUND OF WIDESPREAD LOWLAND RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING. UPPER LEVEL WINDS WILL BE FROM THE SOUTHWEST
INITIALLY, THEN SHIFT TO THE WEST WITH THE FRONT. THIS WILL RESULT
IN THE HIGHEST PRECIPTIATION TOTALS TO THE OROGRAPHICALLY FAVORED
LOCATIONS SUCH AS THE CASCADES, NORTHEAST WASHINGTON, AND THE
NORTHERN IDAHO PANHANDLE. FOR MOST OF THE MOUNTAIN PASSES SNOW
AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE LIGHT AS SNOW LEVELS REMAIN AT 5000 FEET
OR HIGHER THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON BEFORE LOWERING TO AROUND 3500
FEET THURSDAY NIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT. WASHINGTON PASS (5476 FEET)
WILL SEE HEAVY SNOW ACCUMULATIONS THOUGH WITH A 50% CHANCE FOR AN
ADDITIONAL 12 INCHES OF SNOW THROUGH FRIDAY. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO
REMAIN BREEZY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY WITH SOUTH WINDS 15 TO 25 MPH WITH
GUSTS 25 TO 40 MPH ON THURSDAY SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHWEST ON FRIDAY.
FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY: MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT FOR AN
UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE TO BUILD OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THIS WEEKEND.
THIS WILL BRING DRIER CONDITIONS, BUT FOLLOWING SEVERAL DAYS OF
PRECIPITATION, THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL LIKELY BE PLAGUED BY
TRAPPED FOG OR LOW STRATUS UNDER STRENGTHENING INVERSIONS.
MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY: MODELS ARE BEGINNING TO SHOW THE RIDGE
FLATTENING BY EARLY NEXT WEEK AS SHORTWAVES MOVE INTO NORTHERN
BRITISH COLUMBIA. PRECIPITATION CHANCES REMAIN CONFINED TO THE
MOUNTAINS FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY THEN BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD INTO
WEDNESDAY AS THE REGION RETURNS TO A MORE ACTIVE WEATHER
PATTERN.
AVIATION
18Z TAFS: WESTERLY WINDS BREEZY ACROSS THE COLUMBIA BASIN WITH
GUSTS OF UP TO 20-30 KTS EXPECTED INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON.
WINDS WILL ADVECT DRIER ACROSS THE COLUMBIA BASIN THAT WILL HELP
ERODE THE LOW STRATUS OVER NORTHEAST WASHINGTON AND THE IDAHO
PANHANDLE THROUGH 20Z. A VIGOROUS FRONTAL SYSTEM THEN SWEEPS
THROUGH TONIGHT. RAIN MOVING INTO KEAT/KEPH/KMWH BY 22-01Z AND
THEN INTO FAR EASTERN WASHINGTON AND THE IDAHO PANHANDLE BY
02-05Z. SOUTHEASTERLY SURFACE WINDS WILL KEEP CEILINGS GENERALLY
BETWEEN 3-5 KFT AGL FOR KGEG/KSFF/KCOE/KPUW WITH BRIEF LOWERING
DOWN TO AROUND 3 KFT AGL AND MVFR CONDITIONS BETWEEN 06-10Z
WITH COLD FRONT PASSAGE. FRONTAL PASSAGE WILL BRING THE
POTENTIAL FOR MODERATE RAIN INTENSITIES AND BRIEF VISIBILITY
REDUCTIONS AS WELL. MODEST LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR AHEAD OF THE
FRONT THURSDAY EVENING THEN GUSTY WESTERLY WINDS UP TO 25-35 KTS
OVERNIGHT.
.FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH FOR VFR CONDITIONS AT TAF SITES TODAY.
EXCEPTION IS FOR KCOE WHERE THERE IS A 30-40 PERCENT CHANCE FOR
MVFR CEILINGS THROUGH AT LEAST 20Z. MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE
FOR MVFR CONDITIONS DUE TO LOW CEILINGS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY
WITH COLD FRONT TONIGHT BETWEEN 04-10Z FOR KGEG/KSFF/KCOE/KPUW.
-----------------------
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 38 49 29 49 31 / 60 100 30 0 0 0
COEUR D'ALENE 52 39 49 31 49 33 / 70 100 60 10 0 0
PULLMAN 53 37 47 29 49 34 / 60 90 50 10 0 0
LEWISTON 60 43 57 35 53 37 / 50 90 40 10 0 0
COLVILLE 53 30 50 23 47 26 / 70 100 40 0 0 0
SANDPOINT 49 36 47 29 46 30 / 90 100 80 30 10 10
KELLOGG 48 39 44 33 48 35 / 90 100 90 50 10 0
MOSES LAKE 56 38 54 28 51 32 / 50 90 0 0 0 0
WENATCHEE 53 41 52 33 48 36 / 80 90 10 0 0 0
OMAK 54 36 53 30 48 33 / 60 100 10 0 0 0
OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY FOR WESTERN
OKANOGAN COUNTY.
ID...NONE.
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