592
FXUS66 KOTX 031820
AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1020 AM PST Wed Dec 3 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Wintry mix Thursday evening into Friday may result in a slick
  commutes.

- Warming temperatures and a transition of snow to rain late
  this week with breezy winds.

- Moderate impacts from snow expected on the mountain passes
  late week into the weekend.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Quiet weather with low clouds and fog through Wednesday.
Weather trends unsettled beginning Thursday. Temperatures may be
cold enough Thursday night into Friday to support a lowland
wintry mix. By Friday, temperatures will modify and warm above
normal with unsettled weather continuing through the weekend and
into next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Today through tomorrow: The next couple days will have the forecast
area see a break from precipitation. PWATs currently sit at 0.3-
0.5in, which is slightly lower (80-90%) of normal. The one exception
will be in the mountains, where orographic lift could result in very
light snow with no additional accumulations. The reason for this
break is a strengthening ridge just off the PNW coast moving in
bringing higher heights to the area. With stratus currently covering
much of eastern Washington, fog formation will be difficult and
patchy in nature. Western Okanogan County and Chelan County do not
have stratus over them and currently have low visibilities, which
are anticipated to continue through the morning.

Tomorrow afternoon through Saturday: Tomorrow night through the
weekend, an active weather pattern moves into the area off the
coast. The aforementioned ridge will flatten, bringing a series of
shortwaves across the area over the weekend. The air mass it will
usher in will be warm and moist, with PWATs rising to 150-200% of
normal (0.5-0.6in). The first wave of rain and snow will come
through on Thursday night, but the bulk of precipitation associated
with the event will fall Thursday into Friday afternoon. Mountain
passes will see the heaviest snow. Probabilities of 6 inches of snow
or more Friday through Saturday for mountain passes are: 25% for
Stevens Pass, 45% for Lookout Pass, and 85% for Washington Pass.
There is a chance for some lowland snow, but totals right now are
hovering around an inch. Friday night, as anomalously warm
temperatures are advected into the area, snow levels rise to 4000
feet through the weekend, leading to a transition from snow to
rain for the lowlands. Main impacts from this series of weekend
waves will be wintry conditions along mountain passes alongside
lowland highway impacts during the snow to rain transition.
With deterministic snow totals in the Cascades and Central
Panhandle Mountains reaching 12 inches in the highest
elevations, winter weather headlines will likely be needed for
the weekend.

This series of waves will, alongside the rain and snow, bring mild
temperatures and gusty winds to the area as well. A surface low
dropping into Montana will tighten the pressure gradient across
Washington and Idaho, resulting in elevated wind gusts across the
area. In particular, Wenatchee, Pullman, and Lewiston have a 25-35%
chance of seeing wind gusts higher than 30 mph Friday night through
Saturday morning. Winds will be elevated Thursday and Saturday night
as well, but not as strong. Surface temperatures in the basin will
rise to the mid-40s by Saturday, which is 6-8 degrees warmer than
normal for this time of year.

Sunday through Wednesday: The active weather pattern continues
through the end of the weekend and into next week. Another series of
shortwaves move through, with early signals showing even warmer
temperatures and higher PWATs than this weekend. The Extreme
Forecast Index in particular highlights much warmer temperatures
than normal next Tuesday alongside stronger gusts throughout the
area. PWATs in long range ensembles rise to nearly 200-250% of
normal (0.7-0.8in). Early precipitation estimates show higher snow
totals. Current cluster analysis shows 80% agreement on higher than
normal heights early next week. The Climate Prediction Center`s 6-10
day outlooks show a 70-90% chance of above average temperatures and
a 50-70% chance for above normal precipitation. Should models
continue showing such trends over the next few days, this will be a
system to monitor very closely. /AS

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFs: Widespread low stratus across the Inland Northwest
today with IFR to MVFR conditions and localized low IFR
conditions specifically around KGEG and KDEW and up the Methow
Valley. Light southeasterly flow may erode the stratus deck
across the Palouse. Increasing ceilings around KLWS and KPUW
is expected to result in VFR conditions in the afternoon. Not
expecting the stratus to erode as far north as KGEG/KSFF/KCOE or
west as KMWH/KEPH though. A weak mid level frontal system will
move in Thursday morning and spread light preciptiation across
the region after 10Z. A warm tongue will be present in the lee
of the Cascades into the western Columbia Basin where a mix of
rain and freezing rain is expected. This includes KEAT/KEPH/KMWH
where a chance of freezing rain (30-50% chance) is more likely
and light rain more likely for KEPH and KMWH. Warmer air will be
slower to move into KPUW/KGEG/KSFF/KCOE where light snow is
expected as the dominant precipitation type for Thursday
morning.

.FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
Moderate to high confidence that low stratus will persist over
much of the Columbia Basin today with IFR to MVFR conditions for
KEAT/KMWH/KGEG/KSFF/KCOE. Moderate confidence that ceilings
will lift at KPUW and KLWS by this afternoon with VFR conditions
prevailing. Low confidence for freezing rain to fall at or near
KEAT and KMWH for Thursday morning after 11Z. /SVH

-----------------------

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        36  29  34  30  39  34 /  10  10  60  50  90  40
Coeur d`Alene  38  30  35  31  39  35 /  20  30  70  50  90  70
Pullman        38  27  35  32  43  36 /  10  10  80  70 100  80
Lewiston       42  31  40  36  47  41 /   0  10  70  70  90  80
Colville       37  24  36  24  37  25 /  10  20  50  40  90  40
Sandpoint      35  28  35  29  36  33 /  30  40  80  60 100  80
Kellogg        38  32  35  33  41  37 /  30  40  90  70 100  90
Moses Lake     38  29  36  29  44  32 /  10  10  40  30  60  20
Wenatchee      41  30  39  33  47  38 /  10  10  30  40  80  50
Omak           39  28  37  29  38  30 /   0  10  30  30  70  30

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...None.
ID...None.

&&

$$