931
FXUS66 KOTX 262151
AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
251 PM PDT Thu Sep 26 2024

.SYNOPSIS...

The next weather system will push through northern British
Columbia overnight bringing some light rain to locations near the
north Cascades. Drier and warmer weather returns to the region
for Friday and Saturday, with temperatures peaking on Saturday. On
Sunday another system will push through the area bringing breezy
winds and cooler temperatures. Some freezing overnight lows are
possible again heading into next week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Tonight through Saturday night: Satellite imagery in the eastern
Pacific shows the next low pressure system beginning to push
onshore. The low pressure center will move inland well north of the
Northwest into central BC. The cold front is occluding and the
frontal band is progged to push into the Cascades tonight. The
moisture plume will significantly weaken as moves east of the
Cascades overnight. We will see increasing cloud cover, but any
appreciable precipitation will remain over the mountains and most
notably at the Cascade crest. Rainfall accumulations will be on
the order of around a quarter of an inch and showers are expected
to taper off by Friday morning. Flow aloft will buckle after the
passage of this next frontal system becoming southwest with
another low pressure trough digging over the eastern Pacific
Friday night into Saturday. This will pump up the temperatures
over the region with temperatures at 850 mbs up around 14 degrees
Celsius in the Pasayten Wilderness to around 23 degrees Celsius
over the Camas Prairie. This will translate to high temperatures
in the mid to upper 70s in the Methow/Okanogan Valley to the upper
80s in the Lewiston-Clarkston Valley for Saturday. Temperatures
will be cooler of the northwest portion of the forecast area on
Saturday as cloud cover increases ahead of the incoming front.
Skies remain sunny over southeast Washington into the southern to
central Idaho Panhandle. /SVH

Sunday through Thursday:
A passing system will lead to cooler temperatures (back down to
daily normals) and gustier winds on Sunday. Not a lot of moisture is
expected, but slight chances for showers could still develop across
the Cascades and northern Mountains. Seasonable temps are then
anticipated to persist the remainder of the forecast as well, with
daily highs generally within 5 degrees of average. Another wave may
push through for Tuesday/Wednesday resulting in another increase in
winds, but confidence is low at this time. Frost/freezing conditions
possible next Monday onward as well in our northern sheltered
valleys, as is fairly typical this time of year. /KD

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS: VFR conditions will prevail. A occluded front will push
across the Cascades tonight. This will bring mid to high level
clouds over the Inland Northwest with ceilings generally remaining
above 6 kft agl. Breezy south to southwesterly winds ahead of the
front over the Columbia Basin and up the Okanogan Valley through
this afternoon. Winds gusts of between 15-25 kts can be expected at
KOMK, KGEG, KSFF, and KCOE.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: High confidence in
VFR conditions for all TAF sites. /SVH

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane        50  75  46  83  50  68 /   0   0   0   0   0  10
Coeur d`Alene  49  74  47  80  51  65 /  10   0   0   0   0  10
Pullman        46  72  47  81  48  63 /   0   0   0   0   0  10
Lewiston       53  81  54  88  56  73 /   0   0   0   0   0  10
Colville       39  74  35  77  41  68 /  10   0   0   0  10  10
Sandpoint      45  71  43  77  48  65 /  10   0   0   0  10  20
Kellogg        51  71  51  81  52  63 /   0   0   0   0   0  10
Moses Lake     48  76  44  79  47  70 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Wenatchee      53  74  50  76  50  67 /  10   0   0   0  10   0
Omak           48  77  46  77  47  69 /  10   0   0   0   0   0

&&

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

$$