494
FXUS66 KOTX 181902
AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1202 PM PDT Fri Sep 18 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Warm temperatures through Tuesday with afternoon highs in the
  mid 70s to low 80s.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Warm and dry weather is expected through the middle of next
week with high temperatures through Tuesday in the mid 70s to
low 80s.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Friday night through Monday: An upper-level ridge shifts into the
Pacific Northwest as an upper-level low travels eastward across
southern Idaho into Montana and Wyoming. This will promote mostly
clear skies, light winds, and above normal temperatures.
Temperatures will trend warmer and drier through the weekend with
widespread highs in the upper 70s to low 80s Sunday and Monday. The
upper-level ridge begins to weaken on Monday as a frontal system
approaches the British Columbia coast.

Tuesday through Friday: Ensembles are in solid agreement for a
frontal system offshore, though they diverge on if it will move
onshore and begin the transition into a more active period for
the Inland Northwest. By Thursday, most ensembles (87%) keep the
ridge over the Inland Northwest, with a small subset of members
(13%) showing a shortwave moving through. By Friday, 62% of
ensembles show an upper-level trough moving into the region with
the other 38% keep the upper-level ridge in place. This has
resulted in a large amount of uncertainty in the forecast later
in the week with a 14 to 17 degree spread in the 25th to 75th
percentile high temperatures across the Inland Northwest. If the
upper-level trough moves into the region, highs may be in the
low to mid 60s with precipitation, but if the upper-level ridge
remains in place, drier weather with highs in the mid 70s to low
80s could continue. /vmt

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS: VFR conditions will continue for all TAF sites.
Moisture wrapping around an upper level low in eastern Oregon
and southwest Idaho will bring passing mid to upper level
clouds across eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle through
the morning into the early afternoon. This will also bring
showers across the southern Idaho Panhandle, remaining out of
the TAF sites. An upper level ridge begins to shift into the
region tonight into Saturday with VFR conditions anticipated to
continue beyond the TAF period. Winds will pick up this evening
through the Cascade gaps with breezy northwest winds into the
teens at KEAT after 03Z.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: High confidence
in VFR conditions. Low confidence on rain impacting TAF sites.

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

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        49  78  49  80  52  81 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Coeur d`Alene  50  77  50  79  52  80 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Pullman        47  74  48  78  49  79 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Lewiston       54  78  54  82  56  84 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Colville       44  80  44  81  45  81 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Sandpoint      47  75  48  77  49  77 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Kellogg        49  75  50  77  51  78 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Moses Lake     49  79  49  82  51  82 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Wenatchee      57  79  58  80  59  81 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Omak           53  80  52  80  53  81 /   0   0   0   0   0   0

&&

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

&&

$$