063
FXUS66 KOTX 091126
AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
426 AM PDT Thu Oct 9 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Dry through Thursday.

- Breezy across Columbia Basin and up Okanogan Valley Friday and
  Saturday.

- Unsettled weather Friday through the weekend with regionwide
  chances for precip and potential for light mountain pass snow.
  Snow levels falling to near 4000 feet Saturday night onward.

- Cooler temperatures Saturday through next week with highs in
  the 50s and lows in the 20s and 30s.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Dry conditions expected through Thursday. Cloud cover and precip
chances expand across the region Friday. The weekend brings
unsettled weather and continued precipitation including snow in
the mountains.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Thursday: Fairly quiet weather continues as a closed low settles in
off the Oregon coast spinning weak waves of moisture up through the
Northwest. Most of the precip from these waves will stay west of the
Cascades with the exception of light rain over the Cascade
crest, east slopes, and Okanogan foothills. Cloud cover and
precip will keep temperatures on the cooler side in the 60s for
the aforementioned areas, but for the rest of the region further
east, afternoon highs Thursday will rise into the mid to upper
70s making it the warmest day of the forecast period. Smoke and
haze will continue to impact the Wenatchee area from the Lower
Sugarloaf and Labor Mountain fires.

Friday through Monday: Cloud cover and chances for precip expand
eastward across the region on Friday as the offshore low pressure
system begins tracking inland. Afternoon highs Friday will be a few
degrees cooler than on Thursday in the low 70s with the arrival of
the low. A push of northerly air dropping down from British Columbia
is in the forecast for Saturday, resulting in substantial cooling
and lowering of snow levels across the region. For the Cascades,
Okanogan highlands, and North ID, snow levels will fall near 4000
feet Saturday night onward. Elevations above 4000 feet can expect a
mix of snow and rain through the weekend into early next week. The
ground is still warm this early in the season, so that will help to
limit surface accumulation, though mountain pass travelers should
still check pass reports for the latest road conditions prior to
traveling. Afternoon highs will be in the 50s Saturday onward and
overnight lows will range from the upper 20s to mid 30s. Total rain
amounts Friday through Monday range from 0.10-0.20 inches across the
central Columbia Basin (Moses Lake, Ritzville), 0.20-0.50 inches for
most valley locations across northern and far eastern WA (Okanogan
Valley, Colville, Deer Park, Pullman), and 0.50-1.00+ inches across
the ID panhandle, Cascade crest, and northern WA highlands. In
addition to cooler temperatures and precip chances, breezy
south/southwesterly winds are expected Friday and Saturday across
the Columbia Basin and up the Okanogan Valley with sustained speeds
of 15-20 mph and gusts of 25-30 mph.

Tuesday and Wednesday: By Tuesday, the area of low pressure shifts
south and weakens, marking the beginning of a drying trend. Cool
temperatures look to stick around with highs staying in the 50s and
lows in the upper 20s and 30s. /RF

&&

.AVIATION...
12Z TAFS: VFR conditions at most TAF sites through the forecast
period. KEAT is at VFR right now but models are indicating that
smoke and haze may bring conditions down to MVFR periodically
around 05Z. There is the potential for wind gusts 10-15kts for
KGEG/KSFF/KCOE beginning around 15-17Z and lasting through
22-00Z.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: High confidence
in VFR conditions across the region for all TAF sites but KEAT
where active fires could result in MVFR conditions around 05Z.
Moderate confidence in timing for smoke and haze at KEAT. Moderate
confidence in gusts up to 15kts from 15-20/22Z.

-----------------------
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:/weather.gov/otx/avndashboard

&&

.Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs...
Spokane        80  48  72  42  57  39 /   0   0  30  30  40  70
Coeur d`Alene  77  49  73  44  55  39 /   0   0  30  50  50  90
Pullman        76  49  72  40  54  37 /   0  10  30  40  60  80
Lewiston       80  52  76  49  61  45 /   0  10  20  40  50  80
Colville       78  37  72  33  59  29 /   0   0  40  30  60  70
Sandpoint      73  52  71  44  52  40 /   0   0  30  60  60  90
Kellogg        77  53  75  45  53  39 /   0   0  30  60  70 100
Moses Lake     75  47  72  41  62  39 /  10  10  30  10  30  30
Wenatchee      74  54  70  45  61  42 /  20  10  40  20  30  40
Omak           76  53  71  42  56  39 /  10   0  40  20  30  50

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Air Quality Alert until 11 AM PDT Friday for Central Chelan
     County-Okanogan Valley-Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee Area-
     Western Chelan County.
ID...None.

&&

$$