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000
FXUS66 KOTX 132158
AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
258 PM PDT Sat Apr 13 2024

.SYNOPSIS...
Expect an unseasonably warm weekend across the Inland Northwest.
High temperatures for the next two days will generally be more
typical for what we would expect to see in early June. Most
locations will be dry, however there will be a small chance of
showers and thunderstorms over extreme southeast Washington and
the southern half of the Idaho Panhandle on Sunday afternoon and
night. A cold front will bring a return of cooler, showery
weather early next week. The front will bring breezy. conditions
Sunday night through Monday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Today through Monday: Warm and predominantly dry conditions will
persist until Sunday, courtesy of ridging downstream from a
picturesque trough over California. As a potent cold front
approaches our region on Sunday, Cascade gap winds are expected to
intensify. Overnight, gusts could reach up to 35 mph over the
Blue Mountains and western Palouse. The progression of the marine
layer and subsequent cold front will increase the likelihood of
thunderstorms, primarily over SE Washington and NC Idaho. In SE
Washington and the southern Panhandle, the prefrontal environment
suggests the potential for rounds of pulse-like storms Sunday
afternoon and potentially into the night hours.

Monday will mark the onset of a significant pattern shift. A
trough to our north will send a fairly robust cold front through
the Inland Northwest on Monday morning, resulting in a temperature
drop of 10 degrees or more. Alongside the temperature decrease,
winds will pick up across the region. Gusts into the 30s are
expected for most areas, with gusts exceeding 40 mph possible in
wind-prone locations such as the Waterville Plateau, exposed areas
of the Basin, and Cascade ridge tops.

Following the cold front passage, snow levels will plummet,
bringing the chance for light snow down to valley floors by
Tuesday morning. Anticipated accumulations are minimal for lowland
areas, and even in the mountains, the risk of significant snowfall
is low. Stevens Pass has a 20% chance of receiving at least 3
inches (trending down), while Snoqualmie has 55% chance (also
trending down). /DB

Tuesday through Saturday: A Low will be moving through the southern
portion Canada on Tuesday. It will swing a cold front through the
Inland Northwest during the morning hours. It will usher in a
cooldown and bring a brief return for snow to portions of the
region. Snow levels will dip to around 2000 ft. Accumulations in the
lowlands will be little and mainly on grassy surfaces. Mountain
Passes over the Cascades will see the most snow with amounts of 3"
for Snoqualmie and 1" for Stevens. Highs will climb into the 50s
and low 60s. Overnight lows will be in the upper 20s and 30s.

For the rest of the period, a ridge will pattern will develop along
the coast and usher in a dry, warming trend. There are weak waves
that pass along the Canadian Border and bring isolated showers.
Highs will climb into the 60s and low 70s. Lows will be in the
mid 30s to mid 40s. /JDC

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS: Mainly VFR conditions will persist over the next 24
hours with thin high clouds and light winds.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
High confidence in VFR conditions returning to KLWS by 19z.

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

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        44  75  43  61  35  55 /   0   0   0   0   0  20
Coeur d`Alene  44  73  42  58  35  51 /   0   0   0   0   0  30
Pullman        46  72  42  56  35  51 /   0  10  10   0  10  20
Lewiston       51  78  49  64  41  58 /   0  10  20   0  10  10
Colville       40  75  40  66  33  57 /   0   0   0   0   0  30
Sandpoint      42  71  42  58  36  50 /   0   0   0   0  10  50
Kellogg        48  72  44  55  37  49 /   0  10  10   0  10  50
Moses Lake     44  79  44  65  38  62 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Wenatchee      48  76  47  61  39  59 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Omak           44  77  45  65  36  60 /   0   0   0   0   0  10

&&

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

$$