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000
FXUS66 KOTX 192144
AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
244 PM PDT Fri Apr 19 2024

.SYNOPSIS...
Dry weather conditions will be in place through Saturday. Winds
will be breezy from the northeast. A strong cold front arrives
early Sunday morning ushering gusty westerly winds and chance for
showers. Mild and dry weather returns for the start of work week.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

Tonight through Saturday: The remains of a deep low pressure system
to the east will ease as high pressure moves closer to the WA coast.
Winds will be strongest down the Purcell Trench and Columbia Basin,
with gusts up to 35 mph, decreasing this afternoon as the low slides
eastward. Temperatures will rise several degrees, reaching the 60s
and a few possible low 70s in the LC Valley on Saturday, with dry
conditions and plenty of sunshine expected.

Saturday night through Sunday: A strong shortwave and cold front
will bring windy conditions and chance of showers, particularly to
mountainous terrain. Winds are expected to increase overnight with
sustained speeds of 20 to 30 mph and gusts of 30 to 40 mph, possibly
causing minor tree damage and power outages. Precipitation amounts
will be generally light, randing from a trace to a tenth of an inch,
with higher amounts expected over the Cascade crest. Snow levels
will drop to 3000 feet before sunrise Sunday morning, with showers
lingering into Sunday afternoon in some areas. Temperatures will be
cooler for Sunday, with highs generally in the mid 50s to low 60s.
/KM

Sunday night to Friday: The upper trough moves out early next
week, with weak high pressure building in for Monday and Tuesday.
Winds will continue to decrease Sunday night into early Monday,
with drier conditions. There will still be some locally breezy
conditions near the Cascades and Okanogan Monday afternoon and
then over a broader area Tuesday as the winds turn more easterly
again ahead of the next system. Yet we are talking about gusts of
15-20 mph. Monday morning`s low temperatures will be in the 20s
and 30s. Many areas are not in their growing season yet, save for
a few locations around the Wenatchee Area, Moses Lake area and L-C
Valley. These latter locations may need some frost advisories,
however any one who is out there with vulnerable plants should
take steps to protect them.

Heading into the second half of the work week additional
shortwave systems head into the region, with the first chances
coming into Cascades Tuesday night. The first of these waves
expands precipitation chance eastward, but the best potential will
remain around the mountains Wednesday and Thursday, though there
will still be some risk in east third of WA and lower ID. Models
show a better overall chance of precipitation across the region
next Friday save for the deeper Columbia Basin/lower lee of the
Cascades. However throughout this period models only show
relatively light precipitation amounts, if any falls. Temperatures
push above normal by about 4 to 8 degrees by Tuesday, then drop
back closer to normal for the second half of the work week.
However precise numbers may need adjusting as models show some big
spread in those precise numbers as there are some disagreements on
the details of how these systems move by. /Solveig

&&

.AVIATION...
18z TAFS: Gusty northeast winds down the Purcell Trench and over
the Columbia Basin with gusts of 20-30 kts for KSZT- KDEW- KCOE-
KGEG- KMWH today. Less cloud cover and VFR conditions.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: There is high
confidence in VFR conditions through the TAF period.

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

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        32  64  38  57  32  62 /   0   0  40   0   0   0
Coeur d`Alene  31  62  38  54  31  59 /   0   0  60  10   0   0
Pullman        33  64  38  53  33  57 /   0  10  40   0   0   0
Lewiston       36  72  45  61  38  64 /   0   0  20   0   0   0
Colville       26  63  34  58  29  64 /   0   0  60  20   0   0
Sandpoint      31  59  38  52  32  58 /   0   0  70  30   0   0
Kellogg        33  62  39  50  34  57 /   0  10  60  20  10   0
Moses Lake     37  69  39  63  34  65 /   0   0  10   0   0   0
Wenatchee      36  64  40  58  37  64 /   0  10  20   0   0   0
Omak           33  66  38  62  34  67 /   0  10  30   0   0   0

&&

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

$$