Sunrise 5:47 AM   Sunset 7:44 PM Moonrise 3:30 PM   Moonset 4:34 AM

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FXUS66 KOTX 192237 AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 337 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
00z TAFS: Gusty northeast winds will continue to decrease through the evening, becoming light overnight. Clouds will be limited to clear, with VFR conditions expected.

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

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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.

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