404
FXUS66 KOTX 301747
AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1046 AM PDT Thu Jul 30 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Warming trend Thursday through Saturday pushing temperatures
into the upper 80s to mid 90s.

- Widespread critical to localized extreme fire weather conditions
on Saturday.

- Elevated fire weather conditions on Sunday.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
An upper-level ridge nudges back into the Inland Northwest Thursday
and Friday, boosting highs back into the upper 80s to mid 90s. A
robust cold front on Saturday will drive strong surface winds and
bring low humidity across the region, creating widespread critical
to localized extreme fire weather conditions. Temperatures cool by 8-
12 degrees on Sunday, though lingering breezy winds will keep fire
weather conditions elevated.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
     Strong winds and dry conditions leading to potential Critical
Fire Weather...

Today and Friday: A broad ridge is stretching across the Pacific
Northwest with the apex centered over Western MT. It will continue
to  promote the dry, warm pattern that has been in the Inland
Northwest since Wednesday. 850mb max temperatures range from 20-21C
for Thursday and 22-24C on Friday. It will keep temperatures in the
upper 80 to 90s for most. Lewiston has around a 50% probability of
reaching triple digits on Friday. Areas being impacted by wildfire
smoke could have a few degrees shaved off the forecast high.
HeatRisk remains minor to moderate across the region. Afternoon
winds will increase with weak afternoon thermal lows will bring
brief increases to winds with gusts reaching into the teens.
Overnight lows will be in the 50s for Thursday and 60s for Friday.

Saturday: This continues to be main focus. Ensembles continue to
swing a strong +120kt upper level jet across WA as a Low swings into
the Lower BC. Any chance of precip across the region will limited to
the Cascade Crest. The Low will push a strong dry cold front through
the Inland Northwest with 850mb-500mb winds ranging from 25-50kts.
The winds will mix down to the surface as the front passes. Westerly
winds will begin to increase in the late morning and continue into
the evening. Timing for the strongest winds will be in the afternoon
to early evening hours. Ensembles have been very consistent with
speeds and timing. For speeds, sustained winds will be in the 20 to
low 30 mph range. Weaker winds in the teens will be over the Lower
Idaho Panhandle. For gusts, a range of 30 to low 40s for most. The
Lower Idaho Panhandle will have gusts into the 20s. Outside of the
Lower Idaho Panhandle, probability of wind gusts greater than 35 mph
is at least 60 percent. Southeast Washington, Lewiston, and Western
Columbia Basin including Waterville Plateau down to Wenatchee has 20-
40 percent probability for greater than 50 mph gusts. It will be
something to keep an eye on for the next model runs. Highs for the
day will be in the slightly cooler with a range of upper 70s to low
90s. Overnight lows will be in the 40s to 50s.

Sunday: While temperatures will be a lot cooler, winds will continue
to be breezy. The region will see winds sustained in the teens with
gusts into the 20s continuing to impact ongoing and new fires in the
area. Highs will be in the 70s to mid 80s. Overnight lows will be in
the 40s to mid 50s.

Monday through Wednesday: A flat ridge will fill in behinds the
exiting Low. Temperatures will rebound back into the 80s to low 90s.
Winds will continue the diurnal trend of breezy afternoons and calm
overnights. The warm, dry pattern will continue with no chances of
beneficial precip for the start of August. Overnight lows will be in
the 50s. /JDC

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS: Smoke and haze from regional wildfires will be present
across much of the region. A cluster of fires in north-central
Washington will result in minor impacts to visibility (between 3-6
SM) from the Methow Valley (KS52) to Omak (KOMK) to Colville (K63S).
There will also be smoke that drifts across southeast Washington and
the Idaho Panhandle. Afternoon mixing will mix this smoke down with
widespread haze around KGEG/KSFF/KSZT/KCOE/KPUW/KLWS with visibility
down as low as 6SM. Winds will remain light and diurnally driven.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Confidence is
moderate to high in forecasted wind speeds and directions, as
well as visibilities prevailing in VFR range. Increased
boundary layer mixing this afternoon may result in higher
chances for a period of MVFR, with the likely exceptions of KMWH
and KEAT which should stay VFR. Low overall confidence in this
outcome. /SVH

-----------------------
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        88  56  92  60  88  53 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Coeur d`Alene  88  58  92  61  88  54 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Pullman        84  50  90  54  84  48 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Lewiston       92  61  97  65  94  59 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Colville       89  51  93  54  89  48 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Sandpoint      87  53  90  56  87  51 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Kellogg        85  55  89  59  85  52 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Moses Lake     90  55  93  60  90  52 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Wenatchee      90  62  94  66  86  57 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Omak           93  59  96  63  93  53 /   0   0   0   0   0   0

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Fire Weather Watch from Saturday morning through Saturday
     evening for Colville Reservation (Zone 702)-East Portion
     of North Cascades National Park/Lake Chelan National
     Recreation Area (Zone 697)-East Washington Central
     Cascades (Zone 696)-East Washington North Cascades (Zone
     698)-Eastern Columbia Basin  -Palouse  -Spokane Area
     (Zone 708)-Foothills of Central Washington Cascades (Zone
     705)-Foothills of Northeast Washington (Zone 701)-Lower
     Palouse  -Snake River (Zone 709)-Methow Valley (Zone 704)-
     Okanogan Highlands and Kettle Mountains (Zone 699)-
     Okanogan Valley (Zone 703)-Selkirk Mountains of Northeast
     Washington (Zone 700)-Waterville Plateau (Zone 706)-
     Western Columbia Basin (Zone 707).
     Air Quality Alert until 5 PM PDT Tuesday for Central Chelan
     County-Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties-Northeast Blue
     Mountains-Northeast Mountains-Okanogan Highlands-Okanogan
     Valley-Upper Columbia Basin-Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee
     Area-Western Chelan County-Western Okanogan County.
ID...Fire Weather Watch from Saturday morning through Saturday
     evening for Northern and Central Idaho Panhandle (Zone
     101).
     Air Quality Alert until noon PDT Friday for Central Panhandle
     Mountains-Idaho Palouse-Lewis and Southern Nez Perce
     Counties-Lewiston Area.

&&

$$