279
FXUS66 KOTX 091812
AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1112 AM PDT Thu Oct 9 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Dry through today.

- 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...
18Z TAFS: Expect smoke and haze at KEAT and other airfields near
fires, but generally VFR conditions elsewhere across eastern WA
and northern ID. Light wind gusts to around 10-15kts for
KGEG/KSFF/KCOE through 22-00Z. Increasing chances for
precipitation after 12Z Friday.

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. Low
confidence in precipitation developing before 18Z Friday.

-----------------------
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 further notice for Central Chelan
County-Okanogan Valley-Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee Area-
Western Chelan County. ID...None.

&&

$$