895
FXUS66 KOTX 031827
AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1127 AM PDT Thu Sep 3 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Cool and showery weather expected through Labor Day Weekend
  with isolated thunderstorms.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Active weather sticks around the rest of the workweek with
widely scattered showers and isolated thunderstorms, breezy
winds and temperatures cooling back below normal.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Today through Friday: The offshore low will spiral down the
coast, ejecting shortwaves across the Inland NW before it too
pivots inland tonight into Friday. One of those shortwave began
its trek inland last night and will be moving tracking northeast
this morning. Rain along and ahead of it will impact the
northeast half of WA and the ID Panhandle early this morning,
shifting to mainly the northern counties and Idaho Panhandle
late this morning. Thereafter the precipitation start to turn
more isolated to scattered in nature, becoming more convective
focused around the mountains and up against the Cascades for
this afternoon. Some embedded t-storms are possible this morning
along the axis of that shortwave and then in more isolated
fashion around the mountains this afternoon. Heading into this
evening, tonight and Friday that low pivots in. The showers and
t-storm threat near the Cascades wane through dark, but farther
east shortwave moves up the northern Rockies. That will renew
rain chances over southeast WA/lower ID this evening and across
northeast WA to northern ID late this evening into the
overnight, wrapping back toward the norther mountains through
Friday morning. By Friday afternoon the linger upper low and
boundary near the SE CWA will continue to mean some risk for
showers and t-storm. Chances will be best around the mountains
and others will be possible in SE WA and the lower ID Panhandle
near that boundary and some of the better lapse rates and
instability.

Wind will remain a bit breezy today, especially over central WA
with winds from the south to southwest at 10 to 15 mph and gusts
up to 20 mph. However comparatively lighter winds are forecast
for Friday. Highs will be in the 60s to lower 70s. Lows will in
the upper 30s and 40s Thursday night and mid-30s to 40s Friday
night/Saturday AM. We will have to watch for some patchy frost
then.

Saturday to Wednesday: The Inland NW remains dominated by the
trough of low pressure and boundary stalled near the eastern
CWA for some of this period. That boundary will give some
embedded disturbances something to focus along. That will bring
some moderate precipitation chances through the weekend and
Monday, with the highest chances over the eastern third of WA
and ID. Models are not entirely in good agreement on the
evolution of the precise waves and precipitation potential, so
the forecast will continue to be fine-tuned. Models trends
toward the low losing influence Tuesday and Wednesday, Some
embedded t-storms will remain a risk, but the potential is
inconsistent as the focus has been changing day to day. Expect
moderating temperatures into the weekend. /Solveig

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS: Showers with the potential for isolated embedded
thunderstorms will continue through the 24 TAF period. Expect
occasional MVFR conditions, particularly in and adjacent to any
storms. Best chances for TS (mainly this afternoon) would be
across the Cascades, northern mountains, and far SE Washington
into the central ID panhandle. Winds will be breezy out the
south/southwest for the Columbia Basin and Spokane area this
afternoon.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Low confidence
in thunderstorms impacting any TAF location.

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

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        66  47  66  43  68  43 /  40  10  30  20  30  10
Coeur d`Alene  66  46  66  43  68  43 /  80  30  40  10  40  20
Pullman        62  44  63  36  66  37 /  70  50  30  20  30  10
Lewiston       67  52  68  49  72  49 /  90  80  40  30  30  10
Colville       67  41  67  35  68  35 /  60   0  30  10  40  10
Sandpoint      64  44  64  38  65  38 /  80  20  30  30  50  20
Kellogg        61  44  61  43  65  43 /  90  60  50  30  40  10
Moses Lake     70  46  69  43  71  44 /   0  10  20  20  10   0
Wenatchee      68  51  68  53  71  54 /  30  20  40  20  30  10
Omak           70  46  69  45  70  45 /  60  10  30  30  30  10

&&

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

&&

$$