598 FXUS66 KOTX 172204 AFDOTX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 304 PM PDT Wed Apr 17 2024 .SYNOPSIS... Continued cool and showery conditions will continue through Thursday, before drying out and becoming breezy Friday. Showers return for Saturday and Sunday. Mild and near normal temperatures will return for early next week. && .DISCUSSION... Tonight through Friday night: Numerous showers have popped up across the Eastern WA and ID Panhandle with light precipitation. So far we have had reports of snow, rain, and graupel with these showers. North winds will decrease overnight as the pressure gradient will relax overnight and winds will calm down. With calm winds and partial clearing overnight, there is another risk of frost and temperatures around freezing. A weak shortwave will slide through the region Thursday afternoon, which will allow for another round of unstable conditions over the ID Panhandle. Coverage will be less than what we see today, with most of the showers contained to the ID Panhandle. Eastern and Central Washington will see sunshine and remain dry. Daytime temperature remain cool in the 50s. Showers and winds will weaken again in the early evening hours. For Friday, an upper level low will dig across the region that will tighten the pressure gradient, creating gusty winds across the Columbia Basin. Northeast winds will gust to 35 mph in the afternoon, decreasing overnight. Besides the wind, conditions will warm slightly and dry out, leaving sunny conditions for the region. /KM Saturday through Tuesday: We'll remain under the influence of a ridge through the first part of the day Saturday before the ridge axis moves east and a shortwave trough takes its place. As the shortwave approaches, cloud cover will increase and chances for showers will pop up over the mountains. Winds will be breezy, gusting to 25-30 mph across the region. Breezy, showery conditions will last through Sunday, then weak ridging will return to start off the workweek. Dry and mild weather looks to prevail through at least mid- next week with temperatures rising slightly above normal. Afternoon highs for Saturday will be in the low to mid 60s. The shortwave trough will knock temperatures down a few degrees for Sunday, and after the trough moves through, a warming trend will resume. Lows each night will be in the mid 30s to low 40s. /Fewkes && .AVIATION... 00z TAFS: Convective clouds will continue with the threat of showers for the early evening hours with rain/snow/graupel. This should dissipate after 02z. Conditions will clear and calm again tonight. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: There is high confidence in VFR conditions through the TAF period. There is low confidence that the showers will drop conditions to MVFR. ----------------------- 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 31 56 32 57 33 62 / 20 10 0 0 0 0 Coeur d'Alene 31 53 30 55 31 62 / 20 20 0 0 0 0 Pullman 30 53 31 58 33 62 / 10 10 0 0 0 0 Lewiston 34 61 35 64 37 69 / 10 10 0 0 0 0 Colville 27 56 27 58 27 62 / 20 30 0 0 0 0 Sandpoint 31 51 29 53 30 58 / 30 30 0 0 0 0 Kellogg 31 50 29 52 31 62 / 30 40 0 0 0 0 Moses Lake 33 62 36 64 38 66 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wenatchee 37 60 37 61 38 61 / 10 0 0 0 0 0 Omak 33 61 35 63 34 64 / 0 10 0 0 0 0 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...None. WA...None. && $$ |