432 FXUS66 KOTX 080748 AFDOTXArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 1248 AM PDT Mon Sep 8 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Cooler and unsettled weather returning to the region next week with increasing threat for showers and afternoon thunderstorms.
- Improving air quality expected with pattern change.
&&
.SYNOPSIS... Smoke and haze is expected into early next week though we have seen some improvement in areas. Temperatures will be cooling into the 70s by next week. Today through Friday, there are chances of precipitation and afternoon and evening thunderstorms.
&&
.DISCUSSION... Today: Lingering convection from the shortwave that moved through the area yesterday evening exists in far southeast Washington and into central Idaho, with some isolated thunderstorms in the northern Idaho Panhandle. This convection looks to move out of the area by late morning. Temperatures today start a cooldown into temperatures closer to normal than they have been recently. Today, temperatures will be in the low 80s, only a few degrees higher than normal this time of year. A low pressure system sitting off the PNW coast will begin moving inland. This low pressure system will bring scattered light rain showers and chances of thunderstorms to the area this evening, a trend that will continue through the week. Thunderstorms tonight will be mostly confined to the northern Idaho Panhandle, northern Mountains, Okanogan Valley and Highlands, Cascades, and the Blues.
Tomorrow through Friday: As that low pressure system moves further inland, the trend of showers and afternoon thunderstorms continue through Friday. Days that look to be wettest include tomorrow, where the Cascades have a 50 percent chance and higher of seeing a wetting rain (0.10 inches of rain or more), and Wednesday, where chances of a wetting rain move southeastward into far southeast Washington, Central Idaho, and the Camas Prairie. While afternoon and evening chances for thunderstorms will be widespread at 10-20 percent, places that will see the highest percentages for thunderstorms (25 percent chance and above) will be the areas mentioned above that could see wetting rains. With this very welcome cooler and wetter system moving through, relative humidities will steadily begin improving beginning today and continuing through the week. Temperatures will drop down to right around normal, in the mid 70s, and lows will be in the mid 50s, so a hint of fall seems to be moving through the area this week.
Next weekend: Wetting rain chances decrease as we get into next weekend, but high temperatures will remain in the mid-70s. Current long range guidance shows good agreement of lower heights continuing through Saturday. While cluster analysis shows further lowering heights moving in Sunday, there is less agreement on if we see some higher heights and a slight warm up first, but temperatures look to stay below 80 for most areas. All in all, at the moment it looks like continued lower heights, lower temperatures, and wetter conditions will continue at least through the weekend, maybe even into early next week if the clusters and long range models continue their current trends. Enjoy our first taste of fall! /AS
&&
.AVIATION... 06Z TAFS: Smoke and haze will continue to bring degraded vis but locations are expected to remain VFR. Thunderstorm chances will increase around 00-03z Tuesday for the Columbia Basin and southeast Washington (KMWH-KPUW-KLWS).
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Low confidence on MVFR conditions.
-----------------------
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 82 56 79 56 81 56 / 10 20 30 20 20 40 Coeur d`Alene 83 57 81 57 81 56 / 10 10 20 30 30 50 Pullman 81 51 74 51 74 52 / 10 40 30 40 40 60 Lewiston 87 61 81 61 80 60 / 10 40 40 40 50 60 Colville 82 46 80 46 82 47 / 30 20 40 30 30 30 Sandpoint 80 52 80 53 80 52 / 10 10 30 40 40 50 Kellogg 80 57 78 58 78 57 / 10 20 40 50 40 70 Moses Lake 82 57 78 54 80 55 / 10 20 60 20 30 30 Wenatchee 82 61 76 60 80 62 / 10 40 70 30 30 30 Omak 85 59 81 58 84 59 / 20 30 50 30 20 20
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WA...Air Quality Alert until noon PDT today for Central Chelan County-Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties-Moses Lake Area- Northeast Blue Mountains-Northeast Mountains-Okanogan Highlands-Okanogan Valley-Spokane Area-Upper Columbia Basin-Washington Palouse-Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee Area-Western Chelan County-Western Okanogan County. ID...Air Quality Alert until noon PDT today for Central Panhandle Mountains-Coeur d`Alene Area-Idaho Palouse-Lewis and Southern Nez Perce Counties-Lewiston Area-Northern Panhandle.
&&
$$
NWS OTX Office Area Forecast Discussion