771
FXUS66 KOTX 241145
AFDOTX

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
445 AM PDT Sun Aug 24 2025

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Warm and dry through into next week with Central WA and the
  L-C Valley in areas of Major HeatRisk. Isolated areas of
  Extreme HeatRisk.

- Increased fire weather concerns over the Cascades Monday and
  Tuesday due to hot/dry/unstable conditions.

- Ridge breakdown by end of next week.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Hot and dry conditions are expected to prevail into early next
week. Near record temperatures are expected Monday and Tuesday
during the peak of the heatwave.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Tonight through Tuesday: A ridge of high pressure aloft will
remain in place over the Inland Northwest through the start of
next week, keeping the region in a prolonged period of hot, dry
weather. Highs will range from 10-20 degrees above normal for
this time of year in the 90s to low triple digits. Overnight
lows will range from the upper 50s (Northeast WA and North ID)
to mid 70s (Columbia Basin and L-C Valley). An Extreme Heat
Warning is in place for portions of the East Cascades, Central
Basin, and Okanogan Valley for Saturday through Wednesday.

In addition to the heat, smoke from area fires will impact much
of the region with the greatest reductions in visibility and air
quality expected for Southeast WA and the central/southern ID
Panhandle. Smoke may shave a few degrees off of the expected
high temperatures where it is thickest.

As we near the middle of the week, models show increasing
instability along the Cascade Crest Monday and Tuesday
afternoons with monsoonal moisture beginning to move up from
the south bringing isolated thunder chances.

Wednesday through Friday: By the middle of next week, the ridge
of high pressure will weaken and moisture will increase across
the region leading to elevated thunderstorm chances expanding
across the region and raising the risk of new fire starts. This
will continue to be monitored closely in the coming days. By
the end of the week, cooler temperatures near season normals are
expected. /Fewkes

&&

.AVIATION...
12Z TAFS: VFR conditions with high clouds will prevail except
for KLWS and KPUW where smoke from fires in central Idaho and
the lower Idaho Panhandle is expected to bring MVFR-IFR
visibilities at times.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Low confidence
in the visibility forecast from smoke for KPUW-KLWS. The RRFS
and HRRR smoke models both show a spike in near surface smoke
around 15-20z Sunday before northwest winds bring clearing.
Current TAF trend towards persistence with MVFR conditions
developing at PUW and IFR at LWS in the late morning into the
afternoon, but did not have enough confidence to include VIS
below 3SM at LWS.

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

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        95  61  98  65  96  65 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Coeur d`Alene  95  62  98  64  96  65 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Pullman        95  59  95  62  92  63 /   0   0   0   0   0  10
Lewiston      102  68 101  71  98  71 /   0   0   0   0  10  10
Colville       96  53  98  54  97  57 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Sandpoint      93  57  95  58  95  60 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Kellogg        93  65  96  68  94  67 /   0   0   0   0   0  10
Moses Lake     99  64 100  65  99  67 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Wenatchee      99  74 101  76 100  76 /   0   0   0  20   0  10
Omak          100  66 101  68 100  67 /   0   0   0   0   0   0

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Heat Advisory until 9 PM PDT Wednesday for Northeast Blue
     Mountains-Northeast Mountains-Okanogan Highlands-Spokane
     Area-Washington Palouse.
     Extreme Heat Warning until 9 PM PDT Wednesday for Central
     Chelan County-Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties-Moses
     Lake Area-Okanogan Valley-Upper Columbia Basin-Waterville
     Plateau-Wenatchee Area-Western Okanogan County.
     Fire Weather Watch from Monday afternoon through Tuesday
     evening for 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)-Methow Valley (Zone 704).
ID...Heat Advisory until 9 PM PDT Wednesday for Coeur d`Alene Area-
     Idaho Palouse-Lewis and Southern Nez Perce Counties.
     Air Quality Alert until 9 AM PDT Monday for Central Panhandle
     Mountains-Idaho Palouse-Lewis and Southern Nez Perce
     Counties-Lewiston Area.
     Extreme Heat Warning until 9 PM PDT Wednesday for Lewiston
     Area.

&&

$$