FXUS66 KOTX 262058
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1258 PM PST SAT DEC 26 2009
.SYNOPSIS...
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE WILL PROMOTE CONTINUED DRY AND COOL CONDITIONS
OVER THE INLAND NORTHWEST THROUGH THE WEEKEND. A SERIES OF WEAK
WEATHER SYSTEMS NEXT WEEK WILL BRING SMALL TO MODERATE CHANCES OF
LIGHT SNOW TO THE REGION...BUT NO SIGNIFICANT STORMS ARE EXPECTED.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
QUICK UPDATE TO INCREASE TEMPERATURES FOR THE L-C VALLEY THIS
AFTERNOON. LOCALLY MODERATE EASTERLY GRADIENTS HAVE ENABLED
SUFFICIENT MIXING AND ADIABATIC WARMING...CURRENT OBS GRID SUGGEST
LEWISTON AP HAS JUMPED TO 46F...NEARLY 10F OF WARMING OVER THE
LAST 2 HRS. BREEZY WINDS REMAIN DOWN THE PURCELL TRENCH AND HAVE
ADDED A FEW DEGREES TO THE KCOE-KSZT CORRIDOR TO ACCOUNT FOR THE
INCR MIXING. /SB
&&
.AVIATION...
STRONG HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT IS PROMOTING A STRONG INVERSION OVER
THE REGION. ALTHOUGH INVERSIONS ARE STRONG REGION-WIDE...THE
BL MOISTURE...FOG/STRATUS IS CONFINED TO THE LOWER COLUMBIA
BASIN...L-C VALLEY THANKS TO LIGHT E/NE GRADIENTS. SHELTERED
VALLEYS ACROSS THE WEST AND NORTH ALSO ILLUSTRATE TRAPPED
MOISTURE AND IFR/LIFR CIGS. EXPECT VERY SMALL CHANGES IN CURRENT
CONDITIONS AS BL FLOW REMAINS LIGHT OVER THE NORTH AND WEST AND
INVERSIONS STRONG. I AM OPTIMISTIC WITH THE KEAT TAF AS THE
DECK APPEARS VERY SHALLOW. THE EASTERLY GRADIENTS WILL WEAKEN THIS
EVENING...EXPECT THE STRATUS TO CREEP NORTH TOWARD KMWH-KGEG-KPUW.
CONFIDENCE IS NOT EXTREMELY HIGH FOR KGEG-KPUW REGARDING HOW FAR
E/NE THE DECK WILL ADVECT AS THE E/NE SFC GRADIENTS NEVER COMPLETELY
CALM...HOWEVER IT LOOKS LIKE A GOOD BET FOR MWH WITH LOWER
CONFIDENCE VCNTY KEAT.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SPOKANE 28 15 27 17 25 20 / 0 0 0 0 0 10
COEUR D'ALENE 32 16 26 18 27 19 / 0 0 0 0 0 10
PULLMAN 31 16 27 20 29 20 / 0 0 0 0 0 10
LEWISTON 48 26 28 25 32 25 / 0 0 0 0 0 10
COLVILLE 28 15 29 14 27 19 / 0 0 0 0 0 10
SANDPOINT 30 16 26 15 28 18 / 0 0 0 0 0 10
KELLOGG 27 15 27 17 29 19 / 0 0 0 0 0 10
MOSES LAKE 32 14 30 18 29 18 / 0 0 0 0 0 10
WENATCHEE 25 15 25 19 26 19 / 0 0 0 0 10 10
OMAK 27 13 26 13 27 16 / 0 0 0 0 10 0
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM PST MONDAY FOR CENTRAL
PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS...COEUR D'ALENE AREA...IDAHO PALOUSE...
LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES...LEWISTON AREA...
NORTHERN PANHANDLE.
WA...AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM PST MONDAY FOR EAST SLOPES
NORTHERN CASCADES...LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES...
MOSES LAKE AREA...NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS...OKANOGAN
HIGHLANDS...OKANOGAN VALLEY...SPOKANE AREA...UPPER COLUMBIA
BASIN...WASHINGTON PALOUSE...WATERVILLE PLATEAU...WENATCHEE
AREA.
&&
$$
