FXUS66 KOTX 111742
AFDOTX
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
942 AM PST FRI DEC 11 2009
.SYNOPSIS...
THE AREA WILL SEE YET ANOTHER DRY DAY AS COOL NORTHWEST FLOW
CONTINUES TO SURGE OUT OF BRITISH COLUMBIA. CONDITIONS WILL BEGIN
TO CHANGE BY SATURDAY AS THE NORTHWEST FLOW IS GRADUALLY REPLACED
BY SLIGHTLY MILDER AND MORE MOISTURE LADEN AIR FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
THIS TRANSITION WILL ALLOW A WARM FRONT TO SURGE TOWARD THE
WASHINGTON- OREGON BORDER ON SATURDAY AND REMAIN OVER THE AREA
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THIS FRONT WILL LIKELY RESULT IN MODERATE TO
LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW EXTENDING FROM THE BLUE MOUNTAINS TO THE
CENTRAL IDAHO PANHANDLE. A MUCH WETTER FRONT WILL THEN CROSS THE
AREA ON TUESDAY BRINGING WIDESPREAD SNOW TO THE REGION.
TEMPERATURES WILL THEN SURGE ABOVE FREEZING FOR MOST VALLEYS AND
REMAIN THERE THROUGH THE END OF NEXT WEEK.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
A MAINLY DRY NORTHWEST-NORTH FLOW REMAINS ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA
THIS MORNING. SATELLITE LOOPS ARE SHOWING THE NEXT UPSTREAM
DIGGING SHORTWAVE MOVING THROUGH THE NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA THIS
MORNING. AS THIS WAVE MOVES SOUTH IT WILL BACK THE FLOW TO WEST-
NORTHWEST AND WILL SUPPORT SOME ISOLATED FLURRIES NEAR THE
CANADIAN BORDER LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. MEANWHILE A
DISTURBANCE OFF THE SOUTHWEST OREGON COAST WILL BEGIN TO PUMP
MOISTURE NORTHWARD. THIS MOISTURE WILL BEGIN TO AFFECT THE
SOUTHEAST ZONES BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. THE CURRENT FORECAST IS ON
TRACK WITH COOL AND MAINLY DRY CONDITIONS OVER THE FORECAST AREA.
/TOBIN
&&
.AVIATION...
DRY NORTHWEST FLOW WILL REMAIN OVER THE REGION THROUGH 12Z SAT
RESULTING IN VFR CONDITIONS AND LIGHT WINDS FOR ALL TAF SITES. A
MOIST WEATHER SYSTEM...CURRENTLY OFF THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST
WILL MOVE NORTH THROUGH OREGON TONIGHT AND WILL BRING INCREASING
CLOUDS TO KLWS AND KPUW AFTER 09Z SAT. EXPECT VSBY/CIGS FOR KPUW
AND KLWS TO DROP TO MVFR CONDITIONS AFT 14Z WITH -SN BEGINNING AND
INCREASING AFT 18Z. AN ARCTIC FRONT WILL BRUSH THE NORTHERN
MOUNTAINS AND BRING A CHANCE OF SNOW FLURRIES WITH POSSIBLE
MOUNTAIN OBSCURATIONS...BUT EXPECT THE REMAINING TAF SITES TO
REMAIN VFR. /TOBIN
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
SPOKANE 22 12 22 17 25 15 / 0 0 20 50 50 50
COEUR D'ALENE 25 13 23 20 26 18 / 0 0 30 50 60 60
PULLMAN 25 16 27 26 29 22 / 0 0 80 90 80 70
LEWISTON 26 17 31 29 34 27 / 0 0 80 70 60 60
COLVILLE 21 14 23 20 26 13 / 0 10 30 20 50 40
SANDPOINT 23 13 22 18 21 15 / 0 10 50 40 60 70
KELLOGG 23 13 26 25 28 20 / 0 0 60 80 90 80
MOSES LAKE 22 7 24 13 29 15 / 0 0 20 20 10 20
WENATCHEE 21 10 22 17 28 19 / 0 0 10 10 10 20
OMAK 22 10 23 12 27 9 / 0 0 10 10 20 30
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING
FOR CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS...IDAHO PALOUSE...LEWIS AND
SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES...LEWISTON AREA.
WA...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING
FOR LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES...NORTHEAST BLUE
MOUNTAINS...WASHINGTON PALOUSE.
&&
$$
