Colfax, Washington Weather Forecast Discussion

952
FXUS66 KOTX 231750
AFDOTX
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1050 AM PDT Tue Sep 23 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Warming back to above normal Tuesday through Thursday.
- Breezy, dry conditions Thursday with elevated fire weather
  concerns.
&&
.SYNOPSIS...
A drying and warming trend will remain in place through mid-week
with high temperatures in the 80s by Wednesday. Dry and breezy
conditions are expected Thursday with temperatures dropping back
into the 70s Friday and Saturday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Tuesday and Wednesday: A ridge of high pressure will build in
through mid-week bringing dry conditions and light winds across the
Inland Northwest. Light winds combined with clear skies and a dry
atmosphere will allow temperatures to fall into the 30s and 40s by
Tuesday morning with patchy fog and frost possible in the coldest
northeast valleys and near lakes and rivers. A frost advisory has
been issued for Ferry, Stevens, Pend Orielle, Boundary, and Bonner
County through 10 AM Tuesday. The crisp fall morning temperatures
won`t last long though, as afternoon highs are forecast to rise into
the upper 70s to low 80s, 5 to 10 degrees above seasonal normals.
The warming trend will continue into Wednesday with temperatures
rising another several degrees into the mid to upper 80s by
Wednesday afternoon.
Thursday through Monday: The pattern will shift over the second half
of the week and into the weekend as a series of shortwave
disturbances begin moving in, weakening the ridge of high pressure
over the region and gradually increasing moisture. As the ridge
begins to flatten, westerly winds will pick up Thursday into Friday.
Breeziest winds are expected through the Cascade gaps, over the
Waterville Plateau, and into the western Columbia Basin with
sustained speeds of 15 to 20 mph and gusts of 25 to 30 mph. RHs will
still be low on Thursday in the teens and low 20s, so elevated fire
weather conditions will be a concern. By Friday, cloud cover will
increase and temperatures will trend a few deg cooler in the low to
mid 70s where they will stay through the weekend. Cloud cover will
continue to increase on Saturday, then slight chances (15%) for
showers move into the Cascades Sunday morning. Shower chances stay
mainly confined to the Cascades Sunday, then expand eastward across
the region through the day on Monday.
Smoke and Haze: The Lower Sugarloaf and Labor Mountain fires in the
Cascades are expected to continue producing large amounts of smoke
that will impact air quality across the region through at least the
middle of the week. The WA Department of Ecology has issued an Air
Quality Alert until further notice and will reassess conditions
periodically. /Fewkes
&&
.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS: High pressure and drier air will bring generally VFR
conditions. Smoke from fires in the Cascades will continue to
impact visibility through Wednesday in Winthrop, Entiat, Chelan,
Wenatchee, and Leavenworth. Visibility may drop as low as 1 mile
at times. Air quality sensors show KEAT on the fringe of
the thicker smoke early this morning and with wind switching to
east this afternoon the forecast leans towards the higher end
of visibility (5-8 miles) but confidence is low.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: High confidence
in VFR through 12z Wednesday except KEAT where confidence is low.
-----------------------
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        49  84  51  82  48  73 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Coeur d`Alene  50  84  53  82  48  73 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Pullman        48  85  50  80  46  70 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Lewiston       55  87  57  87  54  77 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Colville       38  83  40  81  37  74 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Sandpoint      52  81  53  80  48  71 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Kellogg        55  83  56  81  50  70 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Moses Lake     45  84  48  84  45  76 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Wenatchee      56  85  58  81  54  76 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Omak           54  85  55  83  47  76 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Air Quality Alert until further notice for Central Chelan
     County-Okanogan Highlands-Okanogan Valley-Waterville
     Plateau-Wenatchee Area-Western Chelan County-Western
     Okanogan County.
ID...None.
&&
$$

NWS OTX Office Area Forecast Discussion