FXUS66 KOTX 230720 AFDOTX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 1220 AM PDT Sun Aug 23 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Lingering thunderstorms over Northeast WA and North ID through Sunday morning. - Breezy winds across the Basin on Sunday. && .SYNOPSIS... A weather system continues to impact the region through Sunday morning. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms producing gusty outflow winds, along with breezy winds and low relative humidity expected. Sunday will remain breezy and dry, but cooler. Temperatures will warm again at the start of next week with breezy conditions returning by the middle of next week. && .DISCUSSION... Today: The Low will be passing through the North Idaho into Alberta. There is still enough instability to generate showers and occasional isolated thunderstorm over Northeast WA and North Idaho through the morning. These areas have a round 10-30% probability of thunderstorms. The thunderstorm threat will diminish through the afternoon as the system continues eastward. The system will bring gusty winds across the Basin with gusts in the 20-30 mph range. Winds will be breezy through the day before declining by the evening. Highs will be cooler with a range of upper 70s to 80s expected. Monday through Saturday: A ridge will build into the region along the Continental Divide while a trough digs in off the coast. A similar pattern will be setting up from this past weekend. The ridge will be in place for a couple of days leading to dry, warm pattern. Highs will climb back into the 90s. Moderate HeatRisk will return for most lowland locations on Tuesday. The trough begin to push into the region on Wednesday and slowly track East through the end of the week. Ensembles have weak instability over the Cascades, northern mountains, and the Idaho Panhandle. Precipitable water amounts are 0.5-0.75 of an inch. These areas will likely have isolated showers with an occasional lightning strike. NBM has around a 10% probability of lightning. Winds will increase through the Okanogan Valley and Waterville Plateau with gusts in the 20-30 mph range. While it does not bring in a meaningful amount of rain, the trough will drop highs back into the 80s through the end of the week. /JDC && .AVIATION... 06Z TAFs: Lingering instability and an incoming system continue chances for isolated to scattered thunderstorms through the into Sunday morning. Greatest risk will be over Northeast Washington and the Idaho Panhandle. Winds will remain elevated overnight into Sunday morning as the system tracks inland with gusts into the mid 20-30 kts. Smoke from the Cascade fires will continue to impact KEAT at times. FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Low confidence for TS at terminals but moderate confidence for outflow winds to impact most terminals with speeds of at least 20-30 mph. ----------------------- 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:/www.weather.gov/otx/avndashboard && .Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs... Spokane 80 53 86 55 93 60 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Coeur d'Alene 79 52 86 55 93 60 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pullman 76 45 86 49 93 54 / 0 0 0 0 0 10 Lewiston 85 56 92 61 98 65 / 0 0 0 0 0 10 Colville 78 43 86 46 93 51 / 30 10 0 0 0 0 Sandpoint 76 46 82 50 90 55 / 10 0 0 0 0 0 Kellogg 76 51 84 54 91 57 / 10 0 0 0 0 10 Moses Lake 84 52 89 57 94 59 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wenatchee 82 61 87 64 92 68 /0 0 0 0 0 0 Omak 83 53 88 57 93 62 / 10 0 0 0 0 0 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WA...Red Flag Warning until 11 AM PDT this morning for Selkirk Mountains of Northeast Washington (Zone 700). Red Flag Warning until 5 AM PDT early this morning for Eastern Columbia Basin -Palouse -Spokane Area (Zone 708)- Foothills of Northeast Washington (Zone 701). Air Quality Alert until 2 PM PDT Monday for Central Chelan County-Okanogan Highlands-Okanogan Valley-Upper Columbia Basin-Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee Area-Western Chelan County-Western Okanogan County. ID...Red Flag Warning until 11 AM PDT this morning for Northern and Central Idaho Panhandle (Zone 101). && $$