Benge, Washington Weather Forecast Discussion

109
FXUS66 KOTX 220557
AFDOTX
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1057 PM PDT Sun Sep 21 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Sunday cold front to deliver cooler temperatures, windy
  conditions, and chances for light showers.
- Another ridge forms Monday into Tuesday, with temperatures
  warming back into the 80s by Wednesday.
&&
.SYNOPSIS...
On Sunday, a front will bring cooler temperatures, chances for
showers, gusty winds and a chance for thunderstorms. Chilly
overnight lows expected Sunday night and Monday night and in
some spots again Monday night into Tuesday morning.
Temperatures warm again under a ridge of high pressure Tuesday
and Wednesday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Tonight: A cold front will continue to push through the Idaho
Panhandle and eastward, with an unstable upper trough rapidly
following on its heels, before high pressure builds through
Tuesday. Showers will continues to push across the east third of
WA and ID with the front. More isolated to scattered showers
and embedded t-storms will be possible on the backside of that
feature, over the northern mountains through the Palouse east
into the Panhandle. These will be most likely/moist numerous
over the northern mountains, tracking from west to east through
early this evening. More isolated activity is expected south of
there. The best chances will be before 800 PM, but a few could
linger over the central and southern Idaho Panhandle and far
southeast WA through about 10 PM or so. Stronger t-storms will
be capable of brief heavy downpours, gusty winds and small hail.
Winds will remain breezy through this evening too, gusting between
15-30 mph. They will gradually wane after about 08 to 10 PM and
continue to decrease into the overnight, becoming light and
variable. Some patchy blowing dust is possible this evening
before winds subside, but thus far I`m not seeing much evident
on the dust channel on satellite.
With the winds subsiding and skies clearing out, we will see the
potential for a couple things: frost and fog. Fog will be
possible throughout the northeast WA and ID Panhandle valleys,
are around the Spokane area/Palouse and even toward the Moses
Lake area. This is expected to be patchy, with the best chances
later overnight and early Monday morning before burning off.
Additionally, frost will be possible over the northeast WA and ID
Panhandle valleys, where temperatures drop to near the mid-30s
tonight. A few locations could see temperature near freezing
in some very sheltered valleys, such as Chewelah, WA and Santa
through Clarkia, ID.
Lastly, smoke and haze will impact portions of central and
southern WA into the Idaho Panhandle, due to smoke from
wildfires near the Cascades.
Monday through Sunday: High pressure will remain in control of
the weather through about mid-week, before some weak shortwave
troughs moves inland Wednesday into the weekend. The initial
waves around Wednesday/Thursday appear to stay north, while the
later week waves may come a bit closer. Look for continued dry
and mostly clear weather through Thursday. Some patchy fog may
linger Tuesday morning, along with patchy frost in the sheltered
valleys. Clouds increase some toward Friday into Sunday. Light
shower chances come to the Cascade crest Friday and Saturday,
then expand over the other mountain zones Sunday, but overall
the precipitation threat is limited. Winds will be relatively
light through midweek, then become gustier later Thursday into
the weekend. Temperatures push back into the 80s (to near 90s in
the deeper basin/L-C Valley) Wednesday and Thursday, then cool
into the weekend. However values still remain above normal even
when they cool. /Solveig
&&
.AVIATION...
06Z TAFS: The cold front has exited the region, with only light
showers lingering around KCOE and eastward into the ID
Panhandle. Ceilings right now are low, with KSFF-KCOE in MVFR.
These ceilings should rise to MVFR once the rain and boundary
layer moisture have moved eastward. Because of the low
temperatures and the moisture provided by the rain, there is a
chance for morning fog in the vicinity of KGEG-KSFF-KCOE-KPUW.
This fog looks to diminish by around 17-18Z, so relatively early
in the morning. Winds have waned. By ~18-20Z, skies should clear
out and VFR conditions are anticipated through the rest of the
forecast period. Smoke and haze shows up in models for KEAT but
has not been officially reported in over 24 hours, so not enough
confidence to be included in TAFs. Models also show smoke moving
into the Spokane area tomorrow, but low confidence in that as
well.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: High confidence
in VFR ceilings by ~18-20Z. Low to moderate confidence in MVFR
ceilings remaining more than another hour at KSFF-KCOE. Moderate
confidence in rain clearing out of KCOE by 07Z. Low confidence
in ceiling degradation from fog this morning but patchy fog in
the vicinity is possible. Low confidence in smoke and haze near
KEAT and smoke moving into the Spokane area later today. /AS
-----------------------
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        43  70  45  79  49  85 /  20   0   0   0   0   0
Coeur d`Alene  43  70  43  79  50  85 /  30   0   0   0   0   0
Pullman        40  67  40  78  47  84 /  20   0   0   0   0   0
Lewiston       49  73  48  82  54  88 /  20   0   0   0   0   0
Colville       33  71  33  78  38  82 /  40   0   0   0   0   0
Sandpoint      39  67  39  76  45  82 /  60   0   0   0   0   0
Kellogg        45  67  49  78  55  84 /  50   0   0   0   0   0
Moses Lake     41  72  42  80  46  84 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Wenatchee      48  73  51  79  56  85 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Omak           42  75  45  80  50  85 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Air Quality Alert until further notice for Central Chelan
     County-Okanogan Valley-Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee Area-
     Western Chelan County.
ID...None.
&&
$$

NWS OTX Office Area Forecast Discussion