Juliaetta, Idaho Weather Forecast Discussion

503
FXUS66 KOTX 050508
AFDOTX
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1008 PM PDT Thu Sep 4 2025
.KEY MESSAGES...
- Temperatures trending cooler heading into this weekend and
  next week.
- Smoke and haze expected to continue through the weekend
- Breezy northeast winds for Idaho and portions of the Columbia
  Basin Thursday evening into Friday.
- Unsettled weather returning to the region over the weekend
  and into next week.
&&
.SYNOPSIS...
Smoke and haze is expected to continue over the weekend while
temperatures gradually trend cooler. Precipitation chances will
be on the gradual increase next week, along with more significant
cooling across the region as high temperatures drop into the
70s.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Tonight and Friday: An upper ridge centered over Eastern
Washington and North Idaho will continue to promote warm and dry
conditions. Conditions also will remain unstable in the mountains
through early this evening with Red Flag Warnings in place.
With the ridge weakening, and with an increase in haze and smoke,
temperatures are forecast to be cooler on Friday. Also contributing
to the cooling is a push of northeast winds into north Idaho and
the Columbia Basin in response to wave dropping down east of
the Continental Divide. With the ridge axis over Eastern WA/N
Idaho, this will result in southerly flow for the Cascades. The
southerly flow will draw up some increased mid level moisture
and instability, with a 15% chance of a thunderstorm Friday
afternoon near the Cascade crest.
Saturday through Thursday: Additional weather disturbances
coming in from the south ahead of the offshore low arrive this
weekend, resulting in a gradual increase in shower and
thunderstorm chances especially for the Cascades on Sunday.
Given the elevated nature of the storms concerns include gusty
outflow winds, lightning, and new fire starts. Unfortunately the
winds don`t look strong enough to scour out the haze and smoke,
and will likely remain in place this weekend. Although outflow
gusts could move the smoke around resulting in fluctuation
levels of haze and smoke. Heading into next week, the low off
the coast gradually pushes in bringing additional rounds of
scattered shower activity as well as possible thunderstorms. The
cooler temperatures, higher humidity, and shower activity will
be good news for area fires. The cooling and moistening trend
should also begin to help the smoke and haze situation across
the region. JW
&&
.AVIATION...
06Z TAFS: Visibility is expected to be restricted from wildfire
smoke regionwide for the next several days. Visibility is
expected to range from 4-7 miles for most of Central and Eastern
Washington and north Idaho, but areas near fires including
Colville will see restrictions as low as 1 mile.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS:
Low confidence in precise visibilities at the TAF sites due to
shifting winds out of the northeast overnight tonight into
Friday morning for the Columbia Basin, Palouse, and north Idaho.
The wind shift could shift the surface smoke around with
fluctuating visibility.
-----------------------
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        60  89  61  92  62  85 /   0   0   0   0  10  10
Coeur d`Alene  60  89  59  92  62  88 /   0   0   0   0  10  10
Pullman        58  88  57  90  59  82 /   0   0   0   0  20  20
Lewiston       66  94  66  95  67  89 /   0   0   0   0  20  20
Colville       50  88  51  92  53  86 /   0   0   0   0  10  20
Sandpoint      53  86  54  89  56  84 /   0   0   0   0  10  20
Kellogg        59  87  61  90  63  83 /   0   0   0   0  10  20
Moses Lake     65  93  63  90  62  85 /   0   0   0  10  20  30
Wenatchee      69  92  71  88  68  83 /   0   0   0  10  30  40
Omak           66  93  66  90  66  88 /   0   0   0  10  20  30
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Heat Advisory until 8 PM PDT this evening for Central Chelan
     County-Northeast Blue Mountains-Northeast Mountains-
     Okanogan Highlands-Spokane Area-Upper Columbia Basin-
     Washington Palouse-Waterville Plateau-Western Chelan
     County-Western Okanogan County.
Extreme Heat Warning until 8 PM PDT this evening for Lower
     Garfield and Asotin Counties-Moses Lake Area-Okanogan
     Valley-Wenatchee Area.
Air Quality Alert until noon PDT Monday for Central Chelan
     County-Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties-Moses Lake Area-
     Northeast Blue Mountains-Northeast Mountains-Okanogan
     Highlands-Okanogan Valley-Spokane Area-Upper Columbia
     Basin-Washington Palouse-Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee
     Area-Western Chelan County-Western Okanogan County.
Red Flag Warning until 9 PM PDT this evening for Colville
     Reservation (Zone 702)-East Washington Central Cascades
     (Zone 696)-Foothills of Northeast Washington (Zone 701)-
     Okanogan Highlands and Kettle Mountains (Zone 699)-
     Selkirk Mountains of Northeast Washington (Zone 700).
ID...Air Quality Alert until noon PDT Saturday for Central
     Panhandle Mountains-Coeur d`Alene Area-Idaho Palouse-
     Northern Panhandle.
Heat Advisory until 8 PM PDT this evening for Central
     Panhandle Mountains-Coeur d`Alene Area-Idaho Palouse-Lewis and
     Southern Nez Perce Counties-Northern Panhandle.
Air Quality Alert until 11 AM PDT Friday for Lewis and Southern
     Nez Perce Counties- Lewiston Area.
Extreme Heat Warning until 8 PM PDT this evening for Lewiston
     Area.
&&
$$

NWS OTX Office Area Forecast Discussion