744 FXUS66 KOTX 140603 AFDOTX AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA 1003 PM PST Wed Feb 13 2013 .SYNOPSIS... Moist westerly flow over the region will keep the threat of precipitation going over the central Idaho Panhandle and near the Cascades through tonight. Although snow is expected to fall over the mountains...amounts should be rather light. High pressure will return to the region on Thursday and Friday bringing dry conditions to most locations. A low pressure system will bring slightly cooler and more unsettled conditions beginning this weekend. A stronger disturbance is expected to move into the region late Monday and Tuesday resulting in the threat of snow for many valley locations. && .DISCUSSION... Rest of tonight: With skies clearing quickly behind the exiting short-wave moving SE through N Id, we lowered sky cover substantially. This will produce cold temps...which have been updated...as well as keep a valley fog threat overnight...especially across all of N Id, NE Wa and the Spokane region. bz && .AVIATION... 00Z TAFS: There will still be a few showers popping up from time to time for the Panhandle highlands through this evening in northwest flow. Otherwise upper level winds have created a lee side wave cloud east of the Cascades and this should linger through 04-06z before dissipating. Finally a warm front will cross the Cascades by late morning and be out of our area by 00z. Again this will affect the central Panhandle mountains and south to the Camas Prairie Thursday afternoon. For the TAF sites we expect a high BKN-OVC deck through the evening...then clearing. This will promote a strengthening inversion and the formation of low clouds and fog for the KGEG-KCOE corridor. At this time there may be a 3-5 hour window of MVFR vsby between 12-18z and mainly near KGEG. Otherwise high clouds with decks well above 120. Ceilings will likely drop after 18-20z Thursday as the warm front moves through but decks will have a hard time getting much below BKN-OVC 100. /Tobin && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Spokane 24 38 28 39 30 42 / 0 10 0 0 0 30 Coeur d'Alene 25 38 29 38 29 42 / 10 20 10 0 0 40 Pullman 29 43 31 46 32 48 / 10 20 10 0 0 30 Lewiston 34 49 34 51 36 55 / 0 20 10 0 0 20 Colville 24 40 28 41 30 43 / 0 20 0 0 10 40 Sandpoint 27 37 29 37 29 40 / 10 20 10 0 10 50 Kellogg 27 40 29 44 29 43 / 30 20 20 10 0 50 Moses Lake 26 45 26 45 29 48 / 0 10 0 0 0 20 Wenatchee 29 43 29 44 30 46 / 0 10 0 0 0 20 Omak 19 35 23 36 25 40 / 0 10 0 0 10 20 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...None. WA...None. && $$