462 FXUS66 KOTX 192159 AFDOTX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 259 PM PDT Tue Oct 19 2021 .SYNOPSIS... An approaching system will allow clouds to increase overnight, followed with a period of light rain Wednesday. A wetter pattern is forecast for the Inland Northwest for the end of the week into early next week, with temperatures cooling closer to normal. && .DISCUSSION... Tonight through Thursday: Southerly flow between a digging troff off the coast and slightly negatively tilted ridging with axis placement over Montana allows for middle and high clouds to stream into the area and thicken and lower with the approach of a low pressure system moving up from the south/southwest. This low pressure system and its associated frontal features eject out of the trof with a negative tilt and pass through Eastern Washington and North Idaho Wednesday allowing for cloudy skies with a good chance of light rain for most locations. Snow levels will be rather high at around 6000 feet MSL or so. Wednesday winds will be somewhat gusty and prevail from the southwest. The exit of this disturbance Wednesday night followed up with progressive shortwave ridging moving into the area allows for drier weather to move in overnight and linger into a good part of Thursday. /Pelatti Thursday night to Tuesday: The pattern change comes in, with a long-wave trough being carved out over the northwestern United States bringing wetter and cooler weather. A series of moist systems come in through this period: the first around Thursday night into Friday, with additional moving by between Saturday and Tuesday (and beyond). Some modest precipitation amounts are expected this period. It isn't expected to rain the entire time, with the drier periods right now around Friday night and early Saturday and again early Sunday. However the precise timing and intensity will likely waver, so the forecast will continue to be fine-tuned. Precipitation amounts for the entire period could be over an inch in spots, locally 2-3 inches in the mountains. Snow levels start around 7-9kft, drop to between 5-6.5kft by later Friday and 4-6kft thereafter - lowest near the Cascades. Cascade passes like Stevens Pass would tend to see snow over rain as we progress into the later part of the weekend and early next week. However, depending on timing, road temperatures may be too warm to be a significant impact. Temperatures drop closer to and even slightly below normal this period. Wind may be a bit breezy Friday as the first system exits, followed by the potential for some stronger breezes toward Tuesday (into Wednesday). I don't have high confidence that there will be any impacts from the winds at this time. /Cote' && .AVIATION... 00Z TAFS: Clouds increase and thicken tonight, before light precip moves in near the KEAT area as early as 12Z Wednesday, then spreads north and east near 15Z Wednesday. A transition to more spotty post frontal showers along with an increase in southwesterly wind looks likely near 21Z Wednesday for most locations. /Pelatti && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Spokane 43 60 37 64 46 56 / 10 40 0 0 30 80 Coeur d'Alene 41 58 38 61 45 54 / 10 50 0 0 20 70 Pullman 42 59 37 64 44 56 / 0 50 0 0 20 80 Lewiston 47 65 45 70 53 61 / 0 50 0 0 20 80 Colville 35 59 32 61 38 55 / 0 60 10 0 50 90 Sandpoint 37 54 36 58 40 51 / 10 60 10 0 30 80 Kellogg 45 60 39 62 48 57 / 0 60 10 0 20 70 Moses Lake 42 61 38 65 45 58 / 10 40 0 0 60 70 Wenatchee 46 59 43 61 49 58 / 10 50 0 0 80 60 Omak 42 61 38 63 46 58 / 10 50 0 0 80 70 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...None. WA...None. && $$