897 
FXUS66 KOTX 271818
AFDOTX

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1118 AM PDT Sat Apr 27 2013

.SYNOPSIS...
An upper level low pressure system will pass through the region
today. This will bring windy conditions this afternoon with a few
mountain showers possible. A stronger system could bring even
windier conditions Sunday night and Monday along with moderate
precipitation near the Cascade crest and over the Idaho Panhandle.
This system will usher in much cooler temperatures for early next
week. High pressure will then rebound, bringing a warming trend
for the middle to end of next week.


&&

.DISCUSSION...
Main update this morning was to increase winds in the Wenatchee
Area for this morning into this afternoon. A weather spotter 8
miles west of Lake Chelan reported wind gusts between 50 and 60
mph at around 10:30 AM. This report is corroborated by a MESONET
observation east of Chelan along State Route 97 with gusts of
around 55 mph. These southerly winds are due to a tightening
northerly pressure gradient. However, we also have a stable layer
between 850 and 700 mbs, which could be responsible for some
mountain wave activity. Entrenched in these mountain waves would
be some stronger gusts as winds between these levels are up around
50 kts. I can not find any other observations in the Wenatchee
Area with winds nearly this strong, so it looks as if these
stronger gusts are fairly localized. We will handle these gusty
winds with a NOWcast for now and continue to monitor observations.
Models indicate that winds should not get much stronger and the
strongest gusts may even weaken a bit this afternoon as this
stable layer weakens with time. However, this area will remain
windy into the evening hours. 

The forecast for the rest of the area was left largely unchanged.
Windy conditions are anticipated to occur over much of the region
this afternoon as well. Winds will be strong enough that we could
see some blowing dust across the basin. /SVH

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS: A cold front approaching the region from the northwest
has resulted in increasing mid and high level clouds. these clouds
will lower a bit to between 5-8k ft through the afternoon into the
evening as the atmosphere moistens from the top down. Pre-frontal
southwesterly winds will increase this afternoon with gusts up
around 30-35 mph over much of the region. These winds will likely
kick up some dust across the northern Columbia Basin, which may
result in some reduced visibilities at KMWH. We may see some
showers developing in the vicinity of KCOE and KPUW this evening,
but all other TAF sites are expected to remain dry. Models are
indicating the possibility for some low stratus developing near
these TAF sites early Sunday morning, but I don't have a lot of
confidence with this as boundary layer moisture will be lacking
without much rainfall anticipated with the cold front. /SVH


&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane        67  42  61  44  54  32 /  10  10  10  30  10   0 
Coeur d'Alene  67  39  59  41  53  30 /  10  20  20  40  20  10 
Pullman        67  42  59  42  53  29 /  10  20  20  30  20  10 
Lewiston       75  49  66  47  61  38 /   0  10  10  20  10  10 
Colville       71  39  65  42  58  32 /  10  10  10  30  10   0 
Sandpoint      64  37  58  40  51  31 /  30  20  20  70  30  10 
Kellogg        63  39  54  41  48  31 /  10  40  30  70  70  20 
Moses Lake     75  47  69  47  62  34 /   0   0   0  10   0   0 
Wenatchee      72  46  64  47  55  37 /   0   0  10  10   0   0 
Omak           71  40  66  43  57  32 /   0   0  10  10   0   0 

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...None.
WA...None.
&&

$$