115 FXUS66 KOTX 092115 AFDOTX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 215 PM PDT Tue Oct 9 2018 .SYNOPSIS... Precipitation tapers off this evening with breezy northeast winds overnight. More breezy north winds arrive Friday, otherwise expect mostly dry weather for the rest of the week with a slow warm up into the weekend. && .DISCUSSION... Tonight: Upper level ridge of high pressure with axis placed off the coast coupled with a longwave in the vicinity of the Intermountain West continues to keep a northerly flow over Eastern Washington and north Idaho tonight. The low pressure system which brought abundant precipitation to the area earlier today will make a slow exit through Southern Idaho tonight but its presence is still keeping the pressure gradient tightened up to keep the drier north/northeasterly winds blowing to some degree tonight as well. Locations sheltered from the mixing provided by this north/northeast wind may get some patchy fog, otherwise this mixing of drier air should inhibit fog formation for locations not sheltered from the wind. The generally cool northerly flow should allow temperatures to fall slightly on the cool side of what would be considered normal while the mixing works against efficient radiational cooling. /Pelatti Wednesday through Tuesday: An upper ridge will persist off the coast between 130-140W through Monday. This will result in dry north to northwest flow aloft. Wednesday night very efficient radiational cooling is expected as a wedge of dry air aloft moves overhead with light winds. Thursday night some increase in mid/high clouds occur as a weak weather system approaches, which passes through Friday afternoon/evening in the form of a dry cold front out of the north. Breezy north winds of 15-25 mph are expected to channel down the Okanogan Valley Friday night with post frontal north to northwest winds of 5-15 mph elsewhere. Saturday night looks like a repeat of Wednesday night as light winds and dry air aloft returns for strong radiational cooling. Temperatures will not stray far from seasonal normals through Monday. On Tuesday the ridge axis is progged to move east over the region with most model data suggesting this to continue through the remainder of next week. This may bring several days of clear mild afternoons and cool nights. JW && .AVIATION... 18Z TAFS: Area of low pressure that will make a slow exit to the south and east is taking the precipitation with it. Some residual showers are moving counterclockwise on the northwest edge of the low and the elevated layer upon which it is being forced on is being eroded with daytime heating so have opted to show the decreased precipitation rates resulting from the decaying activity as sprinkles. Some MVFR ceilings and visibilities remain at times this morning near this precipitation, otherwise Wednesday morning some patchy fog may linger in outlying areas that are better sheltered from the drier air being brought down by the northeast wind that will prevail tonight into tomorrow morning. /Pelatti && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Spokane 35 55 34 57 37 59 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Coeur d'Alene 34 55 31 55 36 59 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Pullman 35 54 31 56 35 60 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Lewiston 38 59 36 62 39 67 / 10 0 0 0 0 0 Colville 33 57 31 59 35 60 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Sandpoint 33 54 29 54 34 56 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Kellogg 32 52 29 53 34 56 / 10 0 0 0 0 0 Moses Lake 37 62 30 61 35 64 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wenatchee 39 60 40 61 42 65 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Omak 37 62 34 63 36 64 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...None. WA...None. && $$