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Periodic breezy winds with seasonably normal temperatures Sunday through Wednesday. Elevated to critical fire weather conditions Tuesday for central WA.
Above normal temperatures return by Thursday with highs in the 90s.
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Revised in 3 passages since the 12:14 AM discussion. See every revision.
Synopsis
Breezy winds will linger into Sunday through Wednesday across Central Washington, resulting in elevated to critical fire weather conditions. Temperatures will cool to near seasonal normals in the 80s. Above normal temperatures return later next week in the 90s with continued dry conditions.
Discussion
Sunday through Monday: In the wake of the cold front that passed through yesterday, the Inland Northwest will remain between troughing off the PNW coast and a strong ridge over the central US for the next couple days. This will enhance the thermal gradient across the Cascades each afternoon and evening, bringing breezy to gusty conditions across central and eastern Washington. Areas that will see the highest winds (25 to 30 mph) each day include the Okanogan Valley, Waterville Plateau, and Columbia Basin. When coupled with minimum relative humidity values 15 to 25 percent each evening, elevated to critical fire weather conditions are expected in these areas. This will result in rapid fire spread for both new and existing fires. Temperatures today and Monday will cool to the mid to high 80s, right around normal for this time of year, resulting in only Minor HeatRisk.
Tuesday: On Tuesday, the low off the PNW coast will move inland, ushering another dry cold front through the forecast area. This will bring widespread wind gusts 15 to 20 mph, and more localized higher wind gusts 25 to 35 mph in the usual areas: Cascade gaps, Waterville Plateau, Columbia Basin, and Okanogan Valley areas. With relative humidity values remaining low at 15 to 25 percent, this will bring critical fire weather conditions back to these areas. Temperatures on Tuesday remain near normal.
Wednesday through Friday: Once the cold front moves through, the region will again be in between offshore troughing and a ridge over the central US. The thermal pressure gradient will be weaker than on Monday and Tuesday, bringing breezy winds 10 to 20 mph to central and eastern Washington. However, the ridge will begin moving westward and strengthening during the last two days of the work week, resulting in increasing temperatures and a return to the 90s on Friday. This will also increase the thermal pressure gradient, bringing slightly higher wind gusts near 25 mph throughout the basin, Waterville Plateau, and Okanogan Valley areas.
Next weekend: Long-term guidance and clusters both favor another trough moving across the region and ushering yet another dry cold front through the area on Saturday. This will again increase winds across the entire forecast area, and relative humidity values remaining low will result in another round of critical fire weather conditions. Throughout the week into next weekend, chances for precipitation remain at or near zero percent, with precipitable water values expected to remain only at 70 percent of normal (0.5 to 0.7 inches). /AS
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