Red Flag Warning 11, NWS Spokane, WA

749 
WWUS86 KOTX 181842
RFWOTX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1142 AM PDT Sat Jul 18 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WASHINGTON
SATURDAY AFTERNOON FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY...

Dry and breezy conditions are expected this afternoon and evening
from the Waterville Plateau and Colville Reservation to the 
Eastern Columbia Basin, lower Palouse and Snake River. Rapid fire 
spread is likely with any new or ongoing fires. Evening Cascade 
gap winds will increase relative humidity above critical levels.

WAZ708-709-190400-
/O.EXA.KOTX.FW.W.0011.260718T1900Z-260719T0400Z/
Eastern Columbia Basin - Palouse - Spokane Area (Zone 708)-
Lower Palouse - Snake River (Zone 709)-
1142 AM PDT Sat Jul 18 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR
WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 708 AND
709...

The National Weather Service in Spokane has issued a Red Flag
Warning for wind and low relative humidity, which is in effect
until 9 PM PDT this evening.

* Affected Area: Eastern Columbia Basin  -Palouse  -Spokane Area 
  (Zone 708) and Lower Palouse  -Snake River (Zone 709).

* Winds: Southwest 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

* Relative Humidities: 13 to 20 percent.

* Impacts: Rapid fire spread is likely with any new or ongoing
  fires. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

WAZ702-190400-
/O.CON.KOTX.FW.W.0011.260718T1900Z-260719T0400Z/
Colville Reservation (Zone 702)-
1142 AM PDT Sat Jul 18 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 702...

* Affected Area: Colville Reservation (Zone 702).

* Winds: Southwest 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 25 mph.

* Relative Humidities: 15 to 23 percent.

* Impacts: Rapid fire spread is likely with any new or ongoing
  fires. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

WAZ706-190400-
/O.CON.KOTX.FW.W.0011.260718T1900Z-260719T0400Z/
Waterville Plateau (Zone 706)-
1142 AM PDT Sat Jul 18 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING
FOR WIND AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 706...

* Affected Area: Waterville Plateau (Zone 706).

* Winds: West 10 to 20 mph with gusts up to 30 mph.

* Relative Humidities: 12 to 23 percent.

* Impacts: Rapid fire spread is likely with any new or ongoing
  fires. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Red Flag Warning means that critical fire weather conditions
are either occurring now....or will shortly. A combination of
strong winds...low relative humidity...and warm temperatures can
contribute to extreme fire behavior.

&&

$$

273 
WWUS86 KOTX 190345
RFWOTX

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
National Weather Service Spokane WA
845 PM PDT Sat Jul 18 2026


WAZ702-190445-
/O.EXP.KOTX.FW.W.0011.000000T0000Z-260719T0400Z/
Colville Reservation (Zone 702)-
845 PM PDT Sat Jul 18 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 702...

Winds will continue to decrease, and relative humidity has risen 
to above critical values.

$$

WAZ706-190445-
/O.EXP.KOTX.FW.W.0011.000000T0000Z-260719T0400Z/
Waterville Plateau (Zone 706)-
845 PM PDT Sat Jul 18 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONE 706...

Winds are expected to decrease tonight, and relative humidity has
risen to above critical values.

$$

WAZ708-709-190445-
/O.EXP.KOTX.FW.W.0011.000000T0000Z-260719T0400Z/
Eastern Columbia Basin - Palouse - Spokane Area (Zone 708)-
Lower Palouse - Snake River (Zone 709)-
845 PM PDT Sat Jul 18 2026

...RED FLAG WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WIND
AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 708 AND 709...

Winds will continue to decrease, and relative humidity has risen 
to above critical values.

$$

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
416 PM PDT Fri Jul 17 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- A mix of wet and dry thunderstorms through tonight over far northeast
  Washington and Idaho will bring lightning, hail, and strong
  outflow winds.

- Breezy, dry conditions around the lee of the Cascades Friday
  evening and breezy and dry conditions across the region
  Saturday.

- Dry conditions heading into next week, with temperatures
  pushing toward the 90s to near 100 by Tuesday.

&&

.SYNOPSIS...
Isolated thunderstorms over northeast Washington and Idaho
Friday night. Then dry and breezy Saturday.  Dry and warm
into next week, with some areas pushing near 100 degrees by
Tuesday.

&&

.DISCUSSION...

This afternoon through Saturday: A lingering localized shower
and t-storm threat tonight and breezy and dry conditions this
afternoon and Saturday mark the weather, along with the areas of
smoke. Low pressure centered near Vancouver Island migrates
into southern BC and eventually Alberta by late Saturday night.
A deformation axis stretches from the north-central WA/BC border
to north ID southward along the ID/MT border. This is where the
primary instability lays, with SPC analysis indicating CAPE
values between 500-2000 J/kg, highest along the immediate ID/MT
border, with mid-level lapse rates of 7-8 C/km and 0-6km shear
values around 30kts. A dry slot has been coming in from the
west-southwest, but there is still around 0.80 to 1.10 inch
PWATs from near the Camas Prairie north into the Idaho
Panhandle. With the low on the move providing a potential kicker
and the orographic lift, there is a risk for showers and
t-storms over the NE WA and ID Panhandle mountain zones. The SPC
still shows a marginal risk for severe t-storms over that area,
with the risk for strong wind gusts and hail. The better risk
appears to be in Montana, but this will be monitored. The
potential continues this afternoon and tonight, though the risk
shrinks to more northern Idaho and along the ID/MT border
overnight.

There remains other fire weather concerns,, as the other
feature of the next couple days is the wind and low relative
humidity. The incoming low is helping to produce the combination
of wind gusting near 15-30 mph around the Methow Valley,
Okanogan and Waterville Plateau. Regional RH values are in the
20s to mid-30s, but the are expected to continue to drop through
this afternoon. Thus Red Flag Warnings are in place through
this evening for these areas. Winds start to abate after about 9
PM, but we will monitor this to see if any of the winds linger
beyond that time. The winds then start to pick up again through
Saturday, with RH values dropping again toward the teens to
lower 20s. The HREF joint probabilities of RH below 20 percent
and winds at 15 mph is at about 30-50%, with localized spots
near 60% the northern Waterville Plateau. We will continue
highlight the elevated fire weather conditions for that.

Smoke is also causing troubles across some of the Inland
Northwest. The southwest flow and multiple regional wildfires
has be bringing smoke into much of eastern WA and north ID. Air
quality has been in the unhealthy to hazardous level for much of
the Spokane Metro. State and regional air quality agencies have
issued air quality alerts, so check the Department of Ecology
and other agencies for details. The smoke is forecast to
continue to spread over southeast WA and over north-central WA
near the northeast Waterville Plateau into Ferry county tonight
into Saturday morning. The developing westerly flow per guidance
suggest the smoke will shift out of some areas and set-up over
others heading through Saturday, so that it is focused over
southeast WA to the central Panhandle (further away from the
Spokane metro) and also focused from other fires near the
northeast Waterville Plateau to northern Pend Oreille county.

Sunday through Thursday: Low pressure will gradually lose its
influence as a ridge of high pressure around the Four
Corners/Central Rockies, but as we head into the middle to later
part of the week some more energy approaches from the Pacific
and some monsoonal moisture begins to creep back in. Overall the
forecast is dry through at least Tuesday, then some shower and
maybe some t-storm chances start creep back Wednesday onward
mainly around the mountains. Highs are forecast to push into the
90s to low 100s by Tuesday onward, but the wildcard that may
impact how warm we get may be any regional wildfire smoke. There
is also some spread among ensembles out the far, regardless of
any smoke input with about 5 to 8 degree range between the 25
and 75 percentiles. Either way the forecast is hot no matter the
precise number, with moderate to locally major HeatRisk by
Tuesday. /Solveig

&&

.AVIATION...
00Z TAFS: Southwesterly flow aloft will continue through the
next 24 hours, bringing smoke from wildfires into eastern
Washington and north Idaho. Smoke will result in primarily
MVFR conditons, perhaps approaching IFR conditions, around
KGEG/KSFF/KCOE overnight. Models show improvement by the late
morning on Saturday as southwest to west winds increase. The
valleys northeast of Spokane, especially the sheltered valleys,
could also impacted by reductions in visibility.

FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Moderate to high
confidence in continued smoke impacts at KGEG/KSFF/KCOE, but low
to moderate confidence in timing precise flight category (VFR to
IFR). Low confidence in smoke impacts at KPUW/KLWS.

-----------------------
Confidence descriptors:

Low - Less than a 30 percent chance
Moderate - 30 to 70 percent chance
High - Greater than a 70 percent chance

For additional probabilistic information for NWS Spokane airports,

please refer to the Aviation Dashboard on our webpage:
https:/www.weather.gov/otx/avndashboard

&&

.Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs...
Spokane        58  89  57  90  57  93 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Coeur d'Alene  60  89  58  88  59  93 /  10   0   0   0   0   0
Pullman        52  86  51  85  52  90 /  10   0   0   0   0   0
Lewiston       64  95  62  94  63  98 /  10   0   0   0   0   0
Colville       55  89  52  91  54  96 /  10   0   0   0   0   0
Sandpoint      57  88  54  86  55  91 /  20   0   0   0   0   0
Kellogg        58  86  55  84  55  90 /  20   0   0   0   0   0
Moses Lake     57  92  57  92  59  96 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Wenatchee      63  90  63  93  67  95 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Omak           61  93  60  93  64  97 /   0   0   0   0   0   0

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Air Quality Alert until 9 AM PDT Sunday for Moses Lake Area-
     Northeast Mountains-Spokane Area-Upper Columbia Basin-
     Washington Palouse.
     Red Flag Warning until 9 PM PDT this evening for Methow Valley
     (Zone 704)-Okanogan Valley (Zone 703)-Waterville Plateau
     (Zone 706).
ID...Air Quality Alert until noon PDT Monday for Central Panhandle
     Mountains-Coeur d'Alene Area-Idaho Palouse-Lewis and
     Southern Nez Perce Counties-Lewiston Area-Northern
     Panhandle.

&&