Damaging Wind in Washington, June 26, 2002

EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WASHINGTON
230 PM PDT WED JUN 26 2002

STRONG UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL SHIFT EAST OF THE INLAND NW TONIGHT BUT
NOT BEFORE A VIGOROUS SHORTWAVE LIFTS NORTH INTO THE REGION. HOT AND
UNSTABLE AIR RESIDES OVER THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON WITH TEMPS IN THE
90S AND DEWPOINTS IN THE MID 40S TO MID 50S. THE MAIN AREA OF
CONVECTION WILL DEVELOP IN ERN OREGON AND LIFT NORTHWARD THIS
EVENING. AS THE CAP BREAKS...EXPECT HIGH BASED THUNDERSTORMS PACKED
WITH GUSTY WINDS AND DRY LIGHTNING TO LIFT ACROSS ERN WA. AT THE SAME
TIME...A ELONGATED PACIFIC TROUGH WILL APPROACH THE COAST AND
INITIATE A MARINE PUSH THROUGH THE CASCADES OVERNIGHT. AHEAD OF THE
PUSH...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE IN THE NRN CASCADES
THIS EVENING. WINDS WILL PICK UP TO 15 TO 25 MPH AFTER MIDNIGHT IN
THE LEE OF THE CASCADES WHICH WILL SPREAD ACROSS ERN WA AND N IDAHO
DURING THE DAY ON THURSDAY. NOCTURNAL CONVECTION WILL PERSIST IN NE
WA AND NRN IDAHO INTO MONDAY MORNING. LINGERING INSTABILITY WILL LEAD
TO ISOLATED AFTERNOON AND EVENING CONVECTION IN THE MOUNTAINS WHILE
OTHER LOWER ELEVATIONS STABILIZE. TEMPERATURES WILL COOL ABOUT 10
DEGREES FROM THE SWELTERING HEAT OF TODAY. THE MEAN TROUGH REMAINS IN
THE GULF OF AK WITH ANOTHER SHORTWAVE ROTATING ACROSS VANCOUVER ISLE
INTO BC. THE UPPER FLOW REMAINS SW OVER THE REGION FRIDAY BUT WITH
TEMPS DOWN A FEW MORE DEGREES AND MORE STABLE CONDITIONS IN MOST
AREAS...EXCEPT A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE BLUES. A FRONTAL
BAND MOVE ACROSS WRN WA AND HANG INTO THE NRN CASCADES LATE FRIDAY
WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. RFOX.

IN THE EXTENDED...FLOW ALOFT TENDS TO STAY ZONAL FOR THE FIRST COUPLE
OF DAYS OF THE EXTENDED. THEN THE FLOW SHIFTS TO MORE SOUTHWEST AS A
WAVE DROPS SOUTHWARD OUT OF THE GULF OF ALASKA DEVELOPING A DEEPER
TROUGH OFF THE COAST. THEN BY WEDNESDAY THE TROUGH MOVES INLAND. THIS
SCENARIO LEADS TO A CHANCE OF SHOWERS MAINLY OVER THE MOUNTAIN AREA
THROUGH THE EXTENDED.  THE BASIN SHOULD SEE MORE DRY WEATHER DURING
THE MIDDLE PORTION OF THE EXTENDED.

...THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRODUCT CONCERNING WARNINGS AND FORECASTS
IS VALID ONLY AT THE TIME OF ISSUANCE. THE LATEST WARNING AND
FORECAST INFORMATION WILL BE FOUND IN THE APPROPRIATE PRODUCTS...

GEG 067/085/056/083/057/082 330000
COE 065/084/055/082/056/081 331000
PUW 066/082/052/081/053/081 330000
LWS 070/089/060/088/061/087 220000
CQV 066/091/055/089/056/087 331001
SPT 065/086/054/084/055/082 242001
WWP 064/084/053/082/054/081 132001
EAT 068/088/060/086/061/084 100001
MWH 069/090/056/087/057/087 310000

.OTX...RED FLAG WARNING ISSUED TONIGHT FOR LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
WINDS AND DRY LIGHTNING FOR THE
NORTH CASCADES-OKANOGAN/METHOW VALLEYS AND OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CASCADE VALLEYS DISTRICTS
NORTHERN COLUMBIA BASIN DISTRICT...