An incoming system brought strong winds and dry air into the Spokane Area. Two wildfires were started by unknown human causes and quickly spread through residential areas.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS OTX wrote it up.
An incoming system brought strong winds and dry air into the Spokane Area. Two wildfires were started by unknown human causes and quickly spread through residential areas. A total of 270 structures were lost or damaged.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 31, 9:15 PM PST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 1015 PM PDT Thu Aug 31 2023 .SYNOPSIS... The low pressure system which brought today's showers will move south of the region overnight. Cloud cover and any remain precipitation will clear from north to south. Drier weather is expected for tomorrow and Saturday before another weather system enters Sunday into Monday with a return of showers, localized breezy winds and cooler temperatures. && .DISCUSSION... The evening and overnight forecast has been updated to increase rain chances over far north Idaho and northeast Washington into the 60 to 80 percent range from Priest Lake to Colville to Republic. Amounts up to a tenth of an inch in a couple hours will be possible under some of the most persistent bands. The evening model runs are coming in, and they are forecasting the band of rain over eastern Washington to stretch and dissipate through the night. The NAM and a few other High Resolution Ensemble Forecast members initialized the small upper level disturbance over northeast Washington better than previous runs and evening rain should lift into Canada by midnight or shortly after. Wet ground and decreasing clouds overnight will likely lead to pockets of fog in the valleys of northeast Washington and far north Idaho by morning. Fog this time of year typically doesn't last long and should erode early in the day as light north or northeast winds develop in the morning. As mentioned in previous discussions, our breeziest portion of the Inland Northwest on Friday will be the Okanogan Valley onto the Waterville Plateau where north winds will gust between 20 and 30 mph during the middle of the day. /GKoch && .AVIATION... 06Z TAFs: The band of rain over eastern Washington will continue to stretch and dissipate through the night as an upper low digs further souther into Oregon overnight. There will be enough wrap around moisture to keep VCSH in the Moses Lake TAF after through early morning, but light precipitation associated with these light rain bands won't be enough to drive the ceilings below VFR. Look for areas of fog to develop in the sheltered valleys of northeast Washington and far north Idaho in the typical places like Metaline, Deer Park, and Priest Lake. Fog doesn't stick around long this time of year, and should dissipate by 15z as light northeast winds develop. /GKoch && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Spokane 52 81 56 85 58 78 / 10 0 0 0 10 20 Coeur d'Alene 52 83 55 86 58 78 / 10 0 0 0 10 30 Pullman 48 78 53 81 55 74 / 10 0 0 10 10 30 Lewiston 57 86 62 91 64 83 / 10 10 0 10 20 30 Colville 49 81 48 87 48 77 / 60 0 0 0 10 30 Sandpoint 52 81 53 83 54 76 / 10 0 0 0 10 40 Kellogg 52 80 58 83 59 73 / 0 0 0 10 10 30 Moses Lake 56 82 56 86 59 81 / 20 10 0 10 10 20 Wenatchee 59 81 63 87 64 78 / 20 10 0 10 10 20 Omak 59 85 59 91 61 83 / 30 0 0 0 10 20 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...None. WA...None. &&
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The fire started by unknown human causes 4 mile Northeast of Elk, WA. It continued to be monitored through September 11. It burned 10817 acres and 30 structures. There was one fatality related to the fire.
The fire started by unknown human causes 3.5 miles northwest of Cheney, WA near Gray Road, west of Medical Lake and quickly spread by wind to the east. It continued to be monitored through September 11. It burned 10085 acres and 240 structures. There was one fatality related to the fire.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, September 2023
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1143086, 1143087.