The fire started on July 25 by undetermined cause but thunderstorms were in the area at the time.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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.
The fire started on July 25 by undetermined cause but thunderstorms were in the area at the time.
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 Jul 25, 4:07 AM PST, 3 hours 18 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
507 AM PDT Thu Jul 25 2024
.SYNOPSIS...
Gusty west winds will raise concerns for wildfire spread today,
but the the wind will also deliver cooler temperatures to our
region. With highs in the mid 70s to mid 80s, today will be the
coolest day we get this month. The weekend will be dry with
seasonably warm weather. The arrival of a slow moving frontal
system Monday and Tuesday will bring the chance for showers and
thunderstorms. Above average temperatures and dry weather will
likely return toward the end of next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Thursday: Water vapor imagery early this morning shows an upper
level trough moving across northern Washington and southern British
Columbia. A dry cold front moving through early this morning will
bring much cooler air into the Inland Northwest, ending a very long
stretch of very warm temperatures. The Spokane International Airport
shattered its record for consecutive days over 90 degrees with
yesterday’s high temperature of 94 degrees ending the streak with 20
days. The previous record was 15 consecutive days in 2017.
As the cold front moves through this morning, increasing surface
pressure behind the front has created a +10.4mb pressure gradient
from PDX to GEG. This is bringing south-southwest winds of 15 to 20
mph through the Cascade gaps across the Columbia Basin and into the
Palouse and Spokane area. Fortunately, since this front is moving
through overnight, the strongest winds will be this morning. Water
vapor imagery shows drier air trailing behind this front. Despite
the cooler temperatures, this influx of dry air combined with
continued breeziness Thursday afternoon following an extended
period of very hot and dry weather will result in critical fire
weather conditions across eastern Washington. Avoid activities
that could potentially create a spark as these conditions will
allow fire to rapidly spread.
Friday: Light winds, clear skies, and dry air will allow
temperatures Thursday night across the Inland Northwest to drop into
the 40s and low 50s. Cooler spots across the northern Washington
valleys and north Idaho may even see temperatures dip into the upper
30s. You may need a jacket as you head out the door Friday morning!
High temperatures will be near to slightly below normal with
widespread values in the 80s. Given the large amount of fires across
the Pacific Northwest, smoke and haze will continue to plague the
region. While the cooler temperatures should help limit the overall
smoke production, lighter winds and a temperature inversion
around 800-700mb may allow smoke from the Pioneer and Swawilla
Fires to accumulate near the surface. The HRRR smoke model is
indicating smoke to spread to the south and southeast of these
fires Thursday night through Friday. For the latest air quality
information please visit fire.airnow.gov. /vmt
Saturday and Sunday: The weekend will feature near average
temperatures, partly to mostly sunny skies, and seasonably breezy
winds. There is good model agreement that a broad upper level
trough will remain over the Pacific Northwest Saturday and Sunday.
The subsequent onshore flow will keep our region from a
significant warm up. Cool marine air west of the Cascades will
enhance the west to east surface pressure gradient leading to
seasonably breezy west or southwest winds. Wind speeds of 10 to 15
mph with gusts to 25 mph will be common across the Columbia
Basin, West Plains, and Palouse during the afternoons Saturday and
Sunday. Typical evening winds through the Cascade gaps will
deliver gust of 25 to 30 mph to Wenatchee, Vantage, and
Waterville. West winds will limit the amount of smoke blown into
eastern Washington and north Idaho from Oregon and British
Columbia. While some of the most significant smoke is originating
from Oregon and southwest Canada, local fires are producing quite
a bit of smoke, too. As long as fires near Lake Chelan, Keller WA,
Arlington WA, Asotin WA, and Yakima burn actively, almost any
wind direction will deliver smoke to eastern Washington and north
Idaho.
Monday and Tuesday: The evening runs of the ensembles have come
into better agreement for Monday and Tuesday. Our broad trough is
forecast to buckle off the coast of NW Washington Monday and move
across Washington and southern B.C. on Tuesday. With precipitable
water values expected to increase to near an inch, scattered
showers are generated by many ensembles across western Washington
and the Cascades Monday and Monday night. The National Blend of
Models (NBM) advertises a 20 to 30 percent chance of showers and
thunderstorms across north central/northeast Washington and north
Idaho on Tuesday. The increase in precipitable water means showers
will be more efficient rain producers than the dry thunderstorms
we have experienced in recent weeks. However, scattered coverage
means precipitation will be hit or miss. The NBM only gives the
upper portion of Lake Chelan a 10 to 20 percent chance of a tenth
of an inch of rain and the Keller and Asotin areas only a 10
percent chance of a tenth.
Wednesday into late next week: Amplification of hot high pressure
over the Central and Northern Rockies is forecast by the medium
range models late next week as we move into the month of August.
At this time, the hottest temperatures are expected to be east of
the Continental Divide late next week, but the NBM does generate
warmer than average readings beginning Thursday. Highs well into
the 90s seem quite likely. NBM probabilities give Spokane a 70 to
80 percent chance of 90 degrees for Aug 1-3, and Lewiston a 50
percent probability of returning to 100 degrees. /GKoch
&&
.AVIATION...
12Z TAFS: Dry air moving in behind a cold front will keep
conditions VFR through the period. Winds will pick up from the
west-southwest this morning, stay breezy through the afternoon,
and taper this evening. These winds will limit significant
reductions from smoke, but some areas may see minor visibility
reductions given the large amount of fires in Oregon and local
fire starts.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: There is low
confidence on how smoke will impact visibility across the Inland
Northwest. Given the push of stronger winds this afternoon through
Thursday afternoon, smoke will struggle to build up near the
surface, but existing or new fires near airports could result in
reductions. Lighter winds Thursday evening may allow visibility
reductions to increase in coverage.
-----------------------
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 79 50 84 54 86 58 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Coeur d'Alene 77 47 81 52 84 55 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Pullman 74 43 79 47 82 50 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Lewiston 86 55 89 59 93 61 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Colville 76 40 82 44 85 45 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Sandpoint 76 43 81 44 83 50 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Kellogg 74 50 77 56 80 57 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Moses Lake 81 49 85 52 89 55 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Wenatchee 78 55 87 60 89 62 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
Omak 84 52 89 57 91 58 / 0 0 0 0 0 0
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...None.
WA...Red Flag Warning from 1 PM this afternoon to 9 PM PDT this
evening for Eastern Columbia Basin -Palouse -Spokane Area
(Zone 708)-Lower Palouse -Snake River (Zone 709).
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Junction fire started on July 25 from lightning. It burned 130 acres of timber. It was contained on July 28. Cost is estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, July 2024
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: 1206831.