National Weather Service Spokane, WA
The Inland Northwest
Welcome to Spokane, WA!
Washington Pass, Hwy 20 through the north Cascade Mountains. Photo credit: Google.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Spokane, WA is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The meteorologists, support staff, technicians, and administrative staff work hard to maintain our equipment, radars, weather radios, observation programs as well as forecast the weather, water and climate.
The NWS is part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which falls under the Department of Commerce (DOC). The office here in Spokane is made up of about 25 people.
History of NWS Spokane
See the slideshow below for a brief history of National Weather Service Spokane. As of September 2020, the NWS Spokane office has been on Rambo Road for 25 years. Let's take a look at how we got to be in our current location out on the West Plains of Eastern Washington.
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What We Do
The National Weather Service covers all 50 states and Puerto Rico and Guam. The weather forecast office in Spokane is one of 122 offices with the National Weather Service.
The Weather Forecast Office (WFO) in Spokane, WA has forecasting responsibility for 13 counties in eastern Washington and 8 counties in northern Idaho. This is referred to as the Inland Northwest.
At the Spokane Forecast Office, forecasters issue 7-day forecasts for the Inland Northwest. They use the Advanced Weather Integrated Processing System (AWIPS) to analyze the latest weather data and computer model forecasts. They then create the gridded forecasts using the Graphical Forecast Editor (GFE).
Forecasters also produce aviation and fire weather forecasts. The aviation forecasts are called Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts (TAFs). The NWS in Spokane produces TAFs for 7 airports around the area: Spokane (Geiger), Felts Field, Coeur d'Alene, Lewiston, Pullman, Moses Lake, and Wenatchee. The fire weather forecasts are produced based on the grids in the Graphical Forecast Editor, and are issued as a special product.
The NWS Spokane is one of the 92 Upper Air Observation sites in the county. Each day, twice a day, weather balloons are launched with a radiosonde to collect valuable weather data in the atmosphere. These weather balloons rise about 19 miles high and take about 1 hour and 45 minutes to complete. Data obtained by the radiosonde to transmitted to a computer in the NWS office and provides the input for computer-based weather prediction models.
In addition, forecasters maintain climate data and records for various observation sites around the area, as well as for cooperative observer sites. This includes records and averages for temperatures and precipitation, along with a few other meteorological variables. Spotter storm reports, snowfall totals, and other weather reports are collected by forecasters and issued in local storm reports or public information statements.
Pictured to the right is the operations area of the NWS Office here in Spokane. It is here that all of the forecasts, watches, warnings, and advisories are produced. This area is staffed 24/7/365 with at least 2 people on duty at all times. There are eight different workstations available, of which 3 or 4 will be occupied during normal operations in quiet weather. During a significant or severe weather event all of the workstations can be in use. All of these workstations face the Situational Awareness Display. This is the wall of television screens monitoring local television stations, radar and satellite, regional webcams, and other displays to keep the forecasters up to date on the evolving weather conditions.
Forecasters on duty monitor the weather for severe and hazardous conditions around the clock. The main mission of the NWS is to issue watches and warnings for severe and hazardous weather that could poise a risk to life and property. This includes winter storms, high winds, dust storms, floods, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes. All watches, warnings, and advisories for the 21 counties in the NWS Spokane Area of Responsibility are issued from the operations area (shown to the right). The only exceptions are Severe Thunderstorm Watches and Tornado Watches, which are issued by the Storm Prediction Center (SPC).
Outside the Office
Various spots around the Inland Northwest in our area of responsibility. All photos belong to Google. The photo of WFO Spokane was taken by staff of WFO Spokane.
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NWS Spokane upper air building (1), Downtown Spokane Falls during Spring runoff (2), NWS Spokane office building at sunset with radar to the left (3), Monroe Street Bridge and the Spokane Falls, Downtown Spokane (4).
If you're not familiar with Spokane and the surrounding area, let us share what makes it so special.
Spokane (pronounced Spo-CAN) is located in far eastern Washington, just 20 miles west of the Idaho border. With over 200,000 people in Spokane and about half a million in the metro area, Spokane is large enough to have diverse cultural and entertainment opportunities but still small enough that traffic is rarely a problem. The Forecast Office is out in a rural area away from downtown but most employees have a 25 minute or less commute. Housing and cost of living in general is affordable, though in the last 5 to 10 years costs are rising.
Spokane and the surrounding area offers seemingly endless entertainment opportunities. The already beautiful and very popular downtown Riverfront Park is going through a major improvement project. The park's highlight is the cascading Spokane River flowing past attractions like the new ice skating pond and ice ribbon, giant Radio Flyer wagon, rotary fountain, and the 100+ year old carousel. It is also hosts large outdoor events throughout the year including: the Lilac Bloomsday Run with over 40,000 runners; Hoopfest , the largest 3 on 3 basketball tournament in the world; and Pig Out in the Park which brings together a variety of food and music.
A photo from an NWS staff outing to a Spokane Indians Game.
Spokane is the home of a Minor League Baseball team, the Spokane Indians, as well as the Spokane Chiefs that play in the Western Hockey League. The Spokane Chiefs home is the Spokane Arena which also attracts major concerts and is scheduled to host the NCAA basketball men's and women's tournament over the next couple of years.
Hiking and biking in the summer (left) and Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing at Mt Spokane in the winter (right).
Speaking of sports, Spokane is surrounded by several excellent universities within 75 miles. Gonzaga University is located near downtown Spokane. On the north side of town is Whitworth University and just south of Spokane in Cheney is Eastern Washington University. A short drive down the Palouse Scenic Byway takes you to Washington State University in Pullman and just across the Idaho border is Moscow, ID, home of the University of Idaho.
NWS Spokane's area of responsibility is probably not what most people think of when they hear "Washington". The Inland Northwest is a beautiful landscape offering something for everyone. Spokane current Met-Intern, photographer, and outdoorsman says it best: "From hiking and biking on Mt. Spokane in the summer to skiing and snowboarding in the winter, there are so many places to explore in eastern Washington. One of the best things to me, though, is that Spokane is a central location between so many destinations. There are beautiful places to see in every direction. Within a 6 hour drive of Spokane you have the Cascades and Mt Rainier National Park, Glacier National Park, Olympic National Park, the Oregon Coast, and the Canadian Rockies, just to name a few."
Winter 2016 (left) and Fall 2017 (right)
Thankfully the weather compliments the myriad of outdoor opportunities. Spokane averages about half as much rain as Seattle thanks to the Cascade Mountains. The lowest elevation of the region is along the Columbia River that is both the driest and has the warmest temperatures. As you travel east across the Columbia Basin and into eastern Washington, moisture and vegetation increases until you reach the mountains of north Idaho. This area experiences 4 distinct seasons and the highlight is the long, dry, warm, and cloud-free summer days .
The variety of weather is great for outdoor recreation, but it also is the source of our biggest forecast challenges. The Inland Northwest is notorious for very challenging snow forecasts where a few hundred feet elevation change can make all the difference. While the region is not immune to severe weather, our focus during the warm months is typically fire weather. The spring runoff from the mountain snow pack has its own challenges with a complex network of dams, rivers, and lakes.
Given those challenges, the Forecast Office answers the call by building relationships with a wide array of local, state, and regional partners. We provide weekly briefings year round and daily briefings to our partners in land management during the peak of fire season. The staff looks for opportunities to get out of the office by presenting seasonal outlooks, staffing booths at fairs, participating in exercises, or speaking at local schools. We are not just outreach oriented as we also perform case studies and run a local WRF; always looking for ways to be more efficient and effective in how we communicate weather hazards and impacts.
Thunderstorm over downtown Spokane (1), Aurora Borealis at the NWS office (2), shelf cloud in southern Spokane County (3).
Lastly, working at the NWS Spokane Forecast Office means you'll be joining a family! There is little turnover here because once people arrive, they realize what a great place Spokane is and settle in with their families. After one of our recent Meteorologists left to a different office, he shared this: "I can now say this without being biased, but I would say the number one thing about Spokane is the staff is second to none. You don't have coworkers there but rather a family and have a ton of fun both inside and outside of work. Not that I don't enjoy my current coworkers here, but I truly miss the staff at Spokane."
This office and the region have so much to offer. I hope you'll consider applying for a position to join the team at NWS Spokane!
