393  
FXUS66 KMFR 220548  
AFDMFR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR  
902 PM PST SAT NOV 21 2009  
   
DISCUSSION...TIGHT
 
RAPIDLY DEVELOPING DEEP SURFACE LOW MOVING  
QUICKLY TOWARD THE NORTHERN OREGON COAST. NAM POSITION SLIGHTLY  
TOO FAR NORTH AND EAST. EXPECT THE TRACK TO BE SOUTH OF NAM  
FORECAST POSITION. CURRENT FORECASTS TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT AND  
LOOK GOOD. STORM FORCE WINDS ALREADY IN THE OUTER WATERS NORTH  
OF THE CAPE AND WINDS SHOULD COME UP RAPIDLY IN THE NEXT 3 HOURS  
ALONG THE COAST. PROGS SHOW THE WEATHER SETTLING DOWN SUNDAY AND  
MONDAY...THEN HIGH PRESSURE DOMINATING UNTIL THE END OF NEXT WEEK.  
NO UPDATES NEEDED THIS EVENING.  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
CURRENT VFR CEILINGS WILL BE SHORT-LIVED AS THE  
OFFSHORE FRONT DROPS CEILING TO MVFR IN LOW CLOUDS AND SHOWERS IN  
THE NEXT FEW HOURS. COASTAL TERMINALS WILL LIKELY BE IMPACTED BY  
LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR WITH GUSTY WINDS TO 35KT BUT EVEN STRONGER  
50-60KT WINDS JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE. STRONG WINDS WILL ALSO  
IMPACT THE CASCADES AND THE EAST SIDE LATE TONIGHT AND SUNDAY  
MORNING. MOUNTAINS AND EAST SIDE WILL HAVE SNOW LATE TONIGHT AND  
SUNDAY MORNING...REDUCING VISIBILITIES. MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION WILL  
BE WIDESPREAD BY TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY AS DEEP MOISTURE PUSHES  
INTO THE REGION.  
 

 
   
PREV DISCUSSION
 
/ISSUED 301 PM PST SAT NOV 21 2009/  
 
DISCUSSION...QUICK-MOVING DEVELOPING FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL IMPACT  
THE CWA TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. THE MAIN IMPACTS WILL BE  
STRONG WINDS AND SOME SNOW OVER THE CASCADES AND THE EAST SIDE.  
THE FAST MOVEMENT OF THIS SYSTEM...ALONG WITH MORE WESTERLY  
WINDS...WILL FAVOR THE CASCADES RECEIVING MORE SNOWFALL AND THE  
MOUNT SHASTA AREA RECEIVING LESS THAN THE PREVIOUS STORM. MODELS  
HAVE SETTLED ON A 990MB LOW CENTERED WEST OF THE WA/OR BORDER LATE  
TONIGHT. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL IMPACT COASTAL WATERS AND  
COASTAL ZONES TONIGHT...WITH WINDS AFFECTING THE CASCADES THROUGH  
THE EAST SIDE LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. VERY STRONG H8  
FLOW OF 50KT IS NOTED OVER NORTHWESTERN PORTION OF THE CWA LATE  
TONIGHT...BUT STABILITY SHOULD KEEP MOST OF THIS AREA FROM GETTING  
ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS. THIS SITUATION MAY NEED TO BE LOOKED AT  
DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON. SIGNIFICANT SNOW WILL FALL DURING A  
SHORT PERIOD BETWEEN TONIGHT AND TOMORROW MORNING. A FOOT IS  
POSSIBLE IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE CASCADES WITH SEVERAL INCHES  
EXPECTED EAST OF THE CASCADES IN KLAMATH COUNTY. ON SUNDAY IN THE  
POSTFRONTAL ENVIRONMENT EXPECT SNOW SHOWERS ABOVE 3500 FEET AND  
RAIN SHOWERS IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. RIDGING WILL BUILD OVER THE  
REGION SUNDAY NIGHT...ESSENTIALLY ENDING THE PRECIPITATION OVER  
THE CWA.  
 
MODELS HAVE BEEN VERY PERSISTENT WITH UPPER RIDGING FROM MONDAY  
THROUGH WEDNESDAY OVER NORTHERN CA AND SOUTHWESTERN OR...WITH THE  
RESULTANT WEATHER IMPACTS BEING MORNING FOG MONDAY THROUGH  
WEDNESDAY IN THE FAVORED LOW ELEVATION AREAS LIKE THE ROGUE AND  
ILLINOIS VALLEYS...AND THE UMPQUA BASIN. A WEAK WARM FRONT BRUSHES  
THE COAST ON WEDNESDAY BUT WILL NOT LIKELY RESULT IN ANY  
SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION. GFS AND ECMWF BOTH PUT AN END TO THE  
DRY WEATHER ON THANKSGIVING DAY BUT THEIR SOLUTIONS ARE STILL  
FAIRLY DIFFERENT. THERE ARE STILL UNKNOWNS REGARDING THE FORECAST  
FOR THURSDAY...BUT AT THIS POINT IT SEEMS REASONABLE TO EXPECT  
LIGHT SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS AND LIGHT RAIN IN THE VALLEYS ON LATE  
THURSDAY. IT STILL SEEMS THERE WILL NOT BE A LARGE STORM FOR  
THANKSGIVING DAY TRAVELERS IN THE REGION.  
 
   
MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
OR...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM PST SUNDAY FOR ORZ027-ORZ028-  
ORZ029-ORZ030.  
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 AM PST SUNDAY FOR ORZ031.  
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST SUNDAY FOR ORZ021-ORZ022.  
 
CA...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST SUNDAY FOR CAZ081.  
 
PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST SUNDAY FOR  
PZZ350-PZZ370.  
HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST MONDAY FOR PZZ350-PZZ356-  
PZZ370-PZZ376.  
GALE WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST SUNDAY FOR PZZ356-PZZ376.  
 

 
 
DDG  
 
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