662  
FXUS66 KPDT 102103  
AFDPDT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR  
203 PM PDT FRI MAY 10 2024  
   
SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY
 
CLEAR SKIES PREVAIL OVER THE  
REGION AS AN UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE REMAINS CENTERED JUST OFF THE COAST  
OF OREGON. THIS RIDGE WILL ALLOW TEMPS TO CLIMB WELL ABOVE AVERAGE -  
AS MUCH AS 20 DEGREES IN SOME AREAS - WITH HIGHS POTENTIALLY  
ECLIPSING THE 90S OVER THE WEEKEND ACROSS THE LOWER BASIN AND GORGE.  
THIS RIDGE WILL FLATTEN OUT BY SUNDAY AS A SHORTWAVE ARRIVES AND  
BRINGS GUSTY WINDS TO THE FORECAST AREA. THIS SYSTEM HAS LITTLE IN  
THE WAY OF MOISTURE, SO OUTSIDE OF A WEAK OROGRAPHIC SHOWER OVER THE  
CASCADE CRESTS, EXPECTING A DRY FORECAST FOR THE PERIOD. GAP FLOWS  
ARE WHERE WE EXPECT THE STRONGEST WINDS SUNDAY AFTERNOON, NAMELY THE  
GORGE, OREGON BASIN, KITTITAS VALLEY, AND SIMCOE HIGHLANDS. NBM  
PROBABILISTIC GUIDANCE HAS A LOW CHANCE (30-40%) OF WINDS REACHING  
ADVISORY CRITERIA, SO EXPECTING MORE OF A TYPICAL SPRINGTIME BREEZY  
DAY RATHER THAN ANYTHING TRULY SIGNIFICANT.  
 
RIVERS AND STREAMS WILL CONTINUE TO SEE RISES AS MOUNTAIN SNOWMELT  
ACCELERATES UNDER ANOMALOUSLY WARM TEMPS. NACHES STILL LOOKS TO BE  
THE ONLY RIVER THAT WILL REACH BANKFULL, HOWEVER SHOULD HIGH  
PRESSURE BUILD BACK IN NEXT WEEK, MORE PROLONGED RIVER RISES COULD  
OCCUR. THE LONG TERM PERIOD IS VERY MUCH IN THE AIR, HOWEVER, SO  
ENJOY THE PLEASANT WEATHER WHILE IT LASTS! EVANS/74  
   
LONG TERM...MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY
 
MODELS IN GOOD AGREEMENT  
THROUGH TUESDAY, BUT BEGIN TO DIVERGE SIGNIFICANTLY ON THEIR  
EVOLUTION OF AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN.  
EOFS SHOW A VARIANCE OF 53+% FROM WEDNESDAY ONWARD WITH THE WPC  
CLUSTERS SHIFTING BETWEEN A DOMINANT RIDGE AND A WEAK TROUGH OR  
ZONAL FLOW. THE ENSEMBLES SHOW A SIMILAR PATTERN WHERE GFS WANTS TO  
DEVELOP AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN AND  
MOVING IT INLAND BUT WEAKENING IT BY FRIDAY WHILE THE ECMWF  
RETROGRADES THE UPPER RIDGE ALLOWING FOR A MORE TROUGHY PATTERN OVER  
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THE DETERMINISTIC MODELS PAINT A SIMILAR  
PICTURE WITH THE GFS SHOWING A STRONG RIDGE DEVELOPING OVER THE  
EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN AND MOVING INLAND OVER THE WEEKEND WHILE THE  
ECMWF MIMICS ITS ENSEMBLE SOLUTION. THESE DIFFERENCES FROM WEDNESDAY  
ONWARD WILL HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS ON TEMPERATURES AND  
PRECIPITATION CHANCES. IF THE GFS SOLUTION PANES OUT, IT WILL BE HOT  
AND DRY WITH DAYTIME HIGHS APPROACHING 15-20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL BY  
THE WEEKEND. IF THE ECMWF HAS THE CORRECT SOLUTION, IT WILL BE NEAR  
TO BELOW NORMAL WITH PERIODS OF RAIN. AS A RESULT, THERE IS VERY LOW  
CONFIDENCE (80-90%) IN WHICH SOLUTION WILL PAIN OUT SO THE BEST  
SOLUTION IS TO KEEP CLOSE TO NBM WHICH IS TRENDING WARMER, BUT NOT  
AS WARM AS THE GFS. NBM IS DRIER TOO WHICH PRESENTLY IS THE WAY TO  
GO UNTIL MODELS START SETTLING IN ON A SOLUTION.  
 
WITH A COUPLE OF SHORTWAVE TROUGHS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA MONDAY  
INTO MONDAY NIGHT, WE CAN EXPECTED BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS OVER  
THE COLUMBIA BASIN, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE GORGE AND THE KITTITAS  
VALLEY. THERE MAY BE SOME AFTERNOON/EVENING SHOWERS OVER THE  
MOUNTAINS TOO, ESPECIALLY NORTHEAST OREGON. EARLE/81  
 

 
   
AVIATION...PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...18Z TAFS
 
VFR CONDITIONS WILL  
PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD. SKIES WILL BE CLEAR WITH WINDS BELOW  
10 KTS. EARLE/81  
 

 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
 
 
PDT 51 83 54 83 / 0 0 0 0  
ALW 55 86 60 85 / 0 0 0 0  
PSC 55 90 58 90 / 0 0 0 0  
YKM 52 89 52 88 / 0 0 0 0  
HRI 53 89 58 87 / 0 0 0 0  
ELN 53 86 54 84 / 0 0 0 0  
RDM 46 83 47 80 / 0 0 0 0  
LGD 49 80 50 81 / 0 0 0 0  
GCD 48 80 49 81 / 0 0 0 0  
DLS 57 89 57 84 / 0 0 0 0  
 

 
   
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
OR...NONE.  
WA...NONE.  

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...74  
LONG TERM....81  
AVIATION...81  
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab OR Page
The Nexlab WA Page Main Text Page