579  
FXUS66 KMFR 231116  
AFDMFR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR  
416 AM PDT WED OCT 23 2024  
   
DISCUSSION
 
AN ELONGATED POSITIVE TILT TROUGH RESIDES OFF THE  
PACNW COAST EXTENDING FROM THE PUGET SOUND SOUTHWESTWARD TO  
30S/150W. AS THIS TROUGH SPLITS, THE NORTHERN HALF IS FORECAST TO  
SWING THROUGH THE CWA TODAY WITH A PRETTY GOOD THERMAL GRADIENT  
AND UPPER VORTICITY MAXIMUM PAIRING UP IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS  
WILL ENHANCE THE PRECIPITATION SHIELD AND ALLOW .15 T0 .25" TO  
FALL OVER THE EAST WITH SNOW LEVELS FALLING TO 5000'. MOST OF THE  
WEST SIDE WILL PROBABLY GET SKIPPED. EXPECT AN INCH OF SNOW ON  
WINTER RIM. THIS TROUGH MOVES OUT QUICKLY TONIGHT WITH LOW  
TEMPERATURES THURSDAY DIPPING BELOW FREEZING IN THE ROGUE,  
ILLINOIS AND WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY VALLEYS. THE FREEZE WATCH HAS  
BEEN UPDATED TO A WARNING FOR THESE AREAS AND HAVE ALSO INCLUDED  
GLENDALE AND AZALEA. LOOK FOR SOME PATCHY FOG AND FREEZING FOG AS  
WELL THURSDAY MORNING.  
 
THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON SHOULD REMAIN DRY AND  
STILL COLD AGAIN FRIDAY MORNING.  
 
THE LINGERING SOUTHERN HALF OF THE TROUGH WILL WRAP NORTHWARD UP  
THE EASTERN PACIFIC AND GRAZE THE COAST FRIDAY NIGHT. SOME  
RAPIDLY INCREASING SOUTH WINDS SHOULD DEVELOP WITH SHOWERS.  
 
THEREAFTER WE'RE EXCITED TO BE WATCHING THE PROGRESSION OF A  
DEEPER AND COLDER LONGWAVE TROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT WITH PRECIP AND  
LOWERING SNOW LEVELS INTO SUNDAY. THEN, SHOWERS CONTINUE INTO  
MONDAY AND POSSIBLY MONDAY NIGHT. THE OREGON CASCADES WILL BE THE  
MAIN RECEIVER OF SNOW HERE AS SNOW LEVELS GRADUALLY FALL TO OR  
JUST BELOW THE PASSES (~4500'). THE NBM POINTS TO A 70 PERCENT  
CHANCE FOR STORM TOTALS OF 10+ INCHES AT CRATER LAKE WITH THIS  
SYSTEM. WE'LL BE MESSAGING PARTNERS ON THIS EVENT - NOT THAT IT'LL  
BE A MAJOR STORM BUT IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE BRINGING THE 1ST  
IMPACTFUL WINTER EPISODE OF THE SEASON THUS FAR FOR THE CRATER  
AND DIAMOND LAKE AREA NORTHWARD TO WILLAMETTE PASS. ODOT SHOULD  
BE READY TO ADDRESS SOME HIGHWAY IMPACTS THERE ACROSS THE HIGHER  
REACHES. LOOKING LIKE A FAIR CANDIDATE FOR A WINTER WEATHER  
ADVISORY AS THE EVENT APPROACHES. STAVISH  
 

 
   
AVIATION...23/12Z TAFS
 
MVFR CEILINGS HAVE DEVELOPED IN PORTIONS  
OF UMPQUA, ILLINOIS, AND ROGUE VALLEYS, INCLUDING SOUTH OF ROSEBURG  
AND INTO GRANTS PASS. THESE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST  
THROUGH AROUND 18Z THIS MORNING, WITH AREAS OF MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION.  
MEANTIME, HIGH CLOUDS ASSOCIATED WITH A LINGERING FRONT ARE  
PRODUCING VFR CEILINGS ELSEWHERE.  
 
WINDS WILL GENERALLY REMAIN LIGHT FOR INLAND PORTIONS OF THE WEST  
SIDE INTO THURSDAY MORNING, BUT WEST TO NORTHWEST WINDS WILL BE  
BREEZY THIS AFTERNOON ON THE EASTSIDE, INCLUDING KLAMATH FALLS. THE  
FRONT WILL GENERATE LIGHT RAIN AND LOWER BUT STILL VFR CEILINGS EAST  
OF THE COAST RANGE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING. THIS WILL  
INCLUDE INCREASED COVERAGE OF MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION. BEHIND THE  
FRONT, VALLEY MVFR IS EXPECTED EARLY THURSDAY MORNING, PARTICULARLY  
IN THE UMPQUA VALLEY. -DW  
 

 
   
MARINE...UPDATED 200 AM PDT WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024
 
A  
THERMAL TROUGH PATTERN WILL MAINTAIN LOW END ADVISORY STRENGTH NORTH  
WINDS THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT, WITH STEEP SEAS SOUTH OF CAPE BLANCO  
THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING THEN SOUTH OF CAPE ARAGO THROUGH THURSDAY  
NIGHT. A BRIEF PERIOD OF IMPROVED CONDITIONS IS EXPECTED EARLY  
FRIDAY BEFORE A PATTERN CHANGE THAT IS EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH THE  
WEEKEND. A LOW MOVING NORTH TOWARDS THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL BRING  
INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS AND BUILDING SEAS FRIDAY INTO THE  
WEEKEND, WITH STEEP SEAS LIKELY TO DEVELOP BY FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND  
GALES POSSIBLE ON FRIDAY NIGHT. STEEP TO VERY STEEP SEAS ARE THEN  
LIKELY TO CONTINUE IN THIS ACTIVE PATTERN DURING THE WEEKEND INTO  
EARLY NEXT WEEK. -DW  
 

 
   
MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
OR...FREEZE WARNING FROM 2 AM TO 10 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR ORZ023-024-  
026.  
 
CA...FREEZE WARNING FROM 2 AM TO 10 AM PDT THURSDAY FOR CAZ080>082.  
 
PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS  
EVENING FOR PZZ356.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THURSDAY TO 2 AM PDT FRIDAY FOR  
PZZ350-356-370.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 2 AM PDT FRIDAY FOR PZZ376.  
 

 
 

 
 
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