827  
FXUS66 KMFR 231722  
AFDMFR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR  
1022 AM PDT WED OCT 23 2024  
 
UPDATED AVIATION SECTION  
   
DISCUSSION
 
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE OVER THE AREA TODAY, BRINGING  
30-60% CHANCES OF SHOWERS OVER WEST SIDE AREAS THIS AFTERNOON AND  
50-90% CHANCES ALONG AND EAST OF THE CASCADES THIS AFTERNOON AND  
EVENING. EXPECTED AMOUNTS REMAIN LIGHT, WITH 0.25 INCHES POSSIBLE  
OVER THE CASCADES AND AREAS EAST OF SUMMER LAKE AND OTHER AREAS  
GETTING LESS. WITH SNOW LEVELS DROPPING TO 4500-5000 FEET AT THE  
LEADING EDGE OF THE FRONT, LIGHT SNOWFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER  
ELEVATED TERRAIN. -TAD  
 

 
   
AVIATION...23/18Z TAFS
 
A FRONT FORMING OVER THE REGION LATE  
THIS MORNING CONTINUES TO BRING WIDESPREAD CLOUD COVER, THOUGH  
MOSTLY VFR AS OF THIS WRITING (~1030 AM PDT). HOWEVER, LOWER  
CEILINGS (MVFR) PERSIST IN THE UMPQUA/ROGUE VALLEYS ALONG WITH AREAS  
OF HIGHER MOUNTAIN OBSCURATION.  
 
THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY SHIFT EASTWARD THIS AFTERNOON, PUSHING EAST OF  
THE CASCADES AFTER 22Z AND CLEARING EASTERN LAKE COUNTY BY AS LATE  
AS 02Z. SOME LIGHT RAIN AND HIGHER ELEVATION SNOW WILL ACCOMPANY THE  
FRONT AS IT MOVES THROUGH, PERHAPS BRIEFLY LOWERING CEILINGS TO MVFR  
IN SOME AREAS THAT ARE VFR CURRENTLY.  
 
CEILINGS IMPROVE RAPIDLY AFTER THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH LATE THIS  
AFTERNOON/EVENING AS MUCH DRIER AIR MOVES IN ALOFT. 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.  
 
TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING, VALLEY MVFR/IFR IS EXPECTED EARLY  
THURSDAY MORNING, PARTICULARLY IN THE UMPQUA VALLEY, BUT MOST  
EVERYWHERE ELSE WILL BE VFR. -SPILDE  
 

 
   
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  
 

 
   
PREV DISCUSSION
 
/ISSUED 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  
 

 
   
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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