169  
FXUS66 KMFR 200545  
AFDMFR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR  
945 PM PST SUN JAN 19 2025  
   
..UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION FOR 06Z TAFS  
 
   
UPDATE  
FREEZING FOG HAS DEVELOPED THIS EVENING IN THE ROGUE  
VALLEY FROM MEDFORD TO NEAR GRANTS PASS AND IN NEARBY VALLEYS.  
FOG IS EXPECTED TO EXPAND INTO OTHER VALLEY AREAS IN JOSEPHINE  
AND JACKSON COUNTIES OVERNIGHT. OBSERVATIONS NEAR GRANTS PASS AND  
MEDFORD INDICATE VISIBILITIES HAVE BEEN DOWN TO OR LESS THAN LESS  
THAN A QUARTER MILES AT TIMES. VERY LOW VISIBILITIES MAY BRING  
HAZARDOUS DRIVING CONDITIONS. ALSO WITH FREEZING FOG, ICY SPOTS  
MAY DEVELOP TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY MORNING ON ROADWAYS. A  
FREEZING FOG ADVISORY (NPWMFR) HAS BEEN ISSUED THROUGH EARLY  
MONDAY MORNING. FURTHER EAST, FOG IS EXPECTED INTO THE LOWER ROGUE  
VALLEY NEAR AGNESS TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY MORNING. MEANWHILE,  
TO THE NORTH, IN THE UMPQUA BASIN, SATELLITE IMAGERY AND  
OBSERVATIONS INDICATE A MIX OF FOG AND LOW CLOUDS. WE WILL  
CONTINUE TO MONITOR CONDITIONS IN THE UMPQUA OVERNIGHT, AS LOCALLY  
DENSE FOG IS POSSIBLE, WITH A 20-30% CHANCE BASED ON HIGH  
RESOLUTION MODELS (HREF).  
 
 
   
AVIATION...20/06Z TAFS  
FREEZING FOG IS BRINGING LIFR LEVELS TO  
MEDFORD, WHILE IFR CEILINGS REMAIN OVER ROSEBURG. THE ROSEBURG  
CEILINGS MAY LIMIT FOG DEVELOPMENT IN THE UMPQUA VALLEY, WITH  
GUIDANCE SPLIT ON IF FOG WILL DEVELOP OR NOT. BOTH UMPQUA AND ROGUE  
VALLEYS ARE EXPECTED TO STAY UNDER AT LEAST IFR LEVELS THROUGH THE  
TAF PERIOD, ALTHOUGH BRIEF PERIODS OF IMPROVEMENT ARE POSSIBLE  
MONDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
OTHER AREAS ARE EXPECTED TO STAY AT VFR THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. -TAD  
 
 
   
PREV DISCUSSION  
/ISSUED 342 PM PST SUN JAN 19 2025/  
 
DISCUSSION...NOT MUCH CHANGE IN THE OVERALL PATTERN IS EXPECTED  
THROUGH MOST OF NEXT WEEK. SATELLITE IMAGE SHOWS LOW CLOUDS SLOW TO  
BURN OFF IN THE UMPQUA BASIN, NORTHERN END OF THE ROGUE VALLEY, AND  
GRANTS PASS AREA. BASED ON HOW THINGS ARE SLOW TO BURN OFF, IT MAY  
NOT CLEAR OUT AT ALL IN THE UMPQUA BASIN. THE ROGUE AND PORTIONS  
OF THE ILLINOIS VALLEY SHOULD CLEAR OUT WITHING THE NEXT HOUR OR  
SO.  
 
AS IN IN PREVIOUS EVENINGS AND NIGHTS WITH LOW CLOUDS AND FOG LIKELY  
TO RETURN IN THE EVENING AND LASTING THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS  
MONDAY. SOUNDING PROFILES SUGGEST THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE ASSOCIATED  
WITH THE FOG AND LOW CLOUDS WILL BE SHALLOW WITH MUCH DRIER AIR  
ALOFT AT THE MID AND UPPER LEVELS.  
 
WITH THE STRONG INVERSIONS IN PLACE, AND WITH NO ACTIVE WEATHER TO  
BREAK THEM, STAGNATE AIR CONDITIONS ARE ONCE AGAIN EXPECTED IN AREA  
VALLEYS. AN AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT. A WEAK  
SHORTWAVE WILL MOVE OVER THE RIDGE TUESDAY, BUT IT LIKELY WON'T BE  
ENOUGH BREAK THINGS UP, SO IT'S POSSIBLE THE STAGNANT AIR COULD LAST  
THROUGH MOST OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
A THERMAL TROUGH ALONG THE SOUTH OREGON COAST WILL RESULT IN A DRY  
EAST FLOW WITH WARMER TEMPERATURES OVER THE MID SLOPES AND RIDGES,  
AND NEAR BROOKINGS. THIS IS EXPECTED TO LAST THROUGH AT LEAST MONDAY  
AFTERNOON. THUS, WE CAN EXPECT BREEZY CONDITIONS NEAR AND AT THE  
RIDGES IN SOUTHWEST OREGON. ALSO THE PRESSURE GRADIENT TIGHTENS UP  
ALONG THE CASCADES SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY WHICH WILL BRING BREEZY  
EAST WINDS NEAR AND AT THE RIDGES.  
 
THE RIDGE WILL REMAIN JUST TO OUR WEST, AND WITH THE VERY BROAD,  
DEEP TROUGH COVERING ALMOST THE ENTIRE CONTINENT, WE WILL REMAIN  
UNDER NORTH FLOW ALOFT. A FEW SHORTWAVES MAY PASS OVERHEAD OVER THE  
NEXT SEVERAL DAYS AS THEY TRAVERSE THIS FLOW, BUT THERE WILL BE  
LITTLE TO NO DISCERNIBLE EFFECTS AT THE SURFACE. IN OTHER WORDS, THE  
DAY-TO-DAY FORECAST WILL CHANGE VERY LITTLE FOR MUCH OF THE WEEK.  
 
THERE'S SOME EVIDENCE POINTING TOWARDS A SLIGHT DISRUPTION IN THE  
PATTERN TOWARDS THE END OF NEXT WITH A SHORTWAVE TROUGH DROPPING IN  
FROM THE NORTH. THE OPERATIONAL MODELS ARE IN PRETTY GOOD AGREEMENT  
WITH THE TRAJECTORY OF THE UPPER TROUGH. THE TRAJECTORY IS ONE THAT  
TYPICALLY DOES NOT RESULT IN ANY PRECIPITATION, MORE LIKELY IT WILL  
BE A DRY COLD FRONT THAT WILL DROP INTO THE AREA FRIDAY WITH GUSTY  
NORTH TO NORTHEAST BREEZES EAST OF THE CASCADES AND MID SLOPES AND  
RIDGES ALONG THE CASCADES AND COASTAL MOUNTAINS IN SOUTHWEST OREGON  
AND WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY. THUS IT COMES AT NO SURPRISE THE  
OPERATIONAL MODELS SHOW A DRY SOLUTION. EVEN THE MAJORITY OF THE  
INDIVIDUAL ECMWF ENSEMBLES SUGGEST LITTLE IF ANYTHING WILL HAPPEN  
FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT WITH MOST MEMBERS SHOWING NO PRECIPITATION.  
 
TAKING THE NBM AT FACE VALUE SUGGEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES AND  
COVERAGE AREA IS WAY OVERDONE AND COVERS TOO MUCH OF THE FORECAST  
AREA. HAVE SEEN THIS TREND ENOUGH THIS SEASON TO KNOW THAT THE  
DETERMINISTIC ARE ON TO SOMETHING, AND THE NBM WILL BE VERY SLOW TO  
RESPOND. HAVE PUSHED THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION LOW END FRIDAY INTO  
FRIDAY EVENING, WITH THE DISTINCT POSSIBILITY THAT THE TROUGH WILL  
PASS THROUGH THE AREA WITHOUT ANY MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION AT ALL,  
AND THE ONLY NOTABLE EFFECT BEING INCREASED CLOUDS AND A TEMPORARY  
PERIOD OF GOOD MIXING AND BROKEN INVERSIONS.  
 
IT'S ALSO WORTH NOTING THAT THE ENSEMBLES SUGGEST THE DISRUPTION IN  
THE PATTERN LATE NEXT WEEK WILL BE BRIEF WITH RIDGING BUILDING BACK  
OVER THE PAC NW THE LATTER PART OF NEXT WEEKEND INTO MOST OF THE  
FOLLOWING WEEK. THEY DO SHOW SUGGEST A PATTERN CHANGE COULD BE IN  
THE WORKS TOWARDS THE END OF THE MONTH WITH THE UPPER RIDGE  
FLATTENING OUT ENOUGH TO ALLOW SYSTEMS TO MOVE INTO THE AREA. STAY  
TUNED. -PETRUCELLI  
 
MARINE...UPDATED 100 PM SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025...GUSTY NORTH  
WINDS UNDER A THERMAL TROUGH PATTERN WILL MAINTAIN CONDITIONS  
HAZARDOUS TO SMALL CRAFT FOR AREAS SOUTH OF CAPE BLANCO THROUGH  
MONDAY MORNING. CONDITIONS IMPROVE TONIGHT FOR AREAS WITHIN 15 NM OF  
SHORE, BUT ADVISORY LEVEL CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MONDAY  
MORNING IN THE OUTER WATERS (FROM AROUND NESIKA BEACH SOUTHWARD).  
THE THERMAL TROUGH ALONG THE COAST WILL WEAKEN LATER MONDAY INTO  
TUESDAY ALLOWING CONDITIONS TO FALL BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS AND REMAIN  
THAT WAY THROUGH THURSDAY. ANOTHER PERIOD OF MODERATE TO STRONG  
NORTH WINDS (POSSIBLY REACHING GALE FORCE) AND STEEP SEAS IS  
POSSIBLE FRIDAY INTO NEXT WEEKEND. -SPILDE/BR-Y  
 
BEACH HAZARDS...UPDATED 100 PM PST SUNDAY, JANUARY 19, 2025...  
LONG PERIOD (17-19 SECONDS) WEST-NORTHWEST SWELL OVER THE COASTAL  
WATERS WILL BRING A HIGH RISK OF SNEAKER WAVES TO SOUTHERN OREGON  
BEACHES TODAY. THESE LONG PERIOD WAVES CAN CAUSE WAVES TO RUN UP  
MUCH HIGHER ON THE BEACH THAN USUAL WITH THE HIGHEST RISK ON  
INCOMING TIDES. THE THREAT IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH, BUT REMAIN  
MODERATE TONIGHT INTO MONDAY WITH A LOWERING SWELL PERIOD (TO 14-15  
SECONDS) AND LESS CHAOTIC SEA STATE.  
 
SNEAKER WAVES ARE A TYPE OF WAVE THAT CAN RUN HIGHER UP THE BEACH  
THAN A NORMAL WAVE. SNEAKER WAVES CAN WASH OVER PATHWAYS OR ROCK  
OUTCROPPINGS. THEY CAN LIFT AND CARRY LOGS, WHICH CAN THEN STRIKE OR  
PIN BEACHGOERS. SNEAKER WAVES CAN KNOCK A PERSON OFF THEIR FEET AND  
CARRY THEM OUT TO DEEPER WATERS, WHERE HYPOTHERMIA BECOMES POSSIBLE.  
SNEAKER WAVES CAN POSE A LETHAL THREAT. AS THESE CONDITIONS MAY  
OCCUR WHILE THE SUN IS DOWN, VISIBILITY WILL BE LIMITED. ALWAYS KEEP  
YOUR EYES ON THE SEA AND USE EXTRA CAUTION.  
 
 
   
MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
OR...AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY FOR ORZ021-  
023>026-029>031.  
 
BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON FOR ORZ021-022.  
 
FREEZE WARNING FROM 1 AM TO 8 AM PST MONDAY FOR ORZ021.  
 
FREEZING FOG ADVISORY UNTIL 9 AM PST MONDAY FOR ORZ024-026.  
 
CA...NONE.  
 
PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...BEACH HAZARDS STATEMENT THROUGH MONDAY  
AFTERNOON FOR PZZ350-356.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR PZZ356.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST MONDAY FOR PZZ376.  
 
 
 
 
 
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