102  
FXUS66 KMFR 291158  
AFDMFR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR  
458 AM PDT TUE JUL 29 2025  
   
DISCUSSION
 
SATELLITE SHOWS MARINE STRATUS MAKING ITS WAY INTO  
PARTS OF THE COAST NEAR COOS BAY, AND THIS IS GROWING SOUTH  
TOWARDS BANDON EARLY THIS MORNING. THERE IS ALSO LOWER CEILINGS  
NEAR BROOKINGS, AND THIS IS SLOWLY MOVING NORTH INTO PISTOL RIVER.  
 
THE NEAR TERM FORECAST STILL INCLUDES DAILY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES.  
THE MAIN AREAS OF CONCERN FOR THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE EAST OF THE  
CASCADES IN SOUTHERN OREGON AND INTO MODOC COUNTY. THESE CELLS WILL  
FORM BETWEEN 2-4 PM IN MODOC COUNTY AND MOVE NORTHWARD. GUSTY WINDS,  
SMALL HAIL, AND LIGHTNING IS POSSIBLE. STORMS IN RECENT DAYS HAVE  
BEEN MOVING VERY SLOWLY (10 MPH OR LESS), SO THIS COULD RESULT IN  
HEAVIER RAIN IN SPOTS BEFORE SOME CELLS PASS.  
 
A TROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WILL BRING THE CONCERN FOR  
THUNDERSTORMS WESTWARD WITH A 20-30% CHANCE FOR LIGHTNING IN THE  
ROGUE VALLEY AND INTO EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY NEAR TILLER AND  
STEAMBOAT. LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING, SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS WILL START TO BUILD EAST OF THE CASCADES, ESPECIALLY  
INTO LAKE COUNTY. PWATS ON THE WEST SIDE THE NEXT FEW DAYS ARE  
NEARING 1.00", SO SOME LOCATIONS COULD ALSO SEE HEAVIER RAINFALL  
WITH SLOW MOVING STORMS.  
 
THERE ARE STILL MODEL DIFFERENCES FOR RAIN CHANCES THURSDAY  
AFTERNOON AND ONWARD BECAUSE THE GFS HAS THE LOW PRESSURE SLIGHTLY  
FARTHER NORTH, KEEPING MORE OF THE RAIN OUT OF THE AREA, WHILE THE  
EURO ADDS MORE TO SOUTHERN OREGON.  
 
LATER INTO THE WEEKEND, RIDGING WILL START TO TAKE HOLD OF THE  
WEATHER PATTERN IN THE AREA. THIS WILL BRING WARMER TEMPERATURES TO  
THE AREA ONCE AGAIN, AND THE 90TH PERCENTILE FORECAST HIGHS FOR  
PORTIONS OF THE ROGUE VALLEY AND UMPQUA BASIN HAVE TRIPLE DIGITS  
BACK THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. -HERMANSEN  
 

 
   
AVIATION...29/12Z TAFS
 
LIFR LOW CLOUDS AND AREAS OF FOG ARE  
EXPECTED FROM BROOKINGS SOUTHWARD AND NORTH BEND NORTHWARD (AS WELL  
AS INTO THE COQUILLE VALLEY) THROUGH ~17Z. THIS PATTERN IS EXPECTED  
TO REPEAT TONIGHT.  
 
INLAND, VFR LEVELS LOOK TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. HOWEVER,  
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS EVENING,  
MAINLY FROM THE SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES EASTWARD AND ACROSS  
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THERE IS ALSO A 10-15% CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS  
INTO SOUTHERN JOSEPHINE AND JACKSON COUNTIES. THESE COULD  
TEMPORARILY LOWER CEILINGS AND/OR VISIBILITY, BUT THE MAIN RISKS  
WITH THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE GUSTY OUTFLOW WIND GUSTS, CLOUD TO GROUND  
LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL. -DW/HERMANSEN  
 

 
   
MARINE...UPDATED 300 AM PDT TUESDAY, JULY 29, 2025
 
STRATUS AND  
FOG WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST MID-MORNING. A RELATIVELY WEAK  
THERMAL TROUGH WILL BRING GUSTY NORTHERLY WINDS AND STEEP SEAS  
BETWEEN PORT ORFORD AND PISTOL RIVER THIS MORNING AND INTO THE  
AFTERNOON. THE THERMAL TROUGH WILL STRENGTHEN SLIGHTLY LATER TODAY  
WITH STEEP SEAS EXPECTED TO EXPAND OVER MUCH OF THE WATERS SOUTH OF  
PORT ORFORD THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING.  
 
CONDITIONS BRIEFLY IMPROVE WITH LOW PRESSURE IN THE AREA LATER  
WEDNESDAY NIGHT INTO THURSDAY. SLIGHT STRENGTHENING OF A THERMAL  
TROUGH MAY BRING A RETURN OF STEEP SEAS TO THE SOUTHERN WATERS  
THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO SATURDAY EVENING. -DW/HERMANSEN  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER...UPDATED 200 AM PDT TUESDAY, JULY 29, 2025
 
THE  
ATTENTION REMAINS ON THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY EXPECTED THIS WEEK.  
TEMPERATURES, HUMIDITIES, AND BREEZY AFTERNOON WINDS WILL ALL REMAIN  
NEAR SEASONABLE LEVELS THIS WEEK, SO THE MAIN FIRE WEATHER CONCERN  
WILL BE DAILY THUNDERSTORM CHANCES. WE'LL BE IN A RELATIVE LULL IN  
TERMS OF THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE TODAY. MAINLY ISOLATED COVERAGE IS  
EXPECTED ALONG AND EAST OF THE CASCADES/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH  
SOME POCKETS OF SCATTERED ACROSS WESTERN SISKIYOU, NORTHERN KLAMATH  
AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTIES.  
 
FROM TODAY ONWARD, WE EXPECT A HEIGHTENED LEVEL OF THUNDERSTORM  
ACTIVITY THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY, WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE  
EXPECTED TO BE WEDNESDAY AND STORMS CONTINUING OVERNIGHT FOR SOME  
AREAS INTO THURSDAY MORNING. ANOTHER TROUGH (NEGATIVELY-TILTED)  
SWINGS INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA, TURNING THE FLOW SOUTHERLY AS IT  
TRACKS NORTHWARD THROUGH OREGON. THIS PATTERN WILL MAINTAIN DAILY  
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY, IF NOT INTO FRIDAY.  
CONFIDENCE IS HIGHEST FOR AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF THE CASCADES AND  
ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA TO SEE AT LEAST SCATTERED (IF NOT  
WIDESPREAD) COVERAGE DURING THIS PATTERN, BUT THE MORE CHALLENGING  
ASPECT IS HOW FAR WEST WILL STORMS MAKE IT, AND WILL THERE BE ANY  
OVERNIGHT (NOCTURNAL) THUNDERSTORM POTENTIAL THIS WEEK.  
 
FOR NOW, THE FORECAST SUPPORTS INCREASED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FOR  
EAST SIDE/NORCAL BEGINNING TODAY. THERE IS A RED FLAG WARNING FOR  
FWZS 285/623(EASTERN)/624/625. FOR FWZ 284, AND OTHER ZONES ACROSS  
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, COVERAGE LOOKS TO BE MOSTLY ISOLATED, THOUGH  
ANOTHER POCKET OF SCATTERED IS POSSIBLE ACROSS WESTERN SISKIYOU (FWZ  
280).  
 
AREAL COVERAGE OF STORMS LOOKS GREATEST ON WEDNESDAY WITH THIS DAY  
SEEING THE BEST POTENTIAL FOR STORMS WEST OF THE CASCADES. THIS IS  
WHEN THE NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH NEARS THE FORECAST AREA AND  
GUIDANCE SHOWS A SHORTWAVE AT THE BASE OF THIS TROUGH MOVING UP INTO  
MODOC COUNTY FROM THE SIERRAS EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. THIS WOULD  
LIKELY RESULT IN SOME SHOWER ACTIVITY ACROSS THE MODOC, BUT THERE  
ISN'T A GOOD SIGNAL FOR LIGHTNING WITH THESE SHOWERS AT THIS TIME.  
COULDN'T RULE OUT SOME STRIKES, HOWEVER, WITH ABOUT A 10% CHANCE OF  
LIGHTNING. THIS SHORTWAVE STRENGTHENS DURING THE DAY WEDNESDAY WHILE  
MOVING NORTHWESTWARD THROUGH THE REGION, RESULTING IN A RATHER  
SIGNIFICANT TRIGGER FOR THUNDERSTORM INITIATION. SCATTERED TO  
WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY ON WEDNESDAY AND WE'VE GONE  
AHEAD WITH A FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR MUCH OF THE AREA (EXCLUDING  
615/618/619/282). THE MAJORITY OF ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED DURING THE  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING, BUT AS THIS SHORTWAVE SWINGS NORTHWARD IN THE  
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY, THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY COULD  
CONTINUE ACROSS NORTHERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. WE'VE  
STARTED THE WATCH FOR FWZ616 FOR WEDNESDAY EVENING, AND CARRIED IT  
THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. ADDITIONALLY, WE'VE HELD ONTO THE WATCH  
FOR 617/623/624/625 THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING AS WELL. AS WE MOVE  
INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS, THE FOCUS FOR CONCERN SHIFTS TO THE  
NORTHERN PORTIONS OF 623/624/625, ROUGHLY NORTH OF A LINE FROM  
CRATER LAKE TO SUMMER LAKE. AT THIS TIME, THE NOCTURNAL THREAT LOOKS  
LIMITED TO THE NORTHERN AREAS, BUT SUBTLE CHANGES IN THE LOCATION OF  
THIS SHORTWAVE COULD CHANGE THAT, SO STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES.  
 
THE CURRENT FORECAST MAINTAINS SIMILAR CONDITIONS ON THURSDAY, BUT  
THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON HOW MUCH THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL  
MATERIALIZE DUE TO ANY LINGERING CLOUD COVER FROM OVERNIGHT  
ACTIVITY. ADDITIONALLY, WE'LL BE IN A LESS FAVORABLE DYNAMIC REGION  
AS THE TROUGH WILL HAVE SHIFTED NORTH OF THE AREA. THE GREATEST  
COVERAGE IS MORE LIKELY TO BE WHERE THERE ISN'T CLOUD COVER IN THE  
MORNING, WHICH AT THIS TIME LOOKS TO BE EAST OF THE CASCADES AND  
ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. WE'LL TRY TO HONE IN ON THESE DETAILS  
OVER THE COMING SHIFTS.  
 
BY FRIDAY, ACTIVITY SHOULD TREND LESS, HOWEVER, GUIDANCE SHOWS  
ADDITIONAL SHORTWAVES MOVING THROUGH IN A WESTERLY FLOW PATTERN.  
THIS WOULD RESULT IN DECREASING CHANCES OF STORMS WEST OF THE  
CASCADES WHILE MAINTAINING THUNDERSTORM CHANCES EAST OF THE CASCADES  
AND ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. ON THE OTHER HAND, TEMPERATURES WILL  
REMAIN NEAR SEASONAL NORMS, IF NOT A FEW DEGREES BELOW OVER THE  
UPCOMING WEEKEND. /BR-Y  
 

 
   
MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
OR...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY  
EVENING FOR ORZ620>622.  
 
RED FLAG WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 PM PDT THIS  
EVENING FOR ORZ623>625.  
 
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY EVENING THROUGH THURSDAY  
MORNING FOR ORZ616.  
 
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY  
MORNING FOR ORZ623>625.  
 
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY  
MORNING FOR ORZ617.  
 
CA...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH WEDNESDAY  
EVENING FOR CAZ280-281-284-285.  
 
RED FLAG WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 11 PM PDT THIS  
EVENING FOR CAZ285.  
 
PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 8 PM PDT  
WEDNESDAY FOR PZZ356-376.  
 

 
 

 
 
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