926  
FXUS66 KMFR 011009  
AFDMFR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR  
309 AM PDT MON SEP 1 2025  
   
DISCUSSION  
 
-INCREASING CONFIDENCE ON THUNDERSTORMS ON TUESDAY, AND POSSIBLY  
INTO WEDNESDAY.  
 
-HAZY/SMOKY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO BRING PERIODS OF DEGRADED  
AIR QUALITY THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD.  
 
WITH AN UPPER RIDGE OVER THE REGION AND A LOW WELL TO THE  
NORTHWEST OFF THE COAST OF WASHINGTON, WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS  
WILL PERSIST ACROSS INLAND AREAS TODAY. CONDITIONS WILL BE SIMILAR  
OR SLIGHTLY WARMER THAN YESTERDAY FOR MOST AREAS. ALONG THE  
COAST, EXPECT AREAS OF MORNING LOW CLOUDS AND FOG, CLEARING IN  
THE AFTERNOON. FOR INLAND AREAS, AFTERNOON BREEZES WILL BE  
ENHANCED EAST OF THE CASCADES AND IN THE SHASTA/SCOTT VALLEYS  
TODAY AND MONDAY, SIMILAR TO WHAT OCCURRED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON  
WITH GUSTS OF 20 TO 25 MPH (AND LOCALLY TO 30 MPH IN THE SHASTA  
VALLEY).  
 
SMOKE FROM AREA WILDFIRES WILL CONTINUE AFFECT PORTIONS OF THE  
AREA, WITH GREATEST CONCENTRATIONS EXPECTED ACROSS WESTERN/CENTRAL  
SISKIYOU COUNTY AND KLAMATH COUNTY. AN AIR QUALITY ALERT FOR  
KLAMATH COUNTY, ISSUED BY THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL  
QUALITY, REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY MORNING. THE  
HRRR MODEL CONTINUES TO SHOW A PATTERN OF INCREASED SMOKE ACROSS  
WESTERN/CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND  
INCREASED SMOKE IN KLAMATH AND NORTHERN LAKE COUNTIES IN THE  
EVENINGS AND OVERNIGHT. LITTLE CHANGE IN THIS PATTERN IS EXPECTED  
ON TUESDAY. VALLEYS IN JACKSON AND JOSEPHINE COUNTIES WILL ALSO  
SEE PERIODS OF SMOKE IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING, BOTH FROM FIRES  
TO THE SOUTH AND FROM A RECENT FIRE, THE DADS CREEK FIRE IN  
SOUTHWEST DOUGLAS COUNTY.  
 
ON TUESDAY, MODELS AND ENSEMBLES CONTINUE TO SHOW AN UPPER LEVEL  
DISTURBANCE MOVING UP FROM THE SOUTH AND TOWARDS THE AREA. THIS  
WILL SEND MID AND UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE INTO THE AREA, WHICH COMBINED  
WITH DAYTIME INSTABILITY WILL BRING CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS TO  
CENTRAL AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE AREA. THE BEST CHANCE FOR  
THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP WILL BE ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND  
FROM THE CASCADES EAST (15-30% CHANCE). HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS ARE  
ALSO INDICATING THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE FROM SOUTHEAST TO  
NORTHWEST INTO JACKSON AND JOSEPHINE COUNTIES. CURRENTLY, EXPECT  
MAINLY ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS FOR THESE AREAS. ADDITIONALLY, THERE  
IS A LOW CHANCE (10%) FOR STORMS TO MOVE INTO SOUTHERN DOUGLAS  
COUNTY ON TUESDAY EVENING. THE POTENTIAL FOR STORMS WEST OF THE  
CASCADES IN SOUTHWEST OREGON WILL BEAR WATCHING AS THIS PATTERN  
DEVELOPS. GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS ARE EXPECTED NEAR AND WITH  
THUNDERSTORMS ON TUESDAY.  
 
AS THE SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE GRADUALLY TRACKS NORTHWARD OVER THE  
AREA TUESDAY NIGHT, MODELS INDICATE A SLIGHT CHANCE (10-20%) FOR  
CONTINUED ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVERNIGHT, ESPECIALLY ACROSS  
OREGON ZONES AND MODOC COUNTY, WHERE MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY IS  
GREATEST. OF NOTE, WITH THE SOUTHEAST TO EAST FLOW, THERE IS A LOW  
CHANCE (5-10%) FOR STORMS TO SHIFT INTO CENTRAL OR WESTERN  
DOUGLAS COUNTY DURING THIS PERIOD.  
 
THEN, WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, THERE IS A CONTINUED SLIGHT  
CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS OR SHOWERS. FOR WEDNESDAY, THE MAIN  
CONCERN IS WITH THE TRACK OF THE FIRST SHORTWAVE AS IT MOVES  
NORTH. THE ECMWF CONTINUES TO BE SLOWER WITH THIS SHORTWAVE AND  
KEEPS IN OVER THE AREA WEDNESDAY, WITH A POTENTIAL (15-25%) FOR  
THUNDERSTORMS, MAINLY FROM THE CASCADES EAST. THURSDAY AND FRIDAY,  
ADDITIONAL WEAK DISTURBANCES MOVING UP FROM THE SOUTH AND INTO  
THE AREA. THE BEST CHANCES (10-20%) FOR THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED  
FROM THE CASCADES EAST DURING THIS PERIOD. ALSO LATE FRIDAY INTO  
SATURDAY, A LOW OFFSHORE NEARS THE COAST, WHICH MAY ALLOW FOR  
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO DEVELOP ACROSS INLAND AREAS.  
TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO TREND LESS HOT FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY.  
 
 
   
AVIATION...01/06Z TAFS  
MARINE STRATUS HAS RETURNED TO COASTAL  
AREAS, BRINGING VFR LEVELS. GUIDANCE SUGGESTS CEILINGS STAYING AT  
THIS LEVEL, BUT PERIODS OF IFR LEVELS ARE POSSIBLE. THESE CEILINGS  
LOOK TO CLEAR OUT BY LATE MONDAY MORNING OR EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON.  
 
VFR LEVELS CONTINUE FOR INLAND AREAS. SMOKE FROM AREA FIRES WILL  
MOVE OVER THE MEDFORD AND KLAMATH FALLS TERMINALS THROUGH THE DAY.  
WHILE SMOKE HAS NOT BROUGHT EXTENDED LOWER FLIGHT LEVELS, PERIODS OF  
LOWER VISIBILITY ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS. -TAD  
 
 
   
MARINE...UPDATED 200 AM PDT SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 2025  
NORTHERLY  
WINDS WILL DEVELOP AND STRENGTHEN TO ADVISORY LEVELS SOUTH OF  
CAPE BLANCO LATE THIS MORNING AND THIS. THIS WILL RESULT IN AREAS  
OF STEEP SEAS SOUTH OF CAPE BLANCO THAT ARE EXPECTED TO PERSIST  
INTO TUESDAY EVENING. CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE FOR THE  
LATTER HALF OF THE WEEK AS WINDS EASE AND SEAS LOWER.  
 
 
 
   
FIRE WEATHER  
UPDATED 200 AM PDT MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 1,  
2025...THE AREA WILL REMAIN UNDER SOUTHWEST FLOW TODAY WITH AN  
UPPER LOW OFF THE WASHINGTON COAST AND A UPPER LEVEL RIDGE  
CENTERED INLAND OVER THE REGION. THIS WILL BRING A WARM AND DRY  
PATTERN TO THE AREA. TEMPERATURES WILL BE SIMILAR OR SLIGHTLY  
HOTTER THAN YESTERDAY. SIMILAR TO YESTERDAY, BREEZY TO GUSTY  
WINDS AND DRY HUMIDITIES ARE EXPECTED ACROSS INLAND VALLEYS AGAIN  
TODAY, WITH STRONGEST WINDS IN THE SHASTA VALLEY AND EAST OF THE  
CASCADES. OVERALL, WINDS AND HUMIDITIES ARE NOT EXPECTED TO  
REACH CRITICAL CONDITIONS. HOWEVER, SOME LOCALLY, BRIEF NEAR  
CRITICAL CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY  
EVENING, MAINLY IN THE SHASTA VALLEY AND EAST OF THE CASCADES.  
SO, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO HEADLINED THE GUSTY WINDS AND DRY  
HUMIDITIES.  
 
THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN ON TUESDAY AND  
WEDNESDAY WITH HOTTER TEMPERATURES EXPECTED. ADDITIONALLY, MODELS  
CONTINUE TO SHOW AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE MOVING UP FROM THE  
SOUTH TOWARDS THE AREA ON TUESDAY. CONFIDENCE IS INCREASING IN  
CHANCES (15-30%) FOR ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS TO  
DEVELOP FROM THE CASCADES EAST AND SISKIYOU SOUTH TUESDAY  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING, AND ISOLATED STORMS TO MOVE INTO JOSEPHINE  
AND JACKSON COUNTIES TUESDAY EVENING. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH REMAINS  
IN EFFECT FOR FIRE WEATHER ZONES 280, 281, 284, 285, 617, 621,  
623, 624, AND 625 DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR ABUNDANT LIGHTNING ON  
DRY FUELS. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR STORMS TO MOVE INTO ZONES 620  
AND 622 TUESDAY EVENING. THESE STORMS ARE MAINLY EXPECTED TO BE  
ISOLATED BUT THIS WILL BEAR WATCHING, AS THE TRACK OF THE  
SHORTWAVE FAVORS STORMS TRACKING FROM SOUTHEAST TO NORTHWEST INTO  
THESE AREAS. ADDITIONALLY, MODELS SOUNDINGS SHOW A VERY DRY SUB  
LAYER (INVERTED "V" SOUNDING) WHICH MEANS STORMS THAT DO FORM WILL  
LIKELY PRODUCE STRONG, GUSTY AND ERRATIC OUTFLOW WINDS (35-50 MPH)  
AND MAY PRODUCE LITTLE RAINFALL. AS THE DISTURBANCE SLOWLY SHIFTS  
NORTHWARD OVER THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT, THERE ARE CHANCES FOR  
LINGERING OVERNIGHT SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS (15-20%), MAINLY  
FROM THE CASCADES EAST. HOWEVER, WITH EAST TO SOUTHEASTERLY  
STEERING WINDS, STORMS MAY DRIFT INTO WESTERN PORTIONS OF THE  
AREA (10% CHANCE), SUCH AS OVER DOUGLAS COUNTY, ON TUESDAY NIGHT.  
 
WEDNESDAY, THE OPERATIONAL MODELS DIFFER WITH THE PROGRESSION OF THE  
UPPER LOW. THE ECMWF HAS THE LOW POSITIONED IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA  
AS IT BECOMES CUT OFF FROM THE MAIN FLOW. THE GFS ALSO HINTS AT THE  
LOW BECOMING CUT OFF FROM THE MAIN FLOW, BUT PROGRESSES THE UPPER  
LOW NORTH OF OUR AREA WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, WHICH WOULD PUT THE  
BEST CHANCE FOR STORMS NORTH OF OUR FORECAST AREA. IN CONTRAST THE  
ECMWF SOLUTION WOULD AT LEAST MAINTAIN THE CHANCE FOR  
THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SO, HAVE KEPT  
CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS (10-25%) IN THE FORECAST FOR AREAS FROM  
THE CASCADES EAST ON WEDNESDAY BUT CONFIDENCE IN THE DETAILS IS  
LOW.  
 
IF THE UPPER LOW DOES END UP PROGRESSING SLOWER, THEN WE COULD BE  
DEALING WITH THE POTENTIAL FOR NOCTURNAL STORMS WEDNESDAY NIGHT, BUT  
MUCH WILL DEPEND ON THE TIMING AND LOCATION OF THE UPPER LOW.  
 
ISOLATED STORMS (10-20% CHANCE) COULD STILL BE A PART OF THE  
EQUATION THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND AGAIN FRIDAY AS  
ADDITIONAL DISTURBANCES MOVE INTO THE AREA. LATE FRIDAY INTO  
SATURDAY, A LOW NEARS THE COAST AND WILL BRING LESS HOT  
TEMPERATURES BUT ADDITIONAL CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS  
OVER INLAND AREAS ON SATURDAY.  
 
 
   
MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
OR...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY  
EVENING FOR ORZ617-621-623>625.  
 
CA...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH TUESDAY  
EVENING FOR CAZ280-281-284-285.  
 
PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING  
TO 11 AM PDT TUESDAY FOR PZZ356-376.  
 
 
 
 
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