023  
FXUS66 KPDT 171121  
AFDPDT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR  
321 AM PST SUN NOV 17 2024  
 
UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION  
   
SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH TOMORROW
 
WINTER STORM WARNINGS WILL  
REMAIN FOR THE WA CASCADES AND BLUE MOUNTAINS THROUGH MONDAY AT 10  
PM. A WINTER STORM WARNING ALSO REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE OR  
CASCADES THROUGH MONDAY EVENING.  
 
A WARM FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE PACNW TODAY BEFORE THE UPPER  
TROUGH TAKES OVER STARTING TONIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW. THIS WILL BRING  
A BAND OF RAIN FOR THE LOWLANDS, MIXTURE OF MOUNTAIN RAIN/SNOW, AND  
GUSTY WINDS FOR THIS PERIOD. QPF AMOUNTS WILL EXCEED UP TO 1" OVER  
THE CREST OF THE WA/OR CASCADES WITH 0.75" OR LESS FOR THE BLUES  
TODAY. THE LOWLANDS WILL HAVE LIGHTER QPF UP TO 0.25". TONIGHT INTO  
TOMORROW, QPF MIGHT REMAIN THE SAME FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED MOUNTAIN  
AREAS WITH THE WEAK COLD FRONT MOVING OVER WITH ANOTHER OF PRECIP,  
INCLUDING FOR THE LOWLANDS DUE TO LINGERING SHOWERS LEFT BEHIND FROM  
THE WARM FRONT (>50% CONFIDENCE).  
 
AS THE TROUGH BEGINS ARRIVING OFF THE OR COAST WITH INCREASED  
SOUTHWESTERLY WIND ALOFT, GUSTY WINDS (25-35 MPH) WILL OCCUR AT THE  
CREST OF THE CASCADES, NORTHERN BLUES AND THE SIMCOE HIGHLANDS  
THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING (50-80% PROBABILITY). THE PROB OF WIND  
GUSTS EXCEEDING TO 40 MPH OR HIGHER IS MODERATE (<60%) FOR SANTIAM  
PASS AND THE SIMCOE HIGHLANDS, WHICH COULD POTENTIALLY WARRANT FOR  
AN WIND ADVISORY. OTHERWISE, THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE  
BREEZY (15-25 MPH).  
 
SNOW LEVELS TODAY WILL BE ABOVE 5KFT DUE TO THE PASSING WARM FRONT.  
HOWEVER, THEY WILL THEN DECREASE STARTING TONIGHT ONWARDS TO 1.5-  
2.2KFT AS THE TROUGH MOVES ACROSS THE PACNW. THERE IS >50% PROB OF  
SNOW AT 10-12" FOR THE WA CASCADES AND 6-8" FOR THE BLUES TONIGHT  
THROUGH TOMORROW EVENING. THE HIGH ELEVATIONS AT THE CREST OF THE OR  
CASCADES WILL ALSO HAVE SNOW UP TO 18" THROUGH TOMORROW EVENING AS  
WELL (>50% CONFIDENCE). FEASTER/97  
 
   
LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
 
MODELS ARE COMING INTO GOOD  
AGREEMENT THAT THE LONG TERM FORECAST PERIOD WILL BE DOMINATED BY A  
MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA DUE TO ONSET OF AN  
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER. THIS WILL LEAD TO A SEVERAL DAY WET PERIOD ACROSS  
THE FORECAST AREA.  
 
ON TUESDAY MODELS ARE SHOWING UPPER LEVEL TROUGH FROM THE GULF OF  
ALASKA DROPPING INTO THE EASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN. A SURGE OF MOISTURE  
COMING AROUND HE BOTTOM OF THE TROUGH WILL BE THE ONSET OF THE  
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER AS THE SOUTHWEST FLOW POINTS IT AT NORTHERN  
CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHERN OREGON LATE TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY. THIS  
MOISTURE SPREAD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY  
BEFORE THE ATMOSPHERIC RIVER WEAKENS AND SHIFTS FURTHER SOUTH INTO  
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. STILL THERE WILL BE MOISTURE CONTINUING IN THE  
SOUTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE WEEKEND MAINTAINING THE  
WET PATTERN.  
 
THE INITIAL ONSET OF PRECIPITATION TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY COULD  
BE A WINTERY MIX WITH VARYING SNOW LEVELS AND SOME POCKETS OF COLD  
AIR TRAPPED IN SOME MOUNTAIN VALLEYS AND LOW LYING AREAS ALONG THE  
EAST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES. INCREASING SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL BEGIN  
TO SCOUR OUT THE POCKETS OF COLD AIR LATE TUESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY  
WEDNESDAY AND BEGIN TO RAISE SNOW LEVELS. SNOW LEVELS WILL CONTINUE  
TO RISE BECOMING 5000 TO 7000 FEET THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY BEFORE  
BEGINNING TO LOWER OVER THE WEEKEND.  
 

 
   
AVIATION...12Z TAFS
 
VFR WILL BE THE MOST PREVALENT FLIGHT  
CATEGORY THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD WITH SOME MVFR CONDITIONS AT  
TIMES THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY FROM THE SOUTH AT  
15 TO 25 KT WITH A FEW GUSTS TO 30 KT POSSIBLE DURING THE DAY THEN  
SHIFT TO MORE WESTERLY AFTER 18-22Z WITH A COLD FRONT PASSAGE.  
 

 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
 
 
PDT 54 31 44 27 / 100 50 40 50  
ALW 52 34 46 29 / 100 60 70 60  
PSC 55 38 50 32 / 80 20 10 20  
YKM 52 25 47 21 / 70 10 20 20  
HRI 55 35 48 30 / 90 20 20 30  
ELN 49 26 44 22 / 70 30 20 30  
RDM 52 26 40 24 / 90 50 60 40  
LGD 41 27 39 21 / 100 90 90 70  
GCD 49 26 38 21 / 100 80 80 70  
DLS 53 35 48 31 / 100 70 80 70  
 

 
   
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
OR...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST MONDAY FOR ORZ502.  
 
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 10 PM PST MONDAY  
FOR ORZ509.  
 
WA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST MONDAY FOR WAZ030-522.  
 

 
 

 
 
SHORT TERM...97  
LONG TERM....91  
AVIATION...91  
 
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