051
FXUS66 KPDT 270504
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
904 PM PST THU FEB 26 2026
UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION
DISCUSSION...ISSUED 319 PM PST THU FEB 26 2026
REGIONAL SATELLITE AND RADAR SHOWED CIRRUS OVERSPREADING THE
OREGON CASCADES INTO CENTRAL OREGON. A STABLE LAYER IMPINGING ON
THE UPPER CASCADE CREST OF WASHINGTON WAS STILL ALLOWING HIGH
ELEVATIONS SNOW IN KITTITAS COUNTY, WHERE THE HREF CONTINUED TO
HINT AT LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS. ROAD CAMS AND MESONET
OBSERVATIONS INDICATED REDUCED VISIBILITY TO UNDER 1 MILES IN
THE UPPER SLOPES IN KITTITAS COUNTY, BUT NO DISCERNIBLE IMPACTS
AS THE ROADS WERE ALL WET THOUGH THE PASS LEVEL. SOME OF THAT
DOWNSLOPING ADIABATIC WARMING WILL BE LOST BY SATURDAY AS WINDS
SLACK OFF OVER MUCH OF THE ENTIRE REGION. SUNNY AND SPRING LIKE
50S WILL MAKE A PLEASANT WEEKEND, WHILE MOUNTAIN SLOPES AND
HIGHER ELEVATIONS ARE RELEGATED TO THE 40S.
SURFACE WIND GUSTS BOTH THIS AFTERNOON AND FRIDAY WILL REMAIN
BREEZY/GUSTY WITH THE 75TH PERCENTILE OF THE NBM WIND GUST IN
THE FALLING IN THE 30+ MPH RANGE. THE WEST TO SOUTHWESTERLY
FLOW EAST OF THE CASCADES WILL LEAD TO A WARMING TEMPERATURES IN
THE AFTERNOON FRIDAY AS HIGHS APPROACH 60 DEGREES ACROSS THE
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN. THE NEXT APPRECIABLE CHANCES FOR
PRECIPITATION RETURN ACROSS THE CENTRAL OREGON CASCADE SLOPES
THIS WEEKEND WITH PROFILES SUPPORTING RAIN OR RAIN/SNOW IN THOSE
ZONES, BEFORE DRYING OUT REGION WIDE FOR MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
HIGH PROBABILITIES FOR RAIN OR SNOW, (70-90%) RETURN BY EARLY
WEDNESDAY, DEPENDING ON ELEVATION LEVELS ACROSS THE HIGHER
TERRAIN.
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST AND VERY LIKELY (80-100 PERCENT
CHANCE) AT ALL SITES FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. THE 00Z HREF DOES
SHOW A 10-20 PERCENT CHANCE OF MVFR OR LOWER CIGS/VSBYS IN FG/BR
AT YKM/PSC OVERNIGHT, BUT CONFIDENCE IN THIS SCENARIO IS VERY
LOW. CLOUDS WILL CONSIST OF PREDOMINANTLY FEW-BKN CIRRUS, WITH
SOME PERIODS OF SKC AS WELL. WINDS OF 15 KTS OR LESS ARE
FORECAST, AND WILL BE DIURNALLY DRIVEN, WITH PERIODIC GUSTS UP
TO 20 KTS DURING THE LATE MORNING AND AFTERNOON HOURS FOR
COLUMBIA GORGE/BASIN SITES. 86
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 31 60 32 51 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 35 59 35 51 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 32 60 31 53 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 29 60 30 52 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 32 60 31 52 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 30 50 30 48 / 0 0 0 0
RDM 24 60 27 56 / 0 0 0 10
LGD 29 60 31 56 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 27 57 31 57 / 0 0 0 10
DLS 33 60 34 53 / 0 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
OR...NONE.
DISCUSSION...71
AVIATION...86
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