716
FXUS66 KPDT 161748
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1048 AM PDT TUE JUN 16 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- MINOR TO MODERATE HEATRISK THROUGH THE WEEKEND
- BREEZY TO WINDY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
- CRITICAL FIRE RISK TODAY AND WEDNESDAY
UPDATE
RED FLAG RISK IS HITTING THE 80% THRESHOLD FOR CRITERIA IN A
COUPLE OF ZONES, OR700 AND WA690 FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. DRIER
AIR WILL BE THE FAVORING FACTOR TO LEAN INTO RED FLAG WARNINGS
DESPITE THE WEAKENING WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT ON WEDNESDAY. DEW
POINTS WILL BE ABOUT 10 DEGREES LOWER ACROSS THE KITTITAS
VALLEY/WA690 ALLOWING LOWER RH AND INCREASED RISK FOR FIRE
SPREAD IN THE AFTERNOON, AS WHAT IS LEFTOVER FROM THE INITIAL
STRONG GRADIENT HELPS PUSH SUSTAINED WINDS BACK TO NEAR 30 MPH
AGAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED WIND AND RH THRESHOLDS ARE
LOWER ACROSS OR700 HOWEVER STILL MEETING THE RED FLAG CRITERIA.
DISCUSSION
CURRENT SATELLITE SHOULD SOME CLOUDS FORMING OVER THE AREA DUE TO
THE SHORTWAVE. THIS HAS ASSISTED WITH KEEPING THE OVERNIGHT
TEMPERATURES WARM. CURRENT GROUND OBSERVATIONS SO MANY LOCATIONS
THROUGH THE BASIN WITH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 70S AT 330 AM.
TEMPERATURES TOMORROW WILL REMAIN IN THE 90S THROUGH THE BASIN (70-
90%) WITH CENTRAL, N. CENTRAL AND THE FOOTHILLS SEEING HIGH 80S (70-
90%) WHILE THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OUTSIDE OF CENTRAL OR WILL SEE THE
HIGH 70S TO LOW 80S (70-90%). MODELS SHOW THE RIDGE TO REMAIN IN
PLACE OVER THE LONG TERM PERIOD WITH A FEW WEAK SHORTWAVES ON
WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY BRINGING ONLY A SLIGHT TEMPERATURE
DIFFERENCE TO THE REGION. OTHERWISE, DRY AND WARM CONDITIONS WILL
PERSIST THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.
MODELS SHOW THE SHORTWAVE THAT IS MOVING OVER THE RIDGE WILL BRING A
TIGHTENING OF THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS. IN HOUSE CALCULATIONS
USING THE GFS, NAM AND RAP ALL SHOW A TIGHTENING OF BETWEEN 9-12 MB.
THIS WILL BRING INCREASED WINDS ACROSS THE REGION, ESPECIALLY
THROUGH THE GAPS AND ALONG THE FOOTHILLS. DUE TO THIS, AN WIND
ADVISORY HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR TODAY FROM 10 AM TO 11 PM IN THE SIMCOE
HIGHLANDS OF KLICKITAT COUNTY AND THROUGH THE KITTITAS/YAKIMA VALLEYS
FOR WEST WINDS BETWEEN 25-35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 55 MPH (80-90%). THE
FOOTHILLS WILL SEE SUB-ADVISORY WINDS YET STILL BREEZY WITH WINDS 15-
20 MPH WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 35 MPH (70-90%). WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SETTLE
INTO A MORE DIURNAL PATTERN OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY.
WITH THE INCREASED WINDS AND PROLONGED DRY CONDITIONS, FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS HAVE BECOME ELEVATED ACROSS THE BASIN AS WELL AS THE
KITTITAS VALLEY WITH ISOLATED POCKETS ELSEWHERE. WITH RHS DROPPING
INTO THE TEENS AND THE INCREASED WINDS EXPECTED TODAY, A RED FLAG
WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE KITTITAS/YAKIMA VALLEY AS WELL AS
THE WA & OR COLUMBIA BASIN FOR WINDS AND RHS. THE RFW WILL BE VALID
FROM 10 AM TODAY (TUESDAY) THROUGH 11 PM TONIGHT.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z WEDNESDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS CURRENTLY ACROSS ALL SITES, WHICH WILL STAY THE
COURSE THROUGH THE PERIOD. STRONG WINDS FROM THE NORTHWEST HAVE
ALREADY ARRIVED AT TERMINALS AS SUSTAINED WINDS OF 20-25KTS AND
GUSTS OF 30-40KTS WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH THE DAY AND INTO THE
OVERNIGHT PERIOD. WINDS WILL BEGIN TO SUBSIDE SLOWLY INTO WEDNESDAY
MORNING AS SKIES STAY CLEAR. 75
FIRE WEATHER
RED FLAG RISK IS HITTING THE 80 % THRESHOLD FOR CRITERIA IN A
COUPLE OF ZONES, OR700 AND WA690 FOR WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON. DRIER
AIR WILL BE THE FAVORING FACTOR TO LEAN INTO RED FLAG WARNINGS
DESPITE THE WEAKENING WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT ON WEDNESDAY. DEW
POINTS WILL BE ABOUT 10 DEGREES LOWER ACROSS THE KITTITAS
VALLEY/WA690 ALLOWING LOWER RH AND INCREASED RISK FOR FIRE
SPREAD IN THE AFTERNOON, AS WHAT IS LEFTOVER FROM THE INITIAL
STRONG GRADIENT HELPS PUSH SUSTAINED WINDS BACK TO NEAR 30 MPH
AGAIN IN THE AFTERNOON. COMBINED WIND AND RH THRESHOLDS ARE
LOWER ACROSS OR700 HOWEVER STILL MEETING THE RED FLAG
CRITERIA.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 89 52 83 50 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 90 55 83 56 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 94 55 88 54 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 90 55 88 53 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 91 55 86 54 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 80 51 80 50 / 0 0 0 0
RDM 89 47 86 46 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 88 49 80 47 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 91 48 85 46 / 0 0 0 0
DLS 86 57 84 57 / 0 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WAZ690-691.
RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR WAZ690.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WAZ024-026-521.
OR...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR ORZ691.
RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM TO 9 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR ORZ700.
UPDATE...71
DISCUSSION...90
AVIATION...90
FIRE WEATHER...71
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