251
FXUS66 KPDT 171810
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1110 AM PDT WED JUN 17 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- RED FLAG WARNINGS IN EFFECT FOR KITTITAS AND YAKIMA VALLEY &
CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF OREGON.
- BREEZY WINDS DEVELOPING TODAY AND DURING THE WEEKEND.
- WARMING TREND CONTINUES.
DISCUSSION
RADAR AND SATELLITE CONTINUE TO SHOW OUR DRY TREND
PREVAILING IN OUR AREA. THE SYNOPTIC PATTERN EXPLAINS THAT A
RIDGE SITUATED OVER THE PACIFIC IS INFLUENCING THE REGION, WITH
TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENTS DEVELOPING NEXT TO A TROUGH LOCATED
OVER THE GREAT PLAINS. THIS WILL INTRODUCE BREEZY WINDS ACROSS
THE AREA WEDNESDAY (50-70% CHANCE), WITH THE STRONGEST WIND
GUSTS LOCATED AT/NEAR THE KITTITAS VALLEY AT 20-30 MPH. DRY AIR
WITH WIDESPREAD MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITIES IN THE 5 TO 20
PERCENT RANGE PREVAILS, WITH THE DRIEST AIR LOCATED JUST SOUTH
OF CENTRAL OREGON AT <10% AT TIMES. THIS WILL YIELD ELEVATED
FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WITH RED FLAG WARNINGS CALLED FOR THE
KITTITAS/YAKIMA REGION & CENTRAL MOUNTAINS OF OREGON THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. THE RIDGE WILL CONTINUE TO SET OVER THE REGION UNTIL
AT LEAST FRIDAY, WHERE THE HEAT TREND WILL CONTINUE THROUGH
FRIDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 90S IN THE LOWER ELEVATED AREAS. HEAT
RISK OUTLOOKS PUTS MOST OF THE SAME AREAS IN A LEVEL '1.5' TO
'2.4', BROADCASTING THAT THE MOST SUSCEPTIBLE PEOPLE TO HEAT
EVENTS WILL BE EFFECTED.
DETERMINISTIC MODELS ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT THAT OVER THE
WEEKEND, THE RIDGE WILL BREAK DOWN AND ALLOW A COOLING TREND TO
PREVAIL OVER THE WEEKEND (60-80% CHANCE) AND GIVE A TEMPORARY
BREAK FROM THE HEAT. DETERMINISTIC MODELS ARE IN AGREEMENT THAT
A RIDGE WILL REBUILD OVER THE REGION, BUT THE EXTENT OF THE NEXT
WARMING TREND IS A BIT UNCLEAR. NBM ADVERTISES THAT MUCH OF THE
COLUMBIA BASIN & PARTS OF THE DALLES HAVE A 20-40% CHANCE OF
TEMPERATURES EXCEEDING 100 DEGREES. FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS (>90% CHANCE)
WITH DRY AIR AND BREEZIER AIR DEVELOPING IN-TANDEM.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/
GUSTY WINDS WILL DEVELOP AS THE AFTERNOON WEARS ON IN THE
MOUNTAIN GAPS THIS AFTERNOON AND FAVOR TERMINALS AT DLS AND YKM
FOR 30KT WIND GUSTS IN THE MID AFTERNOON TO EVENING TIME FRAME.
ELSEWHERE WINDS WILL LARGELY BE AROUND 12 KNOTS OR LESS AS VFR
CONDITIONS PREVAIL UNDER CLEAR SKY.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 84 50 86 54 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 84 55 87 60 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 88 54 90 58 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 89 53 89 60 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 87 53 89 57 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 81 50 86 57 / 0 0 0 0
RDM 86 45 87 50 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 81 47 86 52 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 85 46 89 50 / 0 0 0 0
DLS 85 56 90 63 / 0 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WAZ690.
OR...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR ORZ700.
DISCUSSION...95
AVIATION...71
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