998
FXUS66 KPDT 300526
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1026 PM PDT WED JUL 29 2026
KEY MESSAGES
1. DRY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE WEEK.
2. SLIGHT CHANCES OF DRY THUNDERSTORMS WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY.
3. DIURNALLY BREEZY WINDS AND LOW RHS.
DISCUSSION
SATELLITE AND RADAR CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE MOSTLY CLEAR AND DRY
CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION THANKS TO THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE
SITUATED NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS. AREAS OF SMOKE AND HAZE ARE
STILL PRESENT WITH WINDS GENERALLY FROM THE SOUTHWEST, PUSHING
SMOKE TRANSPORT ACROSS CENTRAL OREGON THROUGH NORTHEAST OREGON.
AIR QUALITY CONTINUES TO BE SUB-PAR THROUGH NOON ON FRIDAY AS AN
AIR QUALITY ADVISORY IS ISSUED (VIA THE OREGON DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY) FOR COUNTIES NEAR CENTRAL OREGON AND THE
EASTERN MOUNTAINS.
VERY LOW POTENTIAL (UP TO 5% CHANCE) FOR DRY THUNDERSTORMS TO
DEVELOP FROM CENTRAL OREGON THROUGH THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS DURING
PEAK DAY-TIME HEATING HOURS TODAY AND TOMORROW. GUIDANCE IS IN
GOOD AGREEMENT THAT A SMALL POCKET OF LOW TO MID LEVEL MOISTURE
WILL MOVE OVER THE PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED AREAS THROUGH THE NEXT
24-HOURS WITH MODELS STRUGGLING TO FORECAST FOR THE MUCAPE
VALUES FOR THE LIFTING MECHANISM. GFS, NAM, AND THE ECMWF ARE
ALL OVER THE PLACE WITH MUCAPE VALUES WITH NAM BEING THE MOST
AGGRESSIVE WITH 300-500 J/KG, GFS PUTTING ALMOST NOTHING
DEVELOPING, AND THE ECMWF SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE. REGARDLESS,
CHANCES REMAIN VERY LOW AND ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE WIDESPREAD IF
STORMS DEVELOP.
THROUGH FRIDAY: THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL PUSH SLIGHTLY MORE
TO THE WEST (>85% CHANCE) WITH A TROUGH JUST SITUATED TO THE
NORTHEAST. DIURNAL WIND BREEZES WILL CONTINUE, WITH BREEZIER
WINDS NEAR THE MOUNTAIN GAPS AND PARTS OF THE BASIN. DRY
CONDITIONS PERSIST WITH MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES
DROPPING TO THE MID-TEENS TO LOWER 20 PERCENT RANGE AND WITH
SLIGHTLY ENHANCED DIURNAL BREEZES WITH THE UPCOMING SHORTWAVE,
ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST AT LEAST THROUGH
THIS PERIOD.
SATURDAY: THE APPROACHING SHORTWAVE WILL BRING TIGHT PRESSURE
GRADIENTS TO MOVE-IN TO THE REGION, ALLOWING FOR BREEZY TO
LOCALLY WINDY CONDITIONS TO DEVELOP. NBM ADVERTISES 50-70%
CHANCES OF WINDS EXCEEDING WIND ADVISORY (>45 MPH GUSTS)
SATURDAY ACROSS THE KITTITAS VALLEY, SIMCOE HIGHLANDS, AND PARTS
OF THE COLUMBIA BASIN. WIND HIGHLIGHTS HAVE NOT BEEN ISSUED,
BUT ADDITIONAL MONITORING MAY BE NEEDED AS THE EVENT GETS
CLOSER. ON THE FIRE WEATHER SIDE, MINIMUM RELATIVE HUMIDITYS
RECOVER SLIGHTLY INTO THE 20 TO 30 PERCENT RANGE, BUT ITS PUT
OFF BY THE STRONGER DEVELOPING WINDS. A FIRE WEATHER WATCH HAS
BEEN ISSUED FOR THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND THE EASTERN PART OF
WALLOWA COUNTY FOLLOWING THE ANTICIPATION OF OVERLAPPING BREEZY
WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS. ADDITIONAL FIRE WX
HIGHLIGHTS ARE POSSIBLE AS MORE GUIDANCE COMES THROUGH WITH
INCREASED CONFIDENCE OF AN ISSUANCE.
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/
VFR CONDITION TO
PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD. SMOKE IMPACTS WERE SEEN AROUND THE
RDM/BDN AREA, WITH BDN CURRENTLY REPORTING LOWER CIGS. WILL
CONTINUE TO MONITOR FOR NOW, BUT WILL LEAVE MVFR OR LOWER CIGS
OUT OF THE FORECAST. OTHERWISE, WINDS WILL BECOME BREEZY AT SITE
DLS IN THE AFTERNOON, WITH PERIODIC GUSTS AT SITES RDM/BDN.
WINDS WILL BE LIGHT THROUGH THE PERIOD AT ALL OTHER
SITES. LAWHORN/82
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 55 87 54 92 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 61 90 60 94 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 58 92 56 95 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 57 91 58 95 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 59 90 58 94 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 54 86 56 92 / 0 0 0 0
RDM 47 88 48 94 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 55 92 55 98 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 54 94 55 100 / 0 0 0 0
DLS 59 85 59 94 / 0 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING FOR WAZ691-693.
OR...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL NOON PDT FRIDAY FOR ORZ041-049-050-502-
503-505-506-509>511.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING FOR ORZ691-693.
DISCUSSION...90
AVIATION...82
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page