547
FXUS66 KPQR 051200
AFDPQR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
400 AM PST THU FEB 5 2026
SYNOPSIS
HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION
THROUGH FRIDAY, MAINTAINING DRY WEATHER WITH MILD TEMPERATURES,
WARMEST IN THE OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS AND ALONG THE CENTRAL OREGON
COAST. SKIES WILL REMAIN MOSTLY CLEAR, ASIDE FROM LOW STRATUS AND
AREAS OF DENSE FOG DURING THE OVERNIGHT/MORNING HOURS IN THE CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY. MEANWHILE, STRENGTHENING EASTERLY
FLOW THROUGH THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE WILL LEAD TO WINDY CONDITIONS
IN THE EASTERN PORTLAND/VANCOUVER METRO AND ADJACENT HIGHER TERRAIN
THROUGH EARLY TODAY. WIDESPREAD RAIN RETURNS SATURDAY AND
CONTINUES INTO NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION...NOW THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT
HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES TO DOMINATE THE REGION, MAINTAINING DRY
CONDITIONS THROUGH FRIDAY ALONG WITH ANOMALOUSLY WARM
TEMPERATURES FOR EARLY FEBRUARY. MANY LOCATIONS ACROSS NORTHWEST
OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON WILL SEE AFTERNOON HIGHS IN THE
60S TODAY AND FRIDAY, WITH THE WARMEST READINGS FAVORED IN
AREAS BENEFITING FROM DOWNSLOPE EASTERLY FLOW AND GREATER
EXPOSURE TO SUNSHINE. LOCALIZED HIGHS NEAR THE MID TO UPPER 60S
REMAIN POSSIBLE, MOST NOTABLY TODAY IN THE LANE COUNTY CASCADE
FOOTHILLS, CASCADE FOOTHILLS OF MARION AND LINN COUNTIES,
CENTRAL OREGON COAST, AND TILLAMOOK COUNTY COAST. THESE
TEMPERATURES ARE WELL ABOVE SEASONAL NORMALS AND MAY APPROACH
DAILY RECORDS IN A FEW LOCATIONS.
IN CONTRAST, PORTIONS OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE
VALLEY ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN COOLER DURING THE DAYTIME DUE TO
RECURRING OVERNIGHT AND MORNING LOW STRATUS AND DENSE FOG. THESE
CLOUD DECKS MAY BE SLOW TO ERODE EACH DAY, LIMITING SOLAR
HEATING. AIR STAGNATION CONCERNS CONTINUE IN THESE AREAS,
INCLUDING THE COWLITZ VALLEY, AS LIGHT WINDS AND STRONG
INVERSIONS PERSIST. DETERIORATING AIR QUALITY REMAINS POSSIBLE
THROUGH AT LEAST TOMORROW EVENING. MEANWHILE, THE CENTRAL
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY WILL STAY
RELATIVELY COOLER AS WELL, WITH HIGHS GENERALLY IN THE LOW 50S
AND BETTER MIXING LIMITING STAGNATION CONCERNS.
EASTERLY WINDS REMAIN A PRIMARY IMPACT TODAY, PARTICULARLY IN
THE WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE, TROUTDALE, AND THE WASHOUGAL
AREA. SUSTAINED EAST WINDS OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO
45 MPH ARE EXPECTED THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON, WITH STRONGER GUSTS
POSSIBLE AT EXPOSED LOCATIONS SUCH AS CROWN POINT. PRESSURE
GRADIENTS CONTINUE TO TIGHTEN EARLY THIS MORNING, WITH A
DIFFERENCE OF -7 TO -8 MB FROM TROUTDALE TO THE DALLES AS OF 3
AM. WIND ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS, AS
ISOLATED TREE DAMAGE AND LOCALIZED POWER OUTAGES REMAIN
POSSIBLE. WINDS WILL GRADUALLY EASE LATER TODAY AS GRADIENTS
RELAX.
A NOTABLE PATTERN SHIFT BEGINS SATURDAY AS AN APPROACHING
PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM PUSHES INLAND. CLOUD COVER WILL INCREASE
EARLY SATURDAY, FOLLOWED BY RAIN DEVELOPING ALONG THE COAST BY
LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON, THEN SPREADING INLAND THROUGH
THE EVENING. SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN QUITE HIGH WITH THIS
SYSTEM, GENERALLY ABOVE 6000 TO 7000 FEET DUE TO WARM FRONTAL
INFLUENCES, RESULTING IN RAIN AT THE CASCADE PASSES. WIDESPREAD
RAIN CONTINUES INTO SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY AS A TRAILING COLD
FRONT MOVES THROUGH.
BEHIND THE COLD FRONT SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY, PRECIPITATION
BECOMES MORE SHOWERY IN NATURE WHILE SNOW LEVELS DROP TO AROUND
3500 FEET. THIS WILL ALLOW SOME SNOW TO ACCUMULATE AT THE
CASCADE PASSES, THOUGH OVERALL SNOW TOTALS ARE EXPECTED TO
REMAIN MODEST DUE TO DECREASING MOISTURE. CURRENT GUIDANCE
SUPPORTS 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW OVER 24 HOURS, WITH A LOW
(10-15%) PROBABILITY OF TOTALS EXCEEDING 6 INCHES. CONDITIONS
TREND COOLER AND SOMEWHAT DRIER MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY NIGHT,
THOUGH ISOLATED LIGHT SHOWERS MAY LINGER, PRIMARILY NEAR THE
COAST.
~12/23
AVIATION
DRY SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT AS AN UPPER
LEVEL RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE PERSISTS OVER THE REGION. VFR
CONDITIONS PERSIST THROUGH MUCH OF THE AIRSPACE DURING THE TAF
PERIOD, WITH THE ONLY EXCEPTION BEING AREAS OF FOG OR LOW
STRATUS FOR KEUG, KSLE, AND KHIO BEFORE 19-20Z THURSDAY AND
AFTER 04-07Z FRIDAY. PROBABILISTICALLY, CHANCES FOR LIFR FOG ARE
AROUND 30-50% AT KEUG, AND 20-40% AT KSLE AND KHIO. A STRONG
OFFSHORE PRESSURE GRADIENT THROUGH THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE WILL
MAINTAIN BREEZY EAST WINDS INTO THE EAST PORTLAND METRO THROUGH
THE TAF PERIOD, KEEPING VFR CONDITIONS AT NEARBY TERMINALS.
EXPECT GUSTS UP TO 35 KT AT KTTD THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON,
WEAKENING AFTER 00-06Z FRIDAY.
~12
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR CONDITIONS EXPECTED WITH SCATTERED HIGH
CLOUDS. DIURNALLY DRIVEN SOUTHEAST WINDS AROUND 5-10 KT EXPECTED AT
THE TERMINAL, WHILE EAST APPROACHES WILL SEE STRONGER EAST WINDS
WITH GUSTS UP TO 35 KT NEAR KTTD.
~12/DH
MARINE
HIGH PRESSURE INLAND WILL MAINTAIN LIGHT OFFSHORE WINDS
ACROSS THE WATERS THROUGH FRIDAY. EAST WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO
15-20 KT WILL BE POSSIBLE TODAY NEAR GAPS IN THE COASTAL
TERRAIN. WINDS TURN SOUTHERLY BY LATE TONIGHT AND GRADUALLY
INCREASE FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND AS A FRONT APPROACHES THE
WATERS BY SATURDAY. THERE IS AROUND A 60-70% CHANCE FOR MAXIMUM
WIND GUSTS TO EXCEED 34 KT ON SATURDAY.
A PERSISTENT SOUTHWEST TO WESTERLY SWELL AT AROUND 13-15
SECONDS WILL MAINTAIN SEAS AROUND 9 TO 12 FT THROUGH THE END OF
THE WEEK, THEN SHIFT MORE WESTERLY AND PERSIST INTO AT LEAST EARLY
NEXT WEEK. WILL MAINTAIN THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ACROSS ALL
COASTAL WATERS INCLUDING THE COLUMBIA RIVER BAR THROUGH AT LEAST
FRIDAY. OVERALL, ACTIVE WEATHER CONTINUES INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.
~12/DH
PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
OR...AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST FRIDAY FOR ORZ108-
115>118-123>125.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR ORZ112.
WA...AIR STAGNATION ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST FRIDAY FOR WAZ204-205.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR WAZ207.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM PST FRIDAY FOR PZZ210-251>253-
271>273.
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND
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