010  
FXUS66 KPQR 211024  
AFDPQR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR  
324 AM PDT THU MAY 21 2026  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
DRY AND WARM WEATHER IS EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE NE PACIFIC SPREADING  
EAST OVER THE PACIFIC NW. RAIN AND COOLER TEMPERATURES RETURN TO THE  
AREA LATE SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK, WHICH COULD IMPACT ANY  
OUTDOOR MEMORIAL DAY PLANS.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION...TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
 
THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE THAT  
HAS BEEN PERSISTENT OVER THE NE PACIFIC WILL SLIDE ACROSS THE  
PACIFIC NW TODAY AS SHORTWAVE TROUGH OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA SENDS A  
WEAK IMPULSE TOWARD THE REGION. 850 MB TEMPS RISE TO AROUND 12-13C  
THIS AFTERNOON WHILE A WEAK SURFACE THERMAL TROUGH PUSHING INTO THE  
WILLAMETTE VALLEY THIS MORNING SHIFTS OVER THE CASCADES. WITH DRIER,  
OFFSHORE FLOW IN THE FOOTHILLS, THERE ARE LOWER CHANCES FOR MORNING  
STRATUS DEVELOPING. THIS SHOULD ALLOW MOSTLY SUNNY SKIES TO HELP  
WARM SURFACE TEMPERATURES INTO AT LEAST THE LOWER 80S FOR INLAND  
AREAS TODAY, WHICH IS AROUND 10-15 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR TODAY.  
RECORD HIGH TEMPS ARE GENERALLY IN THE UPPER 80S TO MID-90S THROUGH  
THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND, SO WE ARE NOT EXPECTING ANY RECORD HIGH  
TEMPS TO BE BROKEN AT THIS TIME.  
 
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN DRY THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK  
AND INTO THE WEEKEND AS HIGH PRESSURE CONTINUES ACROSS THE REGION.  
THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE RE-AMPLIFIES OVER THE NE PACIFIC TONIGHT AND  
SAGS BACK OVER THE PACNW REGION ON FRIDAY. BROAD UPPER LEVEL RIDGING  
ON FRIDAY BECOMES MORE ZONAL ALOFT SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. EXPECT A  
SLIGHT COOLING TREND IN TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE WEEKEND, BUT STILL  
LIKELY TO REMAIN ABOVE SEASONABLE AVERAGES. COASTAL LOCATIONS WILL  
EXPERIENCE A BRIEF WARMUP TODAY INTO THE 60S TO LOWER 70S BEFORE  
ONSHORE FLOW BRINGS TYPICAL TEMPERATURES THERE.  
 
THERE REMAINS GOOD AGREEMENT THAT SUNDAY WILL REMAIN MAINLY DRY AND  
WARM, THOUGH COULD BEGIN TO SEE INCREASING CLOUD COVER AHEAD OF AN  
APPROACHING WEATHER SYSTEM. ABOUT 90% OF ENSEMBLE MEMBERS INDICATE A  
FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL PUSH INTO THE PACNW SOMETIME LATE SUNDAY NIGHT  
INTO MONDAY, WITH CHANCES OF RAIN INCREASING FOR MONDAY, FOLLOWED BY  
SHOWERS INTO TUESDAY. SOME UNCERTAINTY STILL REMAINS IN THE GENERAL  
TIMING OF RAIN AS WELL AS RAIN TOTALS, BUT LATEST CONSENSUS IS THAT  
RAIN WILL HOLD OFF UNTIL AT LEAST LATE SUNDAY NIGHT ALONG THE FAR N  
OR AND SW WA COAST, THEN SPREAD SOUTHEAST MONDAY MORNING.  
TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO DROP SUBSTANTIALLY MONDAY AND TUESDAY WITH  
HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER TO MID 60S FOR THE INTERIOR LOWLANDS.  
CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO REBOUND BACK TO SEASONABLE NORMS BY THE  
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK, THOUGH SOME UNCERTAINTY REMAINS DUE TO LOW  
CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION. DH/03  
 

 
   
AVIATION
 
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTS OVER THE REGION TODAY  
WHICH SHOULD HELP MAINTAIN PREDOMINATELY VFR CONDITIONS FOR INLAND  
TERMINALS. SHALLOW MARINE STRATUS OFFSHORE CONTINUES TO SPREAD  
INLAND NEAR KAST WITH IFR CIGS WITH AROUND A 30-40% CHANCE OF  
PERSISTING THROUGH 17Z. IFR TO LIFR STRATUS MAY ALSO PUSH INTO  
KONP BETWEEN 10-17Z THIS MORNING (40% CHANCE). LIGHT NORTH TO  
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS BECOME BREEZY AGAIN IN THE AFTERNOON AND  
EVENING HOURS. AS OF 09Z THIS MORNING, SATELLITE IMAGERY HAS NOT  
SHOWN ANY STRATUS FORMING ALONG THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS YET. BUT  
THERE DOES REMAIN AROUND A 10-30% CHANCE FOR INLAND TERMINALS TO  
BE IMPACTED BY MVFR STRATUS THROUGH 18Z.  
 
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY TO PERSIST THROUGH  
THE TAF PERIOD, ASIDE FROM A 10-20% CHANCE OF MVFR STRATUS  
DEVELOPING THIS MORNING. LIGHT NORTHWEST WINDS INCREASE AGAIN TO  
AROUND 8-10 KT THIS AFTERNOON. /DH  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
HIGH PRESSURE OFFSHORE WILL MAINTAIN BREEZY NORTHERLY  
WINDS THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE  
EXPECTED DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING PERIODS AS THE SURFACE  
THERMAL TROUGH STRENGTHENS OVER THE NORTHERN CA/SOUTHERN OR COAST.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE WATERS SOUTH OF  
CAPE FALCON THROUGH TONIGHT FOR NORTHERLY WIND GUSTS UP TO 25 KT.  
WILL NOTE THAT THERE MAY BE A BRIEF LULL IN THE WINDS BETWEEN  
5-11 AM THURSDAY FOR THE INNER WATER AND NORTHERN OUTER WATER  
ZONES BEFORE INCREASING AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON. GUSTY NORTHERLIES  
ARE AGAIN LIKELY SOUTH OF CAPE FALCON ON FRIDAY. SEAS 6 TO 9 FEET  
ARE EXPECTED ACROSS ALL WATERS THROUGH THIS WEEKEND. THE SUMMER-  
LIKE PATTERN IS EXPECTED TO BREAK DOWN SUNDAY NIGHT AS A FRONT  
APPROACHES THE WATERS AND RETURNS SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS BY MONDAY.  
10/DH  
 

 
   
PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
OR...NONE.  
WA...NONE.  
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO NOON PDT TODAY  
FOR PZZ210.  
 
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM PDT FRIDAY FOR PZZ252-253-  
271>273.  
 

 
 

 
 
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND  
 
INTERACT WITH US VIA SOCIAL MEDIA:  
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSPORTLAND  
X.COM/NWSPORTLAND  
 
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