363
FXUS66 KPQR 042224
AFDPQR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
324 PM PDT TUE AUG 4 2026
SYNOPSIS
HOT, DRY, AND SMOKY CONDITIONS ARE ON TAP FOR
SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON THROUGH MIDWEEK.
HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR MOST INLAND VALLEY LOCATIONS PEAK IN THE
LOW TO UPPER 90S THROUGH THURSDAY, THOUGH WILDFIRE SMOKE MAY
DAMPEN TEMPERATURES FROM RISING BY A FEW DEGREES. HOWEVER,
TEMPERATURES WILL STILL BE WARM ENOUGH FOR WIDESPREAD MODERATE
TO LOCALLY MAJOR HEATRISK IMPACTS. TEMPERATURES BEGIN TO TREND
TOUCH COOLER FRIDAY INTO THE WEEKEND WITH THE RETURN OF ONSHORE
FLOW WITH WINDS FROM THE WEST, WHICH WILL ALSO PUSH ANY
LINGERING WILDFIRE SMOKE AND HAZE BACK EAST OF THE CASCADE
CRESTS. FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS REMAIN IN THE FORECAST THROUGH
WEDNESDAY PRIMARILY FOCUSED IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND
CASCADES.
DISCUSSION...TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY
TEMPERATURE
OBSERVATIONS AT 3 PM PDT INDICATE TEMPERATURES ARE AROUND 6 TO
10 DEGREES WARMER THAN 24 HOURS PRIOR, REPORTING IN THE MID 80S
TO LOW 90S FOR ANY INLAND AREAS. DOWNSLOPING EASTERLY WINDS OFF
OF THE COAST RANGE HAVE WARMED SOME COASTAL LOCATIONS SUCH AS
ASTORIA, TILLAMOOK, AND PACIFIC CITY TO THE UPPER 70S TO 80
DEGREES. THIS WARMING TREND IS DUE TO AN AMPLIFYING UPPER LEVEL
RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE MOVING FROM THE EASTERN PACIFIC OVER THE
WEST COAST. HOWEVER, TEMPERATURES HAVE NOT WARMED QUITE AS MUCH
TODAY AS PREVIOUSLY FORECAST FOR MOST INLAND LOCATIONS DUE TO
THE INFLUX OF WILDFIRE SMOKE INTO NW OR AND SW WA FROM WILDFIRES
EAST OF THE CASCADES UNDER GENERALLY EASTERLY WIND FLOW.
THE HIGH PRESSURE PEAKS OVER THE REGION WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY,
WHICH WILL ALLOW TEMPERATURES TO WARM EVEN MORE. CURRENT
FORECAST INDICATES HIGH TEMPERATURES COULD RISE INTO THE MID TO
UPPER 90S EACH DAY FOR THE INTERIOR LOWLANDS. HOWEVER, SMOKE IS
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE IMPACTING THE AREA THROUGH AT LEAST
WEDNESDAY AS THE OFFSHORE FLOW WITH WINDS FROM THE EAST
CONTINUES. THIS MEANS HIGH TEMPERATURES COULD ONCE AGAIN BE
IMPACTED BY THE SMOKE AND MIGHT NOT PEAK QUITE AS HIGH AS
FORECAST. ADDITIONALLY, AS THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE SLOWLY MOVES
INTO EASTERN OR/WA LATE WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY, THE FLOW WILL
BEGIN SHIFTING ONSHORE OR FROM THE WEST. THERE IS SOME
UNCERTAINTY ON EXACTLY WHEN THIS SHIFT WILL HAPPEN, BUT IT WILL
BEGIN PUSHING SMOKE BACK EAST OF THE CASCADES. IF SMOKE CLEARS
OUT EARLIER ON THURSDAY, THEN TEMPERATURES COULD PEAK AT THE
FORECASTED WARMER TEMPERATURES. IF IT DOESN'T CLEAR OUT UNTIL
LATER THURSDAY, SMOKE COULD CONTINUE IMPACTING TEMPERATURES.
REGARDLESS OF THE EXACT OUTCOME OF THE TEMPERATURES, CONDITIONS
WILL BE WARM ENOUGH TO BRING AN INCREASED RISK OF HEAT-RELATED
ILLNESSES. AS SUCH, VARIOUS HEAT ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR
MOST INLAND VALLEYS THROUGH WEDNESDAY. IN AREAS WITH AIR
QUALITY ADVISORIES IN EFFECT, IT IS RECOMMENDED TO KEEP WINDOWS
AND DOOR SHUT TO PREVENT SMOKE FROM GOING INDOORS. HOWEVER,
THOSE WITHOUT AIR CONDITIONING WHO ARE COUNTING ON OPENING THEIR
WINDOWS AT NIGHT TO HELP COOL DOWN WILL HAVE LESS OPTIONS. IN
THIS SCENARIO, SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AS A LARGE BOX FAN WITH A
DAMP TOWEL DRAPED OVER THE FRONT OF IT CAN BE SURPRISINGLY
EFFECTIVE GIVEN THE DRY AIRMASS IN PLACE. THIS COULD ALSO CAUSE
AN IMPACT EVEN WITH SLIGHTLY LOWER DAYTIME TEMPERATURES AS
HOUSES MAY RETAIN MORE HEAT IF WINDOWS CAN'T BE OPENED TO
ADEQUATELY COOL OFF.
HEADING INTO FRIDAY THE AXIS OF THE BROAD UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE
FEATURE MOVES EAST OF OR/WA, HELPING TO INCREASE ONSHORE FLOW.
THAT SAID, THERE WILL LIKELY BE ENOUGH INFLUENCE FROM THE HIGH
PRESSURE RIDGE ALOFT TO KEEP HIGH TEMPERATURES IN THE LOW 90S
ACROSS THE INLAND VALLEYS INTO SATURDAY. AT LEAST AT THIS POINT
ANY LINGERING WILDFIRE SMOKE SHOULD BE FLUSHED FROM WEST OF THE
CASCADE CRESTS. ONSHORE FLOW IS EXPECTED TO STRENGTHEN FURTHER
OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK, ALLOWING TEMPERATURES TO
COOL BACK TO NEAR NORMAL WITH MODERATE TO HIGH CONFIDENCE FOR
MAXIMUM TEMPERATURES RETURNING TO THE LOW TO MID 80S BY
SUNDAY/MONDAY. -03
AVIATION...THROUGH 00Z THU
SATELLITE IMAGERY AND TERMINAL
OBSERVATIONS AS OF LATE TUESDAY MORNING DEPICTS WIDESPREAD SMOKE
ACROSS NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AS EASTERLY PUSH
WILDFIRE SMOKE INTO THE AREA FROM CENTRAL/EASTERN OREGON. LATEST
PIREPS AND METARS SUGGEST THAT THE TOP OF THIS SMOKE LAYER IS
GENERALLY AROUND 5 KFT, WITH SMOKE ALSO MIXING DOWN TO THE
SURFACE. GIVEN THAT OFFSHORE WINDS WILL CONTINUE INTO WEDNESDAY
AND KEEP SMOKE IN THE AREA, FU AND HZ HAS BEEN INCLUDED IN THE
TAFS THROUGHOUT THE FORECAST PERIOD. STILL EXPECTING PREDOMINATELY
VFR CONDITIONS, BUT SMOKE WILL LIKELY REDUCE VISIBILITY TO 3-5 SM
FOR MOST WILLAMETTE VALLEY TERMINALS. THE NEAREST MAJOR WILDFIRE
IS THE GRASSHOPPER FIRE EAST OF MT. HOOD, AND AREAS IN THE
VICINITY AND TO THE WEST OF THIS FIRE WILL EXPERIENCE THE DENSEST
SMOKE WITH THE GREATEST VIS IMPACTS. WHILE WINDS REMAIN
PREDOMINATELY EASTERLY THROUGH THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND
CASCADES, EXPECT WINDS OUT OF THE NORTH/NORTHEAST FOR THE MAJORITY
OF TERMINALS FOR THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT
ALONG THE COAST AND UP TO 20 KT ACROSS THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
WINDS EASE OVERNIGHT.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD WITH
SMOKE REDUCING VIS TO 5-6 SM AT TIMES, MAINLY THE LATTER. NORTH TO
NORTHWESTERLY WINDS AROUND 5-10 KT THIS AFTERNOON AND WEAKENING
UNDER 5 KT TONIGHT. -10
MARINE
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE WATERS WILL MAINTAIN NORTHERLY
WINDS THROUGH THE WEEKEND. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT
THROUGH 5 AM WEDNESDAY FOR THE COLUMBIA RIVER BAR AND INNER
WATERS UP TO 10 NM OFFSHORE, AND THROUGH 5 PM WEDNESDAY FOR THE
OUTER WATERS BETWEEN 10-60 NM OFFSHORE. EXPECT NORTHERLY WINDS
WITH GUSTS UP TO 25 KT ACROSS THE WATERS THROUGH LATE TONIGHT, AND
WEAKENING BELOW 20 KT BY LATE WEDNESDAY MORNING. SEAS REMAIN
MOSTLY WIND-DRIVEN AND AROUND 7-9 FT THROUGH TONIGHT, WITH THE
STEEPEST SEAS SOUTH OF CAPE FOULWEATHER. TOMORROW, SEAS IN THE
OUTER WATERS REMAIN STEEP AND CHOPPY AROUND 6-7 FT AT 7-8 SECONDS,
WHICH IS WHY THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY EXTENDS INTO WEDNESDAY
AFTERNOON FOR THESE AREAS. WINDS AND SEAS SUBSIDE AFTER TOMORROW,
WITH THE TYPICAL SUMMERTIME PATTERN CONTINUING INTO NEXT WEEK. -10
FIRE WEATHER...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY
EASTERLY FLOW
CONTINUES THROUGH THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND ALONG THE
CASCADE CREST-LINE DOWN INTO THE FOOTHILLS TODAY. GUSTS AROUND
15-30 MPH HAVE BEEN OBSERVED, STRONGEST IN THE WIND-PRONE
LOCATIONS THROUGH THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE (THREE CORNER ROCK).
RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES HAVE ALSO FALLEN TO AROUND 19-28%.
THESE WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON, ALONG WITH THE
DEGRADED RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES, LEADING TO CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS CAPABLE OF RAPID FIRE SPREAD. CONDITIONS
THEN REMAIN DRY AND BREEZY IN THE WESTERN GORGE AS EASTERLY
WINDS CONTINUE TONIGHT INTO AT LEAST WEDNESDAY MORNING, THOUGH
PEAK GUSTS EXPECTED TO DECREASE A BIT. A RED FLAG WARNING
REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WESTERN GORGE, FIRE WEATHER ZONE 636,
FROM 11 AM PDT TODAY THROUGH 8 PM PDT WEDNESDAY.
THROUGH THIS SAME TIME PERIOD THE REST OF THE CASCADES WILL
HAVE RELATIVELY WEAKER EASTERLY WINDS WITH GUSTS GENERALLY IN
THE 15-25 MPH RANGE, STRONGEST THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. ONE
EXCEPTION WOULD BE ON EXPOSED RIDGETOPS AND WEST- EAST ORIENTED
VALLEYS WHERE SLIGHTLY HIGHER WIND GUSTS ARE LIKELY.
NEVERTHELESS, ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS WILL EXIST IN THESE
AREAS, AS WELL AS IN THE PORTLAND METRO AND WILLAMETTE VALLEY
WHERE NNE TO NE WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO GUST UP TO APPROXIMATELY
15-20 MPH INTO THIS EVENING. FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS DECREASE ON
THURSDAY ALBEIT WITH ONE POTENTIAL EXCEPTION. THURSDAY IS WHEN
WE TRANSITION TO ONSHORE FLOW, WHICH WILL BRING BREEZY WESTERLY
WINDS IN THE CENTRAL GORGE AND HOOD RIVER AREA. GIVEN CONDITIONS
WILL STILL BE DRY, ELEVATED FIRE TO NEAR CRITICAL WEATHER
CONCERNS REMAIN IN PLACE. -99/23/03
PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
OR...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR ORZ104-105-108>118.
WA...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR WAZ204>208.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR WAZ636.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 5 AM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR PZZ210-251>253.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM PDT WEDNESDAY FOR PZZ271>273.
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND
INTERACT WITH US VIA SOCIAL MEDIA:
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSPORTLAND
X.COM/NWSPORTLAND
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page