401
FXUS66 KPQR 071916
AFDPQR
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
1216 PM PDT FRI AUG 7 2026
SYNOPSIS
WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS CONTINUE TODAY, BUT
TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY MODERATE TOWARD AUGUST
NORMS BY SUNDAY, CONTINUING INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. RENEWED
ONSHORE FLOW WILL KEEP SMOKE EAST OF THE CASCADES. PRECIPITATION
IS NOT EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT WEEK ACROSS THE AREA.
DISCUSSION...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY
SATELLITE IMAGERY AND
SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AS OF EARLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON DEPICTS MOSTLY
SUNNY SKIES ACROSS INTERIOR LOCATIONS WITH MARINE CLOUDS
DISSIPATING ALONG THE COAST. CLOUDS SHOULD CONTINUE BREAKING UP
ALONG THE COAST AND LEAD TO SOME BRIEF AFTERNOON SUNSHINE. CAN'T
RULE OUT SOME CLOUDS HUGGING THE IMMEDIATE COASTLINE AS WE
MAINTAIN MOIST ONSHORE FLOW. THIS ONSHORE FLOW, WHERE WINDS COME
FROM THE WEST/NORTHWEST, IS WHAT'S CLEARING WESTERN OREGON AND
WASHINGTON FROM ALL THE SMOKE AND HAZE THESE LAST SEVERAL DAYS.
EXPECT THESE WINDS FROM THE WEST/NORTHWEST TO KEEP PUSHING SMOKE
EASTWARD AS WE HEAD INTO THE WEEKEND.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL MAINTAIN DRY AND WARM CONDITIONS TODAY
THROUGH THE WEEKEND, AFTERNOON HIGHS FORECAST IN THE UPPER 80S
TO LOW 90S TODAY. A SHORTWAVE TROUGH APPROACHING THE COAST
TONIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY MORNING WILL STRENGTHEN ONSHORE
FLOW AND LIKELY DEEPEN THE MARINE LAYER ENOUGH TO PUSH CLOUDS
INLAND UP THE LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER VALLEY INTO THE
PORTLAND/VANCOUVER METRO. AFTERNOON SUN SHOULD ALLOW TEMPS TO
WARM AGAIN INTO THE MID TO UPPER 80S ACROSS THE INTERIOR
LOWLANDS SATURDAY AFTERNOON. WHILE WINDS FROM THE WEST/NORTHWEST
GENERALLY REMAIN AROUND 15 MPH OR WEAKER ACROSS MOST AREAS, THE
BREEZIEST LOCATIONS WILL BE ALONG THE CENTRAL COLUMBIA RIVER
GORGE AND PORTIONS OF THE UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY WHERE GAP
WINDS ARE FORECAST TO GUST UP TO 30-35 MPH, WITH A 20-30% CHANCE
FOR GUSTS EXCEEDING 40 MPH. COMBINED WITH LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY
AND DRY FUELS, THESE CONDITIONS WOULD BE FAVORABLE FOR RAPID
FIRE SPREAD. NWS PENDLETON HAS ISSUED A RED FLAG WARNING FOR THE
CENTRAL GORGE AND PORTIONS OF EASTERN HOOD RIVER COUNTY, IN
EFFECT FROM 11 AM TODAY THROUGH 11 PM SATURDAY. ELSEWHERE ACROSS
NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON, HIGHER RELATIVE
HUMIDITY AND WEAKER WINDS WILL NOT BE FAVORABLE FOR RAPID FIRE
SPREAD.
THERE IS HIGH CONFIDENCE TEMPERATURES TREND INTO THE LOW TO MID
80S SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AS A MORE ZONAL FLOW PATTERN
EMERGES. MAJORITY OF ENSEMBLE MEMBERS SHOW A WEAK TROUGH
APPROACHING THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK, HOWEVER,
IT APPEARS TO BE A DRY TROUGH WITH NO PRECIPITATION CHANCES
EXPECTED. -10
AVIATION...THROUGH 18Z SAT
WEST TO SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT
CONTINUES THROUGH THE PERIOD AS HIGH PRESSURE REMAINS OVER THE
REGION. MARINE STRATUS CONTINUES TO DETERIORATE ALONG THE COAST
AND LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER ACCORDING TO SATELLITE IMAGERY AS OF
1730Z FRI. WHILE INLAND TERMINALS WILL KEEP VFR THROUGH THE TAF
PERIOD, THERE IS LESS CONFIDENCE FOR IMPROVEMENT TO VFR FOR
COASTAL TERMINALS. PROBABILISTIC GUIDANCE SUGGESTS THE BEST
CHANCES OF IMPROVEMENT TO VFR OCCURRING BETWEEN 21Z FRI AND 03Z
SAT (50-70% CHANCE OF VFR CIGS). OTHERWISE, COASTAL TERMINALS WILL
MAINTAIN MVFR/IFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE PERIOD, WITH A 50-60%
CHANCE OF MVFR, 40-50% CHANCE OF IFR, AND 20-30% CHANCE OF LIFR.
MARINE STRATUS IS EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP AT THE COAST BY 03Z
SAT, GIVING MORE CONFIDENCE FOR DETERIORATED CONDITIONS BY THEN.
LIGHT NORTHWESTERLY WINDS INCREASE TO AROUND 5-10 KT LATER THIS
AFTERNOON FOR ALL TERMINALS, EARLIEST ALONG THE COAST.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR CONDITIONS WITH CLEAR SKIES THROUGH
PERIOD. LIGHT NORTHWEST WINDS INCREASE TO AROUND 6-8 KT THIS
AFTERNOON. ~12
MARINE
HIGH PRESSURE OFFSHORE WILL MAINTAIN NORTHERLY WINDS
THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND INTO NEXT WEEK. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO
REMAIN 20 KT OR LESS TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. BY SAT
AFTERNOON, SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS ARE EXPECTED TO TIGHTEN AS
AN INVERTED SURFACE THERMAL TROUGH STRENGTHENS OVER NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA TOWARD THE SOUTH OREGON COAST. THIS WILL BRING
INCREASING CHANCES FOR WIND GUSTS UP TO 25 KT SOUTH OF CAPE
FOULWEATHER OVER THE WEEKEND AND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. GENERALLY
WIND DRIVEN SEAS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN AROUND 4 TO 6 FT THROUGH
THE NEXT WEEK. /DH
PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
OR...NONE.
WA...NONE.
PZ...NONE.
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND
INTERACT WITH US VIA SOCIAL MEDIA:
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSPORTLAND
X.COM/NWSPORTLAND
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