432  
FXUS66 KPQR 211753 AAA  
AFDPQR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR  
1052 AM PDT FRI AUG 21 2026  
 
AVIATION DISCUSSION UPDATED...  
   
SYNOPSIS  
LOW PRESSURE BRINGS CHANCES FOR SHOWERS FRIDAY  
EVENING INTO SATURDAY ACROSS NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST  
WASHINGTON, WITH A 15-20% CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE  
CASCADES AND 5-10% CHANCE ELSEWHERE. WINDS OUT OF THE  
WEST/SOUTHWEST ON SATURDAY. SEASONABLE WEATHER RETURNS SUNDAY  
THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY  
AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH  
OVER THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC WILL SHIFT TOWARD THE PACNW TODAY,  
SUPPORTING UPPER LEVEL CLOUD COVER, A DECREASE IN TEMPS AND A  
LOW CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION. HIGHS IN THE 80S ARE EXPECTED FOR  
INTERIOR LOWLAND LOCATIONS WITH THE WARMEST TEMPS IN THE UPPER  
80S IN THE WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND CASCADE FOOTHILL  
VALLEYS. ALONG THE COAST, HIGHS TOP OUT IN THE LOW TO MID 60S.  
 
HI-RES MODELS SEEM TO BE STRUGGLING WITH THE DEVELOPMENT AND  
PROGRESSION OF PRECIPITATION ACROSS THE AREA AS THE LOW SHIFTS  
OVER THE AREA. MOST LIKELY TIMING IS THIS EVENING AND INTO THE  
OVERNIGHT HOURS. AS WINDS SHIFT MORE SOUTHWESTERLY, PWAT VALUES  
ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO BETWEEN 1.0-1.30 INCHES ACROSS NW OR  
AND SW WA. THE BIGGEST QUESTION WILL BE CAPE OVER THE REGION.  
SBCAPE ON THE ORDER OR 400-800 J/KG IS POSSIBLE OVER THE  
CASCADES BUT A STRONG CAPPING INVERSION OF 50-100 J/KG OF CIN  
COULD STIFLE ANY DEVELOPMENT. MUCAPE VALUES ARE A BIT HIGHER IN  
THE 700-1100 J/KG RANGE OVER THE CASCADES WHICH INDICATES SOME  
ELEVATED INSTABILITY IN THE MID LEVELS OF THE ATMOSPHERE.  
WITHOUT A CLEAR FORCING MECHANISM, WILL MAINTAIN THE SLIGHT  
CHANCE POPS AND THUNDER (BOTH 10-25%) OVER THE AREA WITH THE  
CASCADES REMAINING MOST LIKELY FOR ANY PRECIPITATION INITIALLY  
THEN SHIFTING NORTH OF THE OR/WA BORDER AS A WEAK COLD FRONT  
MOVES ONSHORE LATE TONIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING. ANY SHOWERS OR  
STORMS WILL BE ISOLATED WITH MOST LOCATIONS LIKELY REMAINING  
DRY.  
 
THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS NORTHEAST THROUGH  
THE WEEKEND. THE WEAK COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH THE AREA EARLY  
SATURDAY WILL SUPPORT TEMPERATURES COOLER FURTHER INTO THE  
UPPER 70S INLAND WHILE ALSO SHIFTING WINDS MORE OUT OF THE  
WEST/SOUTHWEST. WINDS THROUGH WEST-EAST ALIGNED MOUNTAIN GAPS  
COULD BE GUSTY, ESPECIALLY THROUGH THE WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER  
GORGE. GUSTS AROUND 30 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH A 30-50% CHANCE FOR  
ISOLATED GUSTS AROUND 35 MPH SATURDAY AFTERNOON.  
 
ZONAL FLOW ALOFT DEVELOPS SUNDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH CONTINUES  
TO TREK NORTHEAST AWAY FROM THE REGION. SEASONABLE HIGHS IN THE  
UPPER 70S TO LOW 80S ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE INTERIOR LOWLANDS.  
LOOKING AHEAD INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK, ENSEMBLE CLUSTERS FAVOR RIDGING  
OVER THE CENTRAL CONUS AND INFLUENCING THE PACNW. MODEL SPREAD FOR  
HIGH TEMPERATURES ON MONDAY INCREASES WITH THE 10TH-90TH  
PERCENTILES RANGING FROM THE MID 70S TO UPPER 80S FOR THE  
INTERIOR LOWLANDS. CONFIDENCE INCREASES TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY  
WITH HIGHS LIKELY IN THE MID 80S. CLUSTERS INDICATE ANOTHER  
TROUGH INFLUENCING THE REGION BY THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK BUT  
EXACT TIMING AND UPPER LEVEL PATTERN ARE UNCERTAIN BUT ONSHORE  
FLOW AND MORE SEASONABLE TEMPERATURES WOULD BE FAVORED. -19  
 
 
   
AVIATION...THROUGH 18Z SATURDAY  
MARINE STRATUS REMAINS ALONG  
THE COAST, MAINTAINING LIFR/IFR CONDITIONS AT COASTAL TERMINALS.  
EXPECT THESE CONDITIONS TO IMPROVE TO IFR/MVFR BY 20Z FRI, THEN  
ONCE AGAIN BACK TO LIFR/IFR CONDITIONS BY 00-02Z SAT AS MARINE  
STRATUS PUSHES BACK INTO THE COAST. INLAND, EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS  
AND MID TO HIGH CLOUDS ABOVE 15 KFT THROUGH MOST OF THE TAF  
PERIOD, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A 30-40% CHANCE OF MVFR CIGS BETWEEN  
12-18Z SAT. OTHERWISE, EXPECT MOSTLY SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS BETWEEN  
5-10 KT THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD, SHIFTING MORE SOUTHERLY TONIGHT.  
 
KPDX AND APPROACHES...EXPECT VFR CONDITIONS AND MID TO HIGH CLOUDS  
ABOVE 15 KFT THROUGH MOST OF THE PERIOD, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A  
30-40% CHANCE OF MVFR CIGS BETWEEN 12-18Z SAT. LIGHT AND VARIABLE  
WINDS THROUGH MOST OF THE PERIOD, GENERALLY SHIFTING NORTHWESTERLY  
TO SOUTHERLY FROM THIS EVENING INTO TONIGHT.  
~12  
 
 
   
MARINE  
WINDS SHIFT TO THE SOUTHWEST TODAY AS A LOW PRESSURE  
SYSTEM MOVES OVER THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC. A COLD FRONT MOVES  
THROUGH SATURDAY,BRINGING A 40-70% CHANCE FOR MAXIMUM WIND GUSTS  
TO EXCEED 21 KT FOR THE WATERS NORTH OF CAPE FOULWEATHER,  
INCLUDING THE COLUMBIA RIVER BAR. FOR THE REST OF THE WATERS,  
CHANCES ARE 15-30%.  
 
HIGH PRESSURE AND NORTHERLY WINDS RETURN BY SUNDAY, WITH A 30-50%  
CHANCE FOR NORTHERLY WIND GUSTS TO EXCEED 21 KTS IN THE LATE  
AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS, WITH THE HIGHEST CHANCES SOUTH OF  
CAPE FALCON. SEAS OF 4-6 FT PERSIST THROUGH THE PERIOD. -19/12  
 
 
   
PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
OR...NONE.  
WA...NONE.  
PZ...NONE.  
 
 
 
 
 
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