869  
FXUS66 KPQR 291012  
AFDPQR  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR  
312 AM PDT TUE SEP 29 2026  
   
SYNOPSIS
 
TODAY A DECAYING FRONTAL SYSTEM DROPS SOUTHWARD  
CLIPPING THE REGION AND BRINGING CHANCES FOR RAIN THROUGH  
TONIGHT WITH THE HIGHEST PROBABILITIES ALONG THE WASHINGTON AND  
NORTH OREGON COAST AND COAST RANGE. DRY WEATHER IS FAVORED  
AGAIN BY WEDNESDAY, LIKELY LASTING THROUGH THE WEEKEND, WITH  
TEMPERATURES TRENDING WARMER DAY TO DAY AS WELL.  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION...NOW THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT
 
CURRENT RADAR AND  
SATELLITE IMAGERY EARLY THIS MORNING SHOWS PRECIPITATION/CLOUD  
COVER ASSOCIATED WITH A FRONTAL SYSTEM SLOWLY SLIDING SOUTHWARD  
INTO THE REGION. AS IT PROGRESSES THROUGHOUT THE DAY IT IS  
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WEAKENING BUT THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH  
LINGERING MOISTURE TO FACILITATE LIGHT RAINFALL OVER PORTIONS  
OF THE OREGON COAST AND POSSIBLY THE PORTLAND METRO AREA AND  
LOCATIONS NORTHWARD INTO SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. THE LATEST NBM  
SUGGESTS THERE IS STILL AROUND A 45-60% CHANCE FOR 0.25 INCH OF  
RAINFALL FROM TILLAMOOK NORTHWARD, WITH A 50-60% CHANCE FOR A  
0.50 INCH OF RAIN OR MORE IN THE WILLAPA HILLS. RAIN WILL BE  
MORE SPOTTY WITH LIGHT AMOUNTS EXPECTED ACROSS PORTIONS OF  
SOUTHWEST WA AND THE PORTLAND METRO, GENERALLY ONLY 20-25%  
CHANCE FOR AMOUNTS TO EXCEED 0.10 INCH, WHILE CONDITIONS SALEM  
SOUTHWARD REMAIN MOSTLY DRY.  
 
THANKS TO THE QUICK-HITTING NATURE OF THIS FRONTAL SYSTEM,  
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH WIDESPREAD DRY CONDITIONS RETURN WEDNESDAY  
MORNING, AND FROM THIS POINT ONWARD DRY WEATHER LIKELY  
CONTINUES THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK AND WEEKEND. THE  
ONE CAVEAT INCLUDES A WEAK WEATHER SYSTEM POTENTIALLY BRUSHING  
NORTHERN PORTIONS OF OUR FORECAST AREA AGAIN ON THURSDAY AND  
THURSDAY NIGHT. BUT IN-LINE WITH PRIOR WEATHER MODEL CYCLES,  
MOST 00Z ENSEMBLE MEMBERS ARE KEEPING THE RAIN PINNED FARTHER  
NORTH, WITH ONLY 10% OR LESS SHOWING RAINFALL LOCALLY.  
TEMPERATURES REMAIN FAIRLY SEASONABLE THROUGH THE END OF  
SEPTEMBER INTO THE FIRST COUPLE OF DAYS OF OCTOBER WITH HIGHS  
GENERALLY IN THE LOW TO MID 70S ACROSS THE INLAND VALLEYS.  
 
BY THE WEEKEND, MODELS AND THEIR ENSEMBLES ARE IN FAIRLY GOOD  
AGREEMENT OF A MORE PRONOUNCED RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING OVER  
THE REGION. THIS WOULD MAINTAIN DRY WEATHER AND POTENTIALLY TREND  
AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES AROUND 5-10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL FOR EARLY  
OCTOBER. CLUSTERS HINT AT MORE UNCERTAINTY THOUGH HEADING INTO EARLY  
NEXT WEEK AS ENSEMBLES STRUGGLE TO HANDLE THE POTENTIAL BREAKDOWN  
AND PROGRESSION OF THIS UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE. -99/DH  
 

 
   
AVIATION...THROUGH 12Z WEDNESDAY
 
EARLY THIS MORNING CLOUDS  
COVER CONTINUES TO INCREASE ACROSS THE REGION WITH MVFR  
CONDITIONS ALONG THE COAST WHILE VFR CIGS/VIS PREVAIL INLAND  
THOUGH CIGS HAVE BEEN STEADILY DROPPING. FOR INLAND SITES,  
PROBABILITIES FOR TERMINALS TO EXPERIENCE MVFR CONDITIONS ARE  
HIGHEST AROUND THE PORTLAND METRO AT 50-70% BETWEEN 16-21Z. LOW  
CLOUDS ARE LIKELY MORE SCT TO BKN THROUGHOUT THE CENTRAL AND  
SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY WITH MVFR CHANCES AT 20-40% ANY  
GIVEN HOUR BETWEEN 14-21Z. SOUTHERLY WINDS GRADUALLY INCREASE  
TO 5-10 KT AS A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH MOVES  
THROUGH THE REGION. HIGHER SPEEDS AT KAST UP TO 10-15 KT WITH  
GUSTS UP TO 20-25 KT EXPECTED.  
 
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR CONDITIONS LIKELY TRANSITION TO MVFR  
BETWEEN 14-16Z THIS MORNING DUE TO LOWERING CIGS AS A FRONTAL  
SYSTEM ENTERS THE REGION. THAT SAID, WE'LL LIKELY SEE A SWITCH  
BACK TO LOW-END VFR MID TO LATE AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING.  
EXPECT SOUTHERLY WINDS AROUND 5-12 KNOTS THROUGH THE DAY. -99  
 

 
   
MARINE
 
THIS MORNING A FRONTAL BOUNDARY QUICKLY APPROACHES THE  
WATERS WITH SOUTHERLY WIND GUSTS IN THE 20-30 KNOT RANGE PEAKING  
NORTH OF CAPE FALCON, ESPECIALLY RIGHT ALONG THE COASTLINE. A  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR COASTAL WATERS NORTH  
OF CAPE FOULWEATHER, INCLUDING THE COLUMBIA RIVER BAR, INTO THE  
LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING HOURS. BEHIND THE FRONT, WINDS  
ARE EXPECTED TO ABRUPTLY SHIFT TO THE NORTHWEST, TRANSITIONING TO  
A SOMEWHAT LIGHTER NORTHERLY WIND PATTERN WEDNESDAY. ANOTHER WEAK  
SYSTEM MAY APPROACH THE NORTHERN WATERS FROM THE WEST ON  
THURSDAY, BUT IT LIKELY HOLDS NORTH AS IT MOVES TOWARD THE  
WASHINGTON COAST THEN OUT OF THE REGION TO THE EAST. NORTHERLY  
WINDS THEN RETURN FRIDAY, LIKELY PERSISTING OVER THE WEEKEND.  
 
A MID-PERIOD WEST-NORTHWESTERLY SWELL OF 6 TO 8 FT AT 13-15  
SECONDS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE COASTAL WATERS TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT,  
INCREASING SIGNIFICANT WAVE HEIGHTS INTO THE 8 TO 10 FT RANGE.  
SEAS THEN GRADUALLY SUBSIDE TO AROUND 4 TO 6 FT LATER IN THE WEEK  
WITH NO OTHER PROMINENT SWELLS OF NOTE AT THIS TIME. -99/DH  
 

 
   
PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
OR...NONE.  
WA...NONE.  
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR PZZ210.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR PZZ251-  
271.  
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FROM 5 AM EARLY THIS MORNING TO 5 PM PDT  
THIS AFTERNOON FOR PZZ252-272.  

 
 

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