589
FXUS66 KPDT 261119
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
419 AM PDT THU MAR 26 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- CONTINUED DRYING PATTERN TONIGHT THROUGH THE WEEKEND.
- WETTER PATTERN RETURNS EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH INCREASED POP
CHANCES OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW.
- HYDROLOGIC CONCERNS EASE, BUT 'BANK FULL' AT CERTAIN POINTS
REMAIN IN THE YAKIMA AND NACHES RIVERS.
DISCUSSION
RADAR SHOWS DRY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE REGION WITH SATELLITE
DISPLAYING HIGH CLOUD CEILINGS WITH FEW-SCT COVERAGE. THE DRY PATTERN
IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE TONIGHT AND THROUGH THE WEEKEND (>90%
CHANCE) AS A RIDGE CONTINUES TO BUILD OVER THE PACNW. HIGH
TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO TREND WARMER THROUGH SUNDAY IN THE MID
TO HIGH 60S IN THE LOWER ELEVATED AREAS. METAR SURFACE
OBSERVATIONS ARE OBSERVING WEAKER WINDS FROM EARLIER, BUT A FEW
15-25 MPH GUSTS LINGER IN THE COLUMBIA BASIN BEFORE DECREASING
FURTHER OVERNIGHT.
DETERMINISTIC GUIDANCE HAS HIGH CONFIDENCE THAT A MUCH
WETTER/COOLER PATTERN WILL EMERGE AS A TROUGH DEVELOPS IN THE
GULF OF ALASKA REGION THROUGH MID-WEEK AND PUSHES THROUGH THE
REGION. AN EMBEDDED COLD FRONT WILL DEVELOP AND SWEEP THE REGION
SOMETIME MONDAY MORNING, INCREASING POP CHANCES. THE SYSTEM IS
LIKELY (60-80% CHANCE) TO BE MORE RAIN DOMINATED WITH SNOW
LEVELS 4000-5000 FEET. AFTER THE COLD FRONT PASSAGE, SNOW LEVELS
IN THE WASHINGTON CASCADE REGION WILL DROP TO AROUND 2000-3000
FEET, ALLOWING FOR SNOW SHOWERS TO DEVELOP, ALBEIT AT LIGHT TO
MODERATE RATES. PRECIPITATION OVERALL IS FORECASTED TO BE LIGHT
WITH POCKETS OF MODERATE PRECIPITATION POSSIBLE, WITH WEDNESDAY
EYEING TO BE THE WETTEST DAY NEXT WEEK. OVERALL, NOT SEEING
ANYTHING AT THIS POINT THAT WOULD POINT TO ANY HYDRO CONCERNS.
CERTAIN AREAS IN THE NACHES AND YAKIMA RIVER IN THE KITTITAS
REGION ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN IN 'BANK FULL' OVER THE NEXT
SEVERAL DAYS. WILL NEED TO MONITOR ANY QPF TRENDS AS IT'S STILL
UNCERTAIN WHETHER THIS COULD BRIEFLY PUT ANY OF THESE RIVERS
BACK IN 'MINOR' FLOODING. OTHERWISE, NOT SEEING ANYTHING THAT
WOULD NEED ANY WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS AT THIS POINT.
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS PREVAIL WITH LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS THROUGH THE
NIGHT. PDT WILL SEE SLIGHTLY STRONGER 10-15 MPH WINDS OVER THE
NEXT SEVERAL HOURS. DRY PATTERN WILL KEEP VIS AND CIG LEVELS
P6SM AND >3500 FEET THROUGH THE FORECAST PERIOD. NOT EXPECTING
AND SUB- VFR CONDITIONS OVER THE NEXT-24 HOURS.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 52 29 59 35 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 52 33 60 39 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 57 29 62 36 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 53 30 58 35 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 56 28 61 34 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 49 27 54 32 / 0 0 0 0
RDM 53 23 67 30 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 49 26 61 34 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 51 28 67 34 / 0 0 0 0
DLS 58 33 62 38 / 0 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
OR...NONE.
DISCUSSION...95
AVIATION...95
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