059  
FXUS66 KPDT 151721  
AFDPDT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR  
1021 AM PDT SAT AUG 15 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES
 
 
1. ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WITH ABUNDANT LIGHTNING AND  
GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS  
*RED FLAG WARNING IN EFFECT*  
 
2. SUNDAY CONTINUED SOUTHWEST FLOW WILL BRING CHANCES OF  
THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS THROUGH MONDAY.  
 
3. INCREASED GAP WINDS TUESDAY  
 

 
   
DISCUSSION
 
 
CURRENT NIGHTTIME SATELLITE SHOWS SOME MID LEVEL CLOUDS LINGERING  
OVER THE REGION. RADAR SHOWS A FEW RETURNS ALONG THE EASTERN SLOPES  
OF THE CASCADES BUT NO THUNDERSTORMS WITHIN THE CELLS. OVERNIGHT  
TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN MOSTLY IN THE 50S WITH ISOLATED AREAS IN THE  
BASIN SEEING LOW 60S.  
 
SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE OVER THE REGION WITH A TROUGH  
JUST OFF THE COAST. MODELS SHOW A SHORTWAVE WILL MAKE ITS WAY INTO  
THE REGION BRINGING WITH IT INCREASED MOISTURE FORM THE SOUTHWEST. T  
HIS WILL LEAD TO INCREASED CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS AND SHOWERS OVER  
THE CASCADES AS WELL AS THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AGAIN TODAY. LOOKING  
AT FORECASTED NAM SOUNDINGS, THERE ARE MUCAPE VALUES BETWEEN 250-750  
J/KG WITH ISOLATED POCKETS OF NEAR 1000 J/KG, LIS OF -3 TO -4, LAPSE  
RATES BETWEEN 1-10 C/KM AND EFFECTIVE BULK SHEAR OF 18-22 KTS. HREF  
LIGHTNING DENSITY PAINTBALL SHOWS MUCH OF THE LIGHTNING FORMING  
ALONG THE CREST AND EAST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES AS WELL AS ACROSS  
THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS BEGINNING WITH HIGHEST DENSITY BEING AFTER 1  
PM. NBM RAW ENSEMBLES SHOW 30-40% CHANCES OF THUNDERSTORMS OCCURRING  
IN THOSE SAME REGION. EVEN WITH THE INCREASED CHANCES OF SHOWERS  
ACCOMPANYING THESE STORMS, THERE IS MODERATE CONFIDENCE (60-70%) OF  
ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS DEVELOPING DUE TO LIGHTNING  
POTENTIAL OUTSIDE OF RAIN CORES AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WINDS. THEREFORE A  
RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE AREAS THROUGH 9 PM  
TONIGHT.  
 
SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY MODELS SHOW AN UPPER LEVEL LOW OFF THE COAST  
MOVING TOWARDS THE SOUTH AND DEEPENING THE SOUTHWEST FLOW ACROSS THE  
REGION. MODELS DO SHOW SOME MOISTURE BEING SWEPT UP INTO THE REGION  
LEAVING SLIGHT CHANCES (10-20%) OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS  
OCCURRING SUNDAY AFTERNOON, ESPECIALLY ALONG THE WALLOWA MOUNTAINS.  
THERE ARE ALSO CHANCES (10-15%) OF THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL OR AS  
WELL AS THE WA CASCADES. MONDAY ALSO SHOWS SLIGHT CHANCES (10-15%)  
OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE SAME AREAS.  
 
TUESDAY MODELS SHOW A BIT OF SPLIT FLOW ACROSS THE REGION AS AN  
UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE MOVES SOUTH OUT OF B.C. BRINGING NORTHWEST  
FLOW ALOFT ACROSS THE NORTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA WHILE THE TROUGH  
REMAINS JUST OFF SHORE AND IS PUSHING SOUTHWEST FLOW INTO THE  
SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA. THE NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL ALLOW FOR  
BREEZY GAP WINDS TO FORM TUESDAY WITH NBM RAW ENSEMBLES SHOWING  
SUSTAINED WINDS SPEEDS BETWEEN 15-20 MPH WITH 50-70% OF THE  
ENSEMBLES IN AGREEMENT.  
 

 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z SUNDAY/
 
VFR CONDITIONS TO  
PREVAIL THROUGH A MAJORITY OF THE PERIOD, WITH MVFR CONDITIONS  
POSSIBLE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE MORNING INTO THE EARLY  
AFTERNOON. AN UPPER WEATHER SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE AREA EARLY  
THIS MORNING CONTINUES TO PRODUCE SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS THAT  
ARE IMPACTING SITES PDT/ALW/PSC. THESE STORMS SHOULD CLEAR OUT  
FROM PDT AROUND 18Z, THEN CLEAR ALW/PSC BETWEEN 19Z-20Z.  
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE POSSIBLE ALONG THE WA CASCADE  
EAST SLOPES AND THE BLUE MOUNTAINS THROUGH THE AFTERNOON AND  
EVENING. THERE IS A LOW CHANCE (~15%) OF SHOWER/THUNDERSTORM  
IMPACTS AT SITES PDT/ALW BETWEEN 21Z-00Z.  
 
WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 12-20KTS WITH GUSTS 20-30KTS AT SITE DLS  
THIS AFTERNOON, BECOMING LIGHT AROUND OR AFTER 05Z. BREEZY WINDS  
WILL DEVELOP AT SITES RDM/BDN WITH GUSTS UP TO 20KTS THIS  
AFTERNOON, BECOMING LIGHT LATE IN THE EVENING HOURS. WINDS WILL  
OTHERWISE REMAIN LIGHT THROUGH THE PERIOD AT ALL OTHER SITES.  
LAWHORN/82  
 

 
   
FIRE WEATHER
 
 
CONTINUED MONSOONAL MOISTURE WILL BRING THUNDERSTORM  
CHANCES ACROSS THE REGION AGAIN TODAY WITH 30-40% CHANCES FOR THE  
BLUES MOUNTAINS AND WALLOW MOUNTAINS. EASTERN SLOPES OF THE WA  
CASCADES WILL SEE 10-15% CHANCES FOR THUNDERSTORMS TODAY AS WELL.  
SUNDAY AND MONDAY WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO SEE 10-15% CHANCES OF  
THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS S WELL AS THE WA CASCADES. A  
SLIGHT PATTERN SHIFT MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY WILL BRING BREEZY GAP  
WINDS OF 15-20 MPH SUSTAINED.  
 

 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
 
 
PDT 87 56 88 58 / 20 0 0 0  
ALW 90 62 90 64 / 30 10 0 0  
PSC 92 57 93 59 / 20 0 0 0  
YKM 89 60 91 61 / 20 10 0 0  
HRI 90 60 91 62 / 20 0 0 0  
ELN 85 58 86 59 / 20 10 0 0  
RDM 85 49 86 52 / 20 10 0 0  
LGD 86 54 89 57 / 70 20 10 0  
GCD 88 54 91 56 / 40 0 0 0  
DLS 90 63 89 62 / 20 0 0 0  
 

 
   
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
 
 
WA...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL NOON PDT MONDAY FOR WAZ026-522-523.  
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WAZ692-693.  
AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL NOON PDT TODAY FOR WAZ027-521.  
OR...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL NOON PDT MONDAY FOR ORZ041-503-505-506-  
508>511.  
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR ORZ692>695-  
699.  
 

 
 

 
 
DISCUSSION...90  
AVIATION...82  
FIRE WEATHER...90  
 
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