721
FXUS66 KPDT 161028
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
328 AM PDT MON MAR 16 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- LINGERING PRECIPITATION IN THE WASHINGTON CASCADES WILL LEAD
TO INCREASED SNOW MELT
- WARMING TREND THROUGH THE WEEK
- CONTINUED HYDRO CONCERNS
DISCUSSION
THERE IS LINGERING PRECIPITATION IN THE WASHINGTON CASCADES
EARLY THIS MORNING. TEMPERATURES ARE WARMING AND ANY
SNOW/FREEZING RAIN CHANCES ARE ENDING. THEREFORE, THE WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY WAS CANCELLED EARLY. PRECIP CHANCES WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THE MORNING HOURS BEFORE DECREASING/ENDING IN
THE AFTERNOON.
HOWEVER, ANOTHER WEAK SYSTEM WILL BRING A RENEWED SHOT OF
MOISTURE LATE TONIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE MUCH HIGHER, GENERALLY
ABOVE 6000 FEET AND CLIMB EVEN FURTHER DURING TUESDAY. SO ALL
THAT IS EXPECTED WITH THIS NEXT SYSTEM IS RAIN.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE WEEK, THE WASHINGTON CASCADE CREST WILL
RECEIVE DECENT RAIN...OVER AN INCH AND SOME LOCAL AMOUNTS OVER
2 INCHES, NEARBY AREAS WILL RECEIVE BETWEEN 0.25 AND 0.50
INCHES. THE OREGON CASCADE CREST AND BLUE MOUNTAINS WILL
GENERALLY RECEIVE LESS THAN 0.25 INCHES.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD IN FROM THE SOUTH AND MOST OF THE AREA
WILL BE DRY WITH A NOTICEABLE WARMING TREND, ESPECIALLY TUESDAY
THROUGH FRIDAY. DURING THIS TIME, HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE 15
TO POSSIBLY 20 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL. TEMPERATURES IN THE
COLUMBIA BASIN, BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS, CENTRAL OREGON AND
YAKIMA VALLEY WILL REACH THE LOW TO MID 70S. NBM PROBABILITIES
OF HIGH TEMPERATURES >=80 DEGREES RANGE FROM 20-30 PERCENT IN
MOST OF THE AREAS MENTIONED ABOVE TO 70-90 PERCENT IN CENTRAL
OREGON DURING THIS PERIOD.
THE COMBINATION OF RAIN ON SNOW IN THE WASHINGTON CASCADES AND
WARMING TEMPERATURES WILL INCREASE SNOW MELT AND CAUSE RIVERS TO
RISE. CURRENT FORECASTS HAVE THE NACHES RIVER AT NACHES REACHING
MINOR FLOOD STAGE LATE THIS WEEK AND SEVERAL OTHER POINTS ON THE
NACHES AND YAKIMA RIVERS REACHING ACTION STAGE. SOME ARE CLOSE
TO FLOOD STAGE. IF TEMPERATURES ARE WARMER THAN FORECAST OR
PRECIPITATION IS MORE THAN FORECAST, THESE RIVER FORECASTS COULD
BE HIGHER. IF TEMPERATURES ARE COOLER THAN FORECAST OR RAIN LESS
THAN FORECAST, THESE RIVER FORECASTS COULD BE LOWER. ALL EYES
WILL BE ON HYDRO THIS WEEK.
BY FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY, THE HIGH PRESSURE WILL MOVE EASTWARD,
AND THE FLOW WILL BECOME MORE ZONAL. THIS WILL ALLOW FOR
TEMPERATURES TO COOL CLOSER TO NORMAL BY SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY,
THOUGH THE AREA REMAINS FAIRLY DRY ON WESTERLY FLOW.
THERE WILL BE GUSTY WINDS WIN THE CASCADE GAPS TODAY AND SOME
GENERAL BREEZINESS IN THE NORMALLY BREEZY SPOTS ON TUESDAY.
WIND GUSTS OF 25 TO 35 MPH IN THE CASCADE GAPS TODAY, AND ON
TUESDAY WIND GUSTS MAINLY 20 TO 25 MPH WITH SOME HIGHER GUSTS.
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS AND WINDS 10 KTS OR LESS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE
TAF PERIOD.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 66 44 68 45 / 30 0 10 10
ALW 61 48 66 50 / 50 10 20 20
PSC 64 47 69 48 / 20 10 10 10
YKM 62 41 67 45 / 20 10 10 20
HRI 65 46 69 45 / 20 0 10 10
ELN 54 38 59 43 / 30 10 30 30
RDM 72 38 73 38 / 10 0 0 0
LGD 62 42 68 43 / 40 0 10 10
GCD 66 41 71 43 / 20 0 0 0
DLS 67 45 64 44 / 10 0 20 20
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
OR...NONE.
DISCUSSION...77
AVIATION...77
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