445
FXUS66 KPDT 242351
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
451 PM PDT TUE MAR 24 2026
DISCUSSION
CLOUDS ARE OVERSPREADING THE ENTIRE AREA AS RAIN BECAME ANCHORED
ACROSS THE WASHINGTON CASCADES THIS MORNING. FOR THE BALANCE OF
THE AFTERNOON THE AREA CAN EXPECT BETTER THAN JUST UNDER ONE
TENTH OF AN INCH PER HOUR TO AS MUCH AS ONE QUARTER INCH PER
HOURS IN THE HIGHER RAINFALL RATES IN THOSE HIGHEST LEVEL
CASCADE MOUNTAIN ZONES. RAIN WILL ALSO DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN
MOUNTAINS AFTER AROUND 5 PM AS THE RAINS OVER THE CASCADES
CREST BEGIN TO TREND TOWARDS LOWER RATES. VERY HIGH SNOW LEVELS
(7-9KFT) THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE CRASHING TONIGHT TO AROUND 2500
FT AGL IN THE WA CASCADES TO AROUND 3-4 KFT IN THE OREGON
CASCADES AND NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS, CREATING A DUSTING UP TO A
COUPLE OF INCHES TOTAL OVER WEDNESDAY/WEDNESDAY EVENING. OTHER
THAN THE BREEZY CONDITIONS WEDNESDAY FOLLOWING TODAY'S MARGINAL
NEAR ADVISORY LEVEL WIND GUSTS IN LOCATIONS LIKE THE SIMCOE
HIGHLANDS, AND YAKIMA VALLEY, NO NEAR HEADLINES WORTHY WEATHER
ELEMENTS POSE A RISK OTHER THAN THE ONGOING HIGH RUNNING AND
FLOODING RIVERS TO THE YAKIMA MAINSTEM AND ITS LARGEST TRIBUTARY
THE NACHES THROUGH MID WEEK. LOOK TO AN OPPORTUNITY FOR
ELEVATED FIRE RISK LATER IN THE WEEK, POINTING FRIDAY ESPECIALLY
(SEE FIRE WEATHER SECTION). ALTHOUGH SOME CLOUD COVER IS NOTED
BY THE NBM MEAN THE TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND RAMP UP FROM A
BROAD LOWLAND 50S AND LOW 60S TO MID AN UPPER 60S FOR THE LOW
LANDS AND INTO THE 70S ACROSS THE JOHN DAY BASIN AND OCHOCO
HIGHLANDS/GRANDE RONDE VALLEY.
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z THURSDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS AT ALL TAF
SITES. WILL NOTE LOW CONFIDENCE (20-40 PERCENT) IN MVFR CIGS
OVERNIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING AT PDT/ALW, WITH VERY LOW (20
PERCENT OR LESS) CONFIDENCE ELSEWHERE.
PERIODS OF LIGHT RAIN WILL CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING,
WITH THE HIGHEST CHANCES (50-80 PERCENT) AT DLS/PDT/ALW WITH
LOWER (20-50 PERCENT) CHANCES AT RDM/BDN/YKM/PSC.
GUSTY WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS EVENING, WITH PERIODS OF
GUSTY WINDS THEN PERSISTING THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE
PERIOD. 86
FIRE WEATHER
OVERALL ITS A LOWER RISK OF FIRE WEATHER RISK PARAMETERS
THROUGH MIDWEEK. ALTHOUGH BREEZIER PERIODS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE
OF DAYS, RELATIVELY HIGH AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY WILL BE
EXPERIENCED. FOLLOWING THAT, WHEN THE DRIER AIR DEVELOPS LATER
IN THE WEEK, ESPECIALLY THURSDAY INTO FRIDAY, THE NBM 25TH TO
75TH PERCENTILES SHOW SOME POTENTIAL FOR ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS. THE HIGH END OF THE STATISTICAL CANDLESTICK PRODUCES
20 MPH GUSTS ACROSS AREAS THAN HAVE AN NBM MEAN WELL BELOW 20%
MINIMUM AFTERNOON RELATIVE HUMIDITY, PARTICULARLY THE OCHOCO-JOHN
DAY HIGHLANDS AND EASTERN SLOPES OF THE OREGON CASCADES PARTS
OF CENTRAL OREGON.
HYDROLOGY
ADDITIONAL RAINS ACROSS THE WA CASCADES TODAY WILL KEEP THE
YAKIMA RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES RUNNING HIGH THROUGH THE WEEK.
THE NACHES, WHICH HAS BEEN IN MINOR FLOOD, WILL REMAIN SO UNTIL
THURSDAY AFTERNOON, CRESTING BELOW MODERATE STAGE MIDDAY
WEDNESDAY. ADDITIONALLY THE YAKIMA IS FORECAST TO REMAIN IN
MINOR FLOOD UNTIL FALLING BELOW THURSDAY EVENING.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 43 56 30 52 / 80 40 10 0
ALW 45 56 34 52 / 90 60 20 0
PSC 43 62 33 58 / 40 10 0 0
YKM 35 56 28 54 / 20 10 0 0
HRI 43 60 32 57 / 50 20 0 0
ELN 33 49 28 49 / 20 30 10 0
RDM 37 54 21 52 / 50 10 0 0
LGD 43 53 28 49 / 100 70 30 0
GCD 47 60 26 51 / 70 40 10 0
DLS 42 57 34 58 / 70 30 10 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
OR...NONE.
DISCUSSION...71
AVIATION...86
FIRE WEATHER...71
HYDROLOGY...71
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