052
FXUS66 KPDT 010941
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
241 AM PDT SAT AUG 1 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- WINDY CONDITIONS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITIES WILL LEAD TO
EXTREME FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY.
- ADDITIONALLY, WIND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF
THE AREA.
- OTHERWISE, CONTINUED DRY, WITH A WARMING TREND THROUGH NEXT
WEEK.
DISCUSSION
SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW WAS OVER THE REGION EARLY TODAY IN ADVANCE
OF LOW PRESSURE MOVING INTO BRITISH COLUMBIA. THE TROUGH
ASSOCIATED WITH THIS LOW WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION LATER TODAY
AND BRING A DRY COLD FRONT ALONG WITH IT.
AS THESE FEATURES MOVE THROUGH, PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN,
RESULTING IN BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS DEVELOPING ACROSS MUCH
OF THE AREA. THE BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS HAVE PROMPTED THE
ISSUANCE OF BOTH WIND ADVISORIES AND RED FLAG WARNINGS DUE TO
THE LOW HUMIDITIES AS WELL. THE VERY DRY ANTECEDENT CONDITIONS
AND THE GUSTY WINDS COULD LEAD TO EXTREME FIRE WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. AS A RESULT RED FLAG WARNINGS
HAVE BEEN ISSUED WITH PDS (PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION)
RED FLAG WARNINGS FOR A PORTION OF THE TIME.
NBM PROBABILITIES OF WIND GUSTS >= 39 MPH ARE >80 PERCENT ACROSS
MOST OF THE KITTITAS VALLEY, COLUMBIA BASIN, GORGE, SIMCOE
HIGHLANDS AND 50-80 PERCENT ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE
MOUNTAINS. NBM PROBABILITIES OF WIND GUSTS >=47 MPH ARE >80
PERCENT FOR THE KITTITAS VALLEY AND LOCALLY >70 PERCENT BUT FOR
THE WIDER AREA ARE MUCH LOWER. THE ECMWF EFI HAS SOME AREAS 0F
0.8 TO 0.9 AND EVEN AN AREA 0F 0.9 TO 0.95 FOR WIND GUSTS TODAY
ACROSS THE COLUMBIA BASIN, HOWEVER IT IS A SMALL AREA AND NOT
WIDESPREAD.
AFTER TODAY, THERE IS A SECOND DRY TROUGH THAT DROPS DOWN ON
SUNDAY THAT WILL KEEP THINGS BREEZY, THOUGH NOT NEARLY AS WINDY
AS TODAY. NBM PROBABILITIES OF WIND GUSTS >= 25 MPH ARE FAIRLY
WIDESPREAD, BUT WIND GUST PROBABILITIES >= 39 MPH ARE RELATIVELY
SMALL.
AFTER SUNDAY, WE GET INTO A MORE WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW OF DRY
WEATHER WITH WARMING TEMPERATURES THROUGH AT LEAST MIDWEEK.
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD,
THE ONLY EXCEPTION CURRENTLY BEING BDN WHICH HAS SOME MVFR CIGS
DUE TO SMOKE FROM NEARBY WILDFIRES. AS HAS BEEN THE CASE
RECENTLY, ALMOST ANY SITE CAN HAVE REDUCED CIGS/VSBYS ESPECIALLY
IN THE MORNINGS DUE TO SMOKE.
WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON/EVENING GENERALLY FROM THE
WEST AND BECOME GUSTY IN THE 25 TO 30 KT RANGE BEFORE DECREASING
LATER IN THE EVENING TO 10 KTS OR LESS.
FIRE WEATHER
THE COMBINATION OF GUSTY WINDS AND LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY VALUES
WILL MAKE FOR CRITICAL TO EXTREME FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS ACROSS
MUCH OF THE REGION TODAY. RED FLAG WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED
FROM 11 AM UNTIL 11 PM WITH WA690, 691, 692, 693 AND OR691,
692, 693 694, 695, 696 AND 700 UNDER A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS
SITUATION (PDS) RED FLAG WARNING FROM 2 PM UNTIL 8 PM. WINDS
SHOULD GUST TO 30 TO 40 MPH ACROSS THESE AREAS TODAY WITH SOME
LOCALLY HIGHER GUSTS.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 84 47 77 46 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 87 52 78 52 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 91 52 82 50 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 86 52 82 52 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 86 53 81 51 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 79 50 74 50 / 0 0 0 0
RDM 84 42 79 39 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 89 48 78 46 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 93 49 81 46 / 0 0 0 0
DLS 80 57 79 56 / 0 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM PDT THIS
EVENING FOR WAZ690>693.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM PDT THIS
EVENING FOR WAZ024-026>029-521.
AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL 2 PM PDT MONDAY FOR WAZ028>030.
OR...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM PDT THIS
EVENING FOR ORZ691>704.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 11 PM PDT THIS
EVENING FOR ORZ041-044-507-508-510.
AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL 2 PM PDT MONDAY FOR ORZ044-049-050-502-
503-505>511.
DISCUSSION...77
AVIATION...77
FIRE WEATHER...77
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