348
FXUS66 KPDT 161759
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1059 AM PDT THU JUL 16 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- THUNDERSTORMS, MAINLY ACROSS EASTERN AREAS TODAY.
- HEAT ADVISORIES TODAY, THEN WIDESPREAD MODERATE HEATRISK
RETURNS EARLY NEXT WEEK, WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES NEAR OR ABOVE
100 DEGREES IN THE COLUMBIA BASIN, YAKIMA VALLEYS AND
SURROUNDING AREAS.
DISCUSSION
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OFF THE COAST WILL MOVE NORTHWARD INTO
BRITISH COLUMBIA THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD BACK INTO THE REGION THROUGH EARLY
NEXT WEEK.
CURRENT RADAR SHOWS LINGERING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
NORTHWARD ACROSS THE REGION. AS THE LOW MOVES NORTH, IT WILL
CONTINUE TO SUPPLY SHORT WAVE ENERGY, MAINLY OVER EASTERN AREAS
LATER TODAY, WHICH WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF MORE THUNDERSTORMS.
TODAY SHOULD BE THE LAST DAY FOR SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY AS HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDS BACK IN.
HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE HOT AGAIN TODAY, ESPECIALLY ACROSS
THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND NEARBY AREAS, AND HEATRISK IS MODERATE.
PROBABILITIES OF MAJOR HEATRISK RANGE UP TO ABOUT 40 PERCENT IN
SOME LOCATIONS. HEATRISK DOES DECREASE AFTER TODAY FOR FRIDAY
AND SATURDAY, BUT STARTS TO RETURN ON SUNDAY WITH WIDESPREAD
MODERATE RETURNING SUNDAY (>50 PERCENT) AND INCREASING MONDAY
AND TUESDAY (>70 PERCENT). BY MONDAY AND TUESDAY PROBABILITIES
OF MAJOR HEATRISK INCREASE TO ABOUT 30 TO 50 PERCENT ACROSS THE
COLUMBIA BASIN, YAKIMA AND KITTITAS VALLEYS.
ALSO TODAY, THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONCERNS FROM LINGERING LIGHTNING THIS MORNING AND POSSIBLY FROM
THUNDERSTORM IN THE EAST THIS AFTERNOON, BUT AREAL COVERAGE WILL
BE LESS.
THERE WILL BE SOME GUSTY WINDS TODAY IN PORTIONS OF THE GORGE,
BASIN, AND SIMCOE HIGHLANDS WITH WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 30 TO 35
MPH. DIURNAL WIND GUSTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY, WITH
GUSTS IN THE 25 TO 35 MPH RANGE.
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL ALSO RETURN EARLY NEXT WEEK, MAINLY
OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS ARE FORECAST AT ALL SITES THROUGH THE TAF
PERIOD. ADDITIONAL ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED (80%
CONFIDENCE) TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE BLUE MOUNTAINS,
BUT THERE IS LOW CONFIDENCE (30% OR LESS) IN SHRA/TSRA THIS
AFTERNOON AFFECTING PDT/ALW/PSC. OVERNIGHT, THERE IS A VERY LOW
CHANCE (10% OR LESS) OF ADDITIONAL HIGH-BASED SHOWERS
DEVELOPING OVER PDT/ALW/PSC.
WINDS WILL BECOME BREEZY TO WINDY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING,
STRONGEST AT DLS. PERIODS OF BREEZY WINDS ARE ANTICIPATED TO
CONTINUE OVERNIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING.
SOME THIN SMOKE FROM AREA WILDFIRES IS PRESENT ACROSS CENTRAL
OREGON AND MAY REDUCE VSBYS OVERNIGHT INTO FRIDAY, BUT
CONFIDENCE WAS TOO LOW (<30%) TO INTRODUCE IN THE 18Z TAFS.
FIRE WEATHER
FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS CONTINUE THIS MORNING MAINLY FROM
LIGHTNING AS LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS MOVE SOUTH TO NORTH
ACROSS THE AREA. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON,
MAINLY OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS, BUT AREAL COVERAGE SHOULD BE
LESS. GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF THE GORGE, BASIN
AND SIMCOE HIGHLANDS THIS AFTERNOON, BUT RH VALUES ARE EXPECTED
TO BE HIGHER DUE TO A MARINE PUSH, BUT BOTH THE THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT AND RH VALUES WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 93 56 90 57 / 20 0 0 0
ALW 98 63 92 63 / 20 10 0 0
PSC 99 61 94 60 / 30 0 0 0
YKM 97 59 93 59 / 40 0 0 0
HRI 95 59 92 61 / 20 0 0 0
ELN 94 56 88 56 / 50 0 0 0
RDM 87 46 89 50 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 98 58 93 57 / 20 20 0 0
GCD 98 54 96 54 / 20 0 0 0
DLS 83 58 87 60 / 20 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WAZ026>029.
OR...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR ORZ044-049-050-
507.
DISCUSSION...77
AVIATION...86
FIRE WEATHER...77
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