788  
FXUS66 KPDT 301715  
AFDPDT  
 
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR  
1015 AM PDT SUN AUG 30 2026  
   
KEY MESSAGES  
 
- WARMING AFTERNOON HIGH TEMPERATURES, ALBEIT WITH CHILLY  
MORNING LOWS FOR VALLEY LOCATIONS, AND MOSTLY DRY THROUGH  
TUESDAY UNDER A BUILDING UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE.  
 
- ACTIVE WEATHER ASSOCIATED WITH A COUPLE LOW-PRESSURE SYSTEMS  
IS LIKELY (80% CONFIDENCE) TO RETURN LATE TUESDAY AND PERSIST  
THROUGH THE WEEK.  
 
 
   
DISCUSSION  
 
WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS A CLOSED UPPER-LEVEL LOW DEPARTING TO  
THE EAST OVER THE NORTHERN ROCKIES, LEAVING A COOL NORTHWESTERLY  
FLOW OVER THE REGION IN ITS WAKE. MEANWHILE, A SHORTWAVE RIDGE  
IS LOCATED JUST UPSTREAM, EXTENDING FROM OFFSHORE IN THE PACIFIC  
TO INLAND OVER WESTERN BRITISH COLUMBIA. THIS RIDGE WILL  
CONTINUE TO SLIDE EASTWARD INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST THROUGH  
MONDAY, RESULTING IN DRY CONDITIONS AND WARMING DAYTIME HIGHS.  
THAT SAID, VALLEY LOCATIONS WILL CONTINUE TO OBSERVE CHILLY  
MORNING TEMPERATURES OWING TO A DRY AIR MASS AND PREDOMINANTLY  
LIGHT WINDS OVERNIGHT UNDER THE RIDGE. CONFIDENCE IS LOW  
(10-30%) IN OBSERVING NEAR-FREEZING TEMPERATURES MONDAY MORNING  
FOR COLD-PRONE VALLEYS OF CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON.  
 
CONFIDENCE IS HIGH (80%) IN A RETURN TO MORE ACTIVE WEATHER AS  
A COUPLE UPPER-LEVEL LOWS INFLUENCE THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST'S  
WEATHER TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK. ENSEMBLE  
GUIDANCE TAKES THE SHORTWAVE TROUGH IN THE GULF OF ALASKA  
SOUTHEAST ALONG THE COAST THROUGH TUESDAY, RESULTING IN  
AMPLIFYING SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW ALOFT OVER THE FORECAST AREA.  
COUPLED WITH AN INCREASE IN PWATS AND SOME WEAK INSTABILITY,  
THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE (10-20%) OF THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY  
FORECAST OVER THE BLUE MOUNTAINS REGION TUESDAY AFTERNOON.  
ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE IS IN LOOSE AGREEMENT THAT THE WAVE WILL THEN  
EJECT NORTHEAST ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TUESDAY NIGHT  
THROUGH WEDNESDAY, WITH CONTINUED CHANCES OF PRECIPITATION.  
 
THE MAIN ATTRACTION, AN ANOMALOUSLY DEEP, CLOSED UPPER-LEVEL  
LOW CONTINUES TO BE ADVERTISED BY ALL CLUSTERS OF ENSEMBLE  
SOLUTIONS LATE WEDNESDAY THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK.  
ENSEMBLE SYSTEMS HAVE YET TO COME TO A CONCENSUS ON EXACT TIME  
OF ARRIVAL, OR IF/WHEN THE LOW COMES ONSHORE; DIFFERENCES IN  
LOCATION/TIMING AMONG ENSEMBLE SOLUTIONS ACCOUNTS FOR  
APPROXIMATELY 40-60% OF VARIANCE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. REGARDING  
SOLUTIONS, ROUGHLY HALF OF THE 00Z ENSEMBLE MEMBERS TAKE THE  
LOW INLAND, OR PARTIALLY INLAND, BY LATE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY,  
WHILE THE REMAINDER KEEP IT CENTERED JUST OFFSHORE. THE FORMER  
SOLUTIONS WOULD BE COOLER WITH WELL-BELOW-NORMAL TEMPERATURES  
AND WIDESPREAD SHOWERS WHILE THE LATTER WOULD BE WARMER AND  
DRIER, INCREASINGLY SO THE FARTHER OFFSHORE THE LOW IS CENTERED.  
 
IT'S TOO EARLY TO TALK ABOUT EXACT PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS, BUT  
WILL NOTE THE NBM IS ADVERTISING A WIDESPREAD 50-80% CHANCE OF A  
WETTING RAIN (0.10" OR GREATER) FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AND  
60-95% CHANCE FOR THE MOUNTAINS BETWEEN TUESDAY NIGHT AND  
THURSDAY NIGHT.  
 
 
   
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z MONDAY/  
 
VFR CONDITIONS WITH MOSTLY LIGHT WINDS AT LESS THAN 12 KNOTS.  
NOT EXPECTING ANY MAJOR IMPACTS FROM SMOKE OR HAZE, BUT THE  
SMALL CHANCE (5 TO 15 PERCENT) STILL PERSISTS FOR ALL TAF SITES  
SEEING SMOKE MAKES IT WAY DOWN TO THE SURFACE FROM THE OVERNIGHT  
TO EARLY MORNING HOURS.  
 
 
   
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS  
 
PDT 76 44 86 51 / 0 0 0 0  
ALW 76 50 89 57 / 0 0 0 0  
PSC 79 49 89 54 / 0 0 0 0  
YKM 79 54 86 59 / 0 0 0 0  
HRI 78 49 88 55 / 0 0 0 0  
ELN 75 47 81 54 / 0 0 0 0  
RDM 78 41 87 46 / 0 0 0 0  
LGD 78 44 89 52 / 0 0 0 0  
GCD 79 47 92 54 / 0 0 0 0  
DLS 80 55 88 62 / 0 0 0 0  
 
 
   
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES  
 
WA...NONE.  
OR...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL NOON PDT MONDAY FOR ORZ041-505-506-  
509>511.  
 
 
 
 
 
DISCUSSION...86  
AVIATION...95  
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