241
FXUS66 KPDT 262259
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
259 PM PST MON JAN 26 2026
DISCUSSION
A DECAYING SHORTWAVE TROUGH IS TRACKING ACROSS THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST THIS AFTERNOON. WHILE THE FORECAST AREA HAS SEEN
MID- AND HIGH-LEVEL CLOUD COVER, PRECIPITATION CHANCES ARE VERY
LOW (10 PERCENT OR LESS).
TONIGHT, AN UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE WILL AMPLIFY AS IT SHIFTS EASTWARD
OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THIS WILL LEAD TO DRY CONDITIONS
AREAWIDE, ALBEIT WITH PERIODS OF MID- AND HIGH CLOUDS. MEANWHILE,
ENSEMBLE AND DETERMINISTIC GUIDANCE INDICATE A STRONGER SHORTWAVE
WILL WRAP AROUND THE BASE OF THE BROAD AREA OF LOW PRESSURE THAT
IS CURRENTLY VISIBLE OFFSHORE IN THE PACIFIC. THIS WAVE WILL
EJECT NORTHEAST INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST LATE TUESDAY AFTERNOON
THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING. WHILE PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL BE
HIGHEST (60-80 PERCENT) FOR THE CASCADE CREST AND HIGHER REACHES
OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, THE MAIN WEATHER CONCERN WILL BE THE
POTENTIAL FOR WINTRY MIX FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH THE
LINGERING COLD POOL IN THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND SURROUNDING
LOWLANDS. FORECAST THERMODYNAMIC PROFILES FROM 12Z AND 18Z CAMS
ARE SUPPORTIVE OF PREDOMINANTLY SNOW FOR THE KITTITAS VALLEY AND
HIGHER PORTIONS OF THE YAKIMA VALLEY, WITH POCKETS OF LIGHT
WINTRY MIX OR FREEZING RAIN FOR THE COLUMBIA BASIN/GORGE BELOW
ROUGHLY 3000-3500 FT. WILL NOTE THAT EVEN FOR THE AREAS THAT HAVE
THE BEST CONFIDENCE (60 PERCENT) IN POCKETS OF LIGHT FREEZING
RAIN, FORECAST SOUNDINGS ARE ONLY MARGINALLY SUPPORTIVE BASED ON
TEMPERATURES ALOFT NOT BEING WARM ENOUGH (1-3C) FOR FULL MELTING
OF HYDROMETEORS.
A SECONDARY POTENTIAL FOR HEADLINES WILL ARISE FROM BREEZY TO
LOCALLY WINDY SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WINDS ACROSS THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
AND THROUGH THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY TUESDAY MORNING THROUGH
TUESDAY EVENING AS A LOW-LEVEL JET OF 30-40 KTS SETS UP.
CONFIDENCE IS TOO LOW IN WIDESPREAD ADVISORY CONDITIONS TO ISSUE
ANY HIGHLIGHTS AT THIS TIME.
THERE IS VERY LOW (10 PERCENT) CONFIDENCE IN ANOTHER ROUND OF
FREEZING RAIN OR WINTRY MIX FOR THE COLUMBIA BASIN WEDNESDAY
NIGHT INTO THURSDAY SHOULD THE COLDEST NWP SOLUTIONS VERIFY, BUT
MOST NWP GUIDANCE IS WARM ENOUGH TO SHOW RAIN INSTEAD.
THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH SUNDAY, A WARMER, WETTER PATTERN WITH
MULTIPLE ROUNDS OF PACIFIC MOISTURE ADVECTING BY ENSEMBLE
GUIDANCE FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. THAT SAID, CLUSTERS OF
ENSEMBLE MEMBERS SUGGEST THE BEST CHANCES (60-80%) OF
PRECIPITATION WILL BE ALONG THE WASHINGTON CASCADES WITH LOWER
CHANCES (40% OR LESS) ELSEWHERE.
AVIATION...00Z TAFS
VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL THROUGH THE
PERIOD. CIGS ARE EXPECTED TO REMAIN ABOVE 10KFT THROUGH THE PERIOD,
HOWEVER SITE DLS MAY SEE 1KFT SCATTERED CIGS REDEVELOP BY 11Z. WINDS
WILL BE LIGHT, 12KTS OR LESS, THROUGH THE PERIOD. LAWHORN/82
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 23 39 27 48 / 0 0 20 20
ALW 25 38 29 47 / 0 0 30 40
PSC 21 37 27 45 / 0 0 10 20
YKM 22 37 26 40 / 0 0 10 20
HRI 22 37 27 45 / 0 0 20 10
ELN 21 33 25 36 / 0 0 20 30
RDM 24 47 28 48 / 0 0 10 10
LGD 25 42 31 44 / 0 0 20 40
GCD 25 45 29 46 / 0 0 30 30
DLS 27 39 31 44 / 0 0 30 40
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
OR...NONE.
WA...NONE.
DISCUSSION...86
AVIATION...82
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