404
FXUS66 KPDT 061720
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1020 AM PDT THU AUG 6 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- ELEVATED TO CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS THROUGH AT LEAST
EARLY NEXT WEEK DUE TO WINDS, LOW RH, AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS,
WITH HOT TEMPERATURES THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
- WIDESPREAD SMOKE AND HAZE LIKELY TODAY, THEN IMPROVEMENT FROM
FRIDAY ONWARD AS THE FLOW BECOMES MORE WESTERLY.
- HOT TEMPERATURES WITH WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO LOCALLY MAJOR
HEATRISK TODAY AND FRIDAY.
DISCUSSION
SOUTHWEST FLOW AROUND HIGH PRESSURE NEAT THE FOUR CORNERS WILL
CONTINUE TODAY. HOWEVER, THE FLOW WILL BEGIN TO BECOME MORE
WESTERLY FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY AND FOR MUCH OF THE EARLY WEEK
PERIOD.
AS THE FLOW BECOMES MORE WESTERLY ON FRIDAY, WINDS WILL
INCREASE, ESPECIALLY ACROSS THE CASCADE GAPS, COLUMBIA BASIN,
GORGE, KITTITAS VALLEY AND FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. IN
THESE AREAS, WINDS COULD GUST 25 TO 30 MPH, POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS
35 MPH. NBM PROBABILITIES OF WIND GUSTS >=25 MPH ARE >80
PERCENT FOR MUCH OF THESE AREAS BOTH DAYS. HOWEVER GUST S NBM
PROBABILITIES OF WIND GUSTS >= 39 MPH REMAINS HIGH IN THE
KITTITAS VALLEY >70 PERCENT, BUT GENERALLY <50 PERCENT ELSEWHERE.
WHILE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY LOOK TO BE THE WINDIEST DAYS, DIURNAL
BREEZES CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEK.
THE WEST WINDS AND STRONGER FLOW SHOULD ALSO HELP TO CLEAR OUT
SOME OF THE SMOKE, EXCEPT IN THE VICINITY OF NEARBY FIRES.
HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE VERY WARM THE TODAY AND FRIDAY, WITH
WIDESPREAD MODERATE TO LOCALLY MAJOR HEATRISK. SMOKE TENDS TO
KEEP TEMPERATURES DOWN A FEW DEGREES, BUT EVEN WITH THAT, WE
WILL BE CLOSE TO IF NOT SLIGHTLY ABOVE 100 DEGREES IN THE
COLUMBIA BASIN AND YAKIMA VALLEYS.
AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY/
MVFR OR LOWER
CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THE PERIOD. SMOKE FROM AREA
WILDFIRES WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT ALL SITES, RESULTING IN VSBY
DOWN TO IFR CONDITIONS AND CIGS DOWN TO MVFR CONDITIONS. SMOKE
IS EXPECTED TO WORSEN VSBY CONDITIONS OVERNIGHT, ESPECIALLY AT
SITES DLS/ALW/PDT. OTHERWISE, WINDS WILL BE LIGHT TO LOCALLY
BREEZY THROUGH THE PERIOD. LAWHORN/82
FIRE WEATHER
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY AND BECOME
MORE WESTERLY AND CONDITIONS WILL BECOME ELEVATED TO CRITICAL AS
A RESULT. THESE INCREASED WINDS, TOGETHER WITH THE LOW RH
VALUES, WARMER TEMPERATURES AND UNSTABLE CONDITIONS HAVE
INCREASED CONCERNS AND PROMPTED THE ISSUANCE OF FIRE WEATHER
WATCHES. BY SUNDAY, TEMPERATURES DECREASE A BIT AND WINDS DO
ALSO, THOUGH DIURNAL BREEZES WILL REMAIN THROUGH MIDWEEK.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 97 61 97 59 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 98 67 98 66 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 98 60 99 61 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 98 62 99 62 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 99 64 99 64 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 96 63 94 63 / 0 0 0 0
RDM 99 54 97 52 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 100 61 100 59 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 100 59 100 59 / 0 0 0 0
DLS 99 63 96 64 / 0 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL 5 AM PDT TUESDAY FOR WAZ024-026>030-
521>523.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING FOR WAZ690.
OR...AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL 5 AM PDT TUESDAY FOR ORZ041-044-049-
050-502-503-505>511.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING FOR ORZ691-703.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING FOR ORZ701-702.
DISCUSSION...77
AVIATION...82
FIRE WEATHER...77
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page