102
FXUS66 KPDT 020938
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
238 AM PDT THU APR 2 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- MOUNTAIN SNOWFALL TODAY
- WIDESPREAD WINDY CONDITIONS TODAY
- WARMER, DRIER CONDITIONS RETURN FOR THE WEEKEND
DISCUSSION
AFTERNOON AND EVENING CONVECTION THAT BROUGHT GUSTY OUTFLOW
WINDS, LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL, AND ISOLATED LIGHTNING TO
THE BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS AND EASTERN PORTIONS OF THE LOWER
COLUMBIA BASIN HAS EXITED TO THE NORTHEAST. NO ADDITIONAL
THUNDERSTORMS ARE FORECAST EARLY THIS MORNING, BUT THERE ARE
LOW (10-15 PERCENT) CHANCES OF ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE
BLUE MOUNTAINS AND THEIR FOOTHILLS AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON.
ATTENTION NOW RETURNS TO ONGOING AND FORECAST SNOW SHOWERS
ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AS AN UPPER-LEVEL LOW MOVES OVER THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST. WINTER WEATHER HEADLINES REMAIN IN EFFECT
FOR THE CASCADES TODAY WHERE SNOW SHOWERS ARE LIKELY (70 PERCENT
CHANCE) TO RESULT IN ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 4-6 INCHES FOR
THE OREGON CASCADES AND 2-4 INCHES FOR THE WASHINGTON CASCADES.
FOR THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS, CONFIDENCE IN ADVISORY-LEVEL
SNOWFALL ASSOCIATED WITH WRAP-AROUND SHOWERS AS THE LOW TRACKS
OVERHEAD TODAY IS LOW (10-30 PERCENT, HIGHEST ABOVE 5000 FT), SO
HAVE HELD OFF ON ISSUING ANY WINTER WEATHER HEADLINES THERE.
IN ADDITION TO THE WINTER WEATHER, WIDESPREAD BREEZY TO WINDY
CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED (80 PERCENT CONFIDENCE) TODAY,
ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS, IN A WELL-MIXED, POST-
FRONTAL ENVIRONMENT AS THE UPPER LOW TRACKS OVERHEAD AND THEN
EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA. SURFACE PRESSURE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN
PDX (PORTLAND) AND GEG (SPOKANE) FROM CURRENT DETERMINISTIC NWP
GUIDANCE RANGE FROM 8 TO 12 MB. MOREOVER, A 30-40 KT LOW-LEVEL
JET IS ADVERTISED BY THE 00Z HREF. GLANCING AT PROBABILISTIC
GUIDANCE, THE NBM IS SHOWING MEDIUM-HIGH (50-90 PERCENT)
PROBABILITIES OF EXCEEDING ADVISORY-LEVEL WIND GUSTS (45 MPH OR
GREATER) FOR MUCH OF THE COLUMBIA GORGE, KITTITAS VALLEY,
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, AND PORTIONS OF THE LOWER
COLUMBIA BASIN. THUS, HAVE OPTED TO ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY FOR
THE AFOREMENTIONED FORECAST ZONES, VALID 11 AM PDT TO 8 PM PDT
TODAY.
LOOKING AHEAD, ENSEMBLE CLUSTER ANALYSIS SUGGESTS HIGH MODEL
CONCENSUS (90 PERCENT OF MEMBERS OR GREATER) THAT UPPER-LEVEL
RIDGING WILL RETURN FRIDAY IN THE WAKE OF TODAY'S UPPER LOW,
RESULTING IN DRY CONDITIONS FOLLOWED BY ABOVE-NORMAL
TEMPERATURES FOR THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK. 86
AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z FRIDAY/
ISSUED 1042 PM PDT WED
APR 1 2026...A MIX OF MVFR AND VFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL THROUGH
THE PERIOD. CURRENT MVFR CONDITIONS AT SITE PDT ARE EXPECTED TO
CLEAR WITHIN THE NEXT HOUR, WITH VFR CONDITIONS PREVAILING THE
REST OF THE PERIOD. LIGHT PRECIP IMPACTS ARE STILL EXPECTED
THROUGHOUT THE PERIOD, THOUGH CHANCES ARE GENERALLY 30-40% FOR
MOST SITES. LIGHT RAIN IS EXPECTED BETWEEN 06Z-10Z AT SITE DLS,
A RAIN/SNOW MIX OR SNOW SHOWERS BETWEEN 08-14Z AT SITES RDM/BDN,
AND LIGHT RAIN AT SITES ALW/PDT BETWEEN 21-24Z. WINDS WILL
INCREASE TO 12-20KTS WITH GUSTS UP TO OR AROUND 30KTS AT SITES
PDT/RDM/BDN/ALW/PSC IN THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS, WITH WINDS
INCREASING AROUND 16Z AT THE DLS AND 19Z AT YKM. INCREASED WINDS
WILL PERSIST THROUGH TOMORROW AFTERNOON. LAWHORN/82
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 50 32 59 35 / 50 10 0 0
ALW 50 37 59 39 / 60 20 0 0
PSC 58 35 63 35 / 30 0 0 0
YKM 57 32 62 35 / 10 0 0 0
HRI 55 34 63 35 / 30 10 0 0
ELN 49 32 56 32 / 20 0 0 0
RDM 47 22 62 29 / 40 0 0 0
LGD 45 28 58 33 / 80 40 0 0
GCD 44 25 58 31 / 80 30 0 0
DLS 55 35 64 39 / 30 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING
FOR WAZ024-026-521.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 11 AM PDT THIS MORNING FOR
WAZ522.
OR...WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING
FOR ORZ041-044-508-510.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR ORZ509.
DISCUSSION...86
AVIATION...82
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