049
FXUS66 KPDT 082250
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
350 PM PDT WED JUL 8 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- DRY AND LOCALLY BREEZY FOR THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
- ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK.
- INCREASING HEAT AROUND THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
DRY WESTERLY FLOW WILL BE OVER THE REGION THROUGH THURSDAY. BY
FRIDAY, THE FLOW BECOMES MORE SOUTHWESTERLY, IN RESPONSE TO LOW
PRESSURE OFF THE COAST OF BRITISH COLUMBIA AND HIGH PRESSURE
NEAR THE FOUR CORNERS. THIS RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL EXPAND
NORTH AND EVENTUALLY WEST AS WE MOVE INTO NEXT WEEK.
DIURNALLY BREEZY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED, MAINLY OVER THE
CASCADE GAPS, SIMCOE HIGHLANDS, KITTITAS VALLEY AND COLUMBIA
BASIN AND GORGE. WINDS GUSTS WILL MAINLY BE IN THE 20 TO 30 MPH
RANGE. NBM PROBABILITIES OF WIND GUSTS >= 25 MPH ARE GREATER
THAN 80 PERCENT THROUGH SATURDAY. HOWEVER, WIND GUSTS >= 39 MPH
ARE GENERALLY LESS THAN 50 PERCENT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE
KITTITAS VALLEY.
AS WE GET INTO NEXT WEEK, A LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE OVER
THE GREAT BASIN WILL MOVE NORTHWARD THEN EVENTUALLY WESTWARD.
GUIDANCE HAS BEEN VERY CONSISTENT IN BRINGING INCREASINGLY HOT
WEATHER STARTING AROUND THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK. WHAT GUIDANCE
HAS BEEN LESS CONSISTENT ABOUT IS EXACTLY HOW HOT IT GETS AND
HOW LONG IT WILL LAST. SOME OF THAT IS SIMPLY DUE TO THE TIME
SCALE OF THE FORECAST. SOME OF THAT IS DUE TO THE POSITION OF
THE RIDGE AND HOW IT SETS UP.
TEMPERATURES CLOSE TO 100 DEGREES, IF NOT ABOVE 100 DEGREES LOOK
TO START AROUND TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY OF NEXT WEEK IN THE LOWER
ELEVATIONS AND POTENTIALLY GO UP FROM THERE. A 40 TO 50 PERCENT
CHANCE OF MODERATE HEATRISK RETURNING WITH MAJOR HEAT RISK AT
LEAST IN THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND YAKIMA VALLEYS IS POSSIBLE AS
WELL. IF SOME OF THE MORE BULLISH GUIDANCE ENDS UP BEING
CORRECT, THERE COULD END UP BEING MULTIPLE DAYS OF 100 PLUS
TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER ELEVATION AREAS. STAY TUNED ON THIS
ONE.
AVIATION /00Z TAFS THROUGH 00Z FRIDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS PERSIST WITH NO CIG OR VIS ISSUES EXPECTED.
BREEZY WINDS WILL INITIATE FOR THE MAJORITY OF THE SITES,
PERSISTING THROUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE PERIOD. NO PRECIP OR
THUNDER EVENTS EXPECTED.
FIRE WEATHER
DIURNALLY BREEZY WINDS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS IN THE 20 TO 30
MPH RANGE (WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AREAS) COMBINED WITH RH VALUES
WILL KEEP ELEVATED FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS. A RED FLAG WARNING IS
IN EFFECT FOR THE KITTITAS VALLEY THROUGH THIS EVENING AS WINDS
HAVE BEEN QUITE GUSTY THERE.
FOR THURSDAY, WINDS WILL BE MARGINAL, AROUND 30 MPH AGAIN, WITH
RH VALUES MAINLY IN THE TEENS. THE AREA OF FOCUS ON SHIFTS TO
THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND GORGE AND WILL NEED TO SEE IF ANY
HEADLINES BECOME NECESSARY.
BREEZY WINDS CONTINUE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY, BUT RH VALUES LOOK
TO BE SLIGHTLY HIGHER....IN THE 20S IN MANY LOCATIONS.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 55 88 55 88 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 60 89 60 90 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 57 91 58 92 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 57 91 58 91 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 58 90 59 91 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 54 84 55 83 / 0 0 0 0
RDM 47 87 48 87 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 53 88 53 90 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 50 90 52 93 / 0 0 0 0
DLS 58 88 60 87 / 0 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WAZ690.
OR...NONE.
DISCUSSION...77
AVIATION...95
FIRE WEATHER...77
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