029
FXUS66 KPDT 251000
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
300 AM PDT SAT JUL 25 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS TODAY, HAVE BROUGHT CRITICAL FIRE
WEATHER CONDITIONS.
- QUIET WEATHER WITH DIURNAL BREEZES FOR MUCH OF THE UPCOMING
WEEK, WITH SUNDAY AND TUESDAY BEING THE BREEZIEST DAYS.
DISCUSSION
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OFF THE COAST WILL CONTINUE TO WEAKEN AS
IT MOVES INTO NORTHWEST WASHINGTON LATER TODAY. THE REGION SITS
IN STRONG SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW BETWEEN HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE
ROCKIES AND LOW PRESSURE IN THE GULF OF ALASKA. THE DRY
SOUTHWEST FLOW IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER THE REGION FOR MUCH OF
THE UPCOMING WEEK.
WITH THE WEAK SYSTEM MOVING BY TODAY, THERE WILL BE A TIGHT
PRESSURE GRADIENT AND WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE QUITE GUSTY, IN
THE 25 TO 35 MPH RANGE, AND SOME LOCATIONS AS HIGH AS 40 MPH,
ESPECIALLY THE CASCADE GAPS, COLUMBIA BASIN AND GORGE, SIMCOE
HIGHLANDS AND KITTITAS VALLEY. THESE WINDS, COUPLED WITH VERY
LOW RH HAVE BROUGHT RED FLAG CONDITIONS.
NBM PROBABILITIES OF WIND GUSTS >= 39 MPH TODAY ARE 50 TO 90
PERCENT IN ACROSS THE CASCADE GAPS, BASIN, GORGE AND KITTITAS
VALLEYS. HOWEVER, PERCENTAGES DROP TO 30 TO 50 PERCENT FOR WIND
GUSTS >=47 MPH. FOR SUNDAY, WIND GUST PROBABILITIES >=39 MPH ARE
ISOLATED 30 TO 70 PERCENT AND 20 PERCENT OR LESS FOR >=47 MPH.
ON TUESDAY, WIND GUST PROBABILITIES >=39 MPH ARE 40 TO 80
PERCENT IN THESE SAME AREAS.
DIURNAL BREEZES WILL CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF THE UPCOMING WEEK, BUT
THEY WILL BE LESS THAN TODAY. SUNDAY AND TUESDAY LOOK TO BE THE
BREEZIEST DAYS AFTER TODAY WITH WINDS IN THE NORMALLY WINDIER
LOCATIONS IN THE 20 TO 25 MPH RANGE. AT THIS POINT, IT LOOKS AS
THOUGH CRITERIA FOR RED FLAG WARNINGS WILL NOT BE MET, BUT WILL
HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE ON THIS.
OTHERWISE, OVERALL, IT LOOKS LIKE A FAIRLY QUIET WEEK, WITH DRY
WEATHER AND TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL.
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS ARE MAINLY EXPECTED THROUGH SUNDAY. HOWEVER,
THERE COULD BE SOME MVFR DUE TO SMOKE, MOST LIKELY AT BDN OR
RDM
WINDS WILL INCREASE LATE THIS MORNING/EARLY THIS AFTERNOON AT
ALL SITES AND WILL GUST 25 TO 30 KTS. WINDS WILL TAPER OFF THIS
EVENING TO 10 KTS OR LESS.
FIRE WEATHER
RED FLAG WARNINGS HAVE BEEN ISSUED AS THE COMBINATION OF LOW RH
AND WINDS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO GUST UPWARDS OF 30 MPH THIS
AFTERNOON WILL CREATE CRITICAL CONDITIONS. DIURNAL BREEZINESS
IS EXPECTED FOR MUCH OF THE UPCOMING WEEK, WITH SUNDAY AND
TUESDAY LOOKING TO BE THE WINDIER DAYS. AT THIS POINT, WIND
GUSTS LOOK TO BE IN THE 20 TO 25 MPH RANGE, POSSIBLY AS HIGH AS
30 MPH. CONDITIONS LOOK TO BE ELEVATED BUT NOT REACHING RED FLAG
CRITERIA BUT WILL NEED TO MONITOR THIS AS TIME PROGRESSES.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 89 54 87 56 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 92 60 89 61 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 94 58 91 59 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 89 57 89 58 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 91 57 90 60 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 86 53 84 54 / 0 0 0 0
RDM 89 49 88 49 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 96 55 92 56 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 95 54 93 54 / 0 0 0 0
DLS 84 59 86 60 / 0 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM PDT THIS
EVENING FOR WAZ690-691.
AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL 11 AM PDT MONDAY FOR WAZ028>030.
OR...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM PDT THIS
EVENING FOR ORZ691-697-704.
AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL NOON PDT MONDAY FOR ORZ049-050-502-503-
505-506-508-509-511.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR ORZ698-700.
DISCUSSION...77
AVIATION...77
FIRE WEATHER...90
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