876
FXUS66 KPDT 161103
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
403 AM PDT THU JUL 16 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- THUNDERSTORMS, MAINLY ACROSS EASTERN AREAS TODAY.
- CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS FROM LIGHTNING AND OUTFLOW
WINDS.
- HEAT ADVISORIES TODAY, THEN WIDESPREAD MODERATE HEATRISK
RETURNS EARLY NEXT WEEK, WITH HIGH TEMPERATURES NEAR OR ABOVE
100 DEGREES IN THE COLUMBIA BASIN, YAKIMA VALLEYS AND
SURROUNDING AREAS.
DISCUSSION
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OFF THE COAST WILL MOVE NORTHWARD INTO
BRITISH COLUMBIA THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
HIGH PRESSURE WILL THEN BUILD BACK INTO THE REGION THROUGH EARLY
NEXT WEEK.
CURRENT RADAR SHOWS LINGERING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING
NORTHWARD ACROSS THE REGION. AS THE LOW MOVES NORTH, IT WILL
CONTINUE TO SUPPLY SHORT WAVE ENERGY, MAINLY OVER EASTERN AREAS
LATER TODAY, WHICH WILL BE SUPPORTIVE OF MORE THUNDERSTORMS.
TODAY SHOULD BE THE LAST DAY FOR SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM
ACTIVITY AS HIGH PRESSURE THEN BUILDS BACK IN.
HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL BE HOT AGAIN TODAY, ESPECIALLY ACROSS
THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND NEARBY AREAS, AND HEATRISK IS MODERATE.
PROBABILITIES OF MAJOR HEATRISK RANGE UP TO ABOUT 40 PERCENT IN
SOME LOCATIONS. HEATRISK DOES DECREASE AFTER TODAY FOR FRIDAY
AND SATURDAY, BUT STARTS TO RETURN ON SUNDAY WITH WIDESPREAD
MODERATE RETURNING SUNDAY (>50 PERCENT) AND INCREASING MONDAY
AND TUESDAY (>70 PERCENT). BY MONDAY AND TUESDAY PROBABILITIES
OF MAJOR HEATRISK INCREASE TO ABOUT 30 TO 50 PERCENT ACROSS THE
COLUMBIA BASIN, YAKIMA AND KITTITAS VALLEYS.
ALSO TODAY, THERE WILL CONTINUE TO BE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER
CONCERNS FROM LINGERING LIGHTNING THIS MORNING AND POSSIBLY FROM
THUNDERSTORM IN THE EAST THIS AFTERNOON, BUT AREAL COVERAGE WILL
BE LESS.
THERE WILL BE SOME GUST WINDS TODAY IN PORTIONS OF THE GORGE
BASIN AND SIMCOE HIGHLANDS WITH WIND GUSTS AS HIGH AS 30 TO 35
MPH. DIURNAL WIND GUSTS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY, WITH
GUSTS IN THE 25 TO 35 MPH RANGE.
THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL ALSO RETURN EARLY NEXT WEEK, MAINLY
OVER THE MOUNTAINS.
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z FRIDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE TAF PERIOD. LINGERING
SHRA/TSRA THIS MORNING COULD IMPACT ANY TAF SITE EXCEPT BDN/RDM.
SHRA/TSRA EXPECTED TO REDEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON, MAINLY OVER
EASTERN AREAS AND THE MOST LIKELY SITES THEY WOULD IMPACT WOULD
BE PDT AND ALW.
WINDS COULD GUST AS HIGH AS 30 KTS AT DLS AND 20 TO 25 KTS AT
ALL OTHER SITES EXCEPT ALW AND PSC, EXCLUDING ANY SHRA OR TSRA.
FIRE WEATHER
FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS CONTINUE THIS MORNING MAINLY FROM
LIGHTNING AS LINGERING THUNDERSTORMS MOVE SOUTH TO NORTH ACROSS
THE AREA. THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON, MAINLY
OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS, BUT AREAL COVERAGE SHOULD BE LESS.
GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED OVER PORTIONS OF THE GORGE, BASIN AND
SIMCOE HIGHLANDS THIS AFTERNOON, BUT RH VALUES ARE EXPECTED TO
BE HIGHER DUE TO A MARINE PUSH, BUT BOTH THE THUNDERSTORM
DEVELOPMENT AND RH VALUES WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 93 56 89 57 / 20 0 0 0
ALW 98 63 92 64 / 20 10 0 0
PSC 99 61 94 61 / 20 0 0 0
YKM 97 60 94 59 / 40 0 0 0
HRI 95 60 93 61 / 20 0 0 0
ELN 94 56 88 56 / 50 0 0 0
RDM 87 47 89 50 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 98 59 93 58 / 30 20 0 0
GCD 98 55 95 55 / 10 0 0 0
DLS 83 59 88 60 / 20 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR WAZ026>029.
RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PDT THIS MORNING FOR WAZ690-691-
694-695.
OR...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 5 AM PDT EARLY THIS MORNING FOR ORZ691.
HEAT ADVISORY UNTIL 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR ORZ044-049-050-
507.
DISCUSSION...77
AVIATION...77
FIRE WEATHER...77
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