694
FXUS66 KPDT 181035
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
335 AM PDT MON MAY 18 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- BREEZY GAP WINDS TODAY AND TUESDAY
- PLEASANT WEATHER FOR MOST OF THE WEEK WITH A WARMING TREND
- MOUNTAIN SHOWERS IN THE WALLOWAS THIS AFTERNOON
DISCUSSION
GOES SATELLITE SHOWED CIRRUS OVERSPREADING EAST OF THE
CASCADES BUT MAINLY CLEAR CONDITIONS ACROSS THE MUCH OF EASTERN
OREGON WITH THE CAVEAT OF LINGERING MID LEVEL CLOUDS FROM
EARLIER RAIN SHOWERS OVER THE WALLOWAS AND NORTHERN BLUE
MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON. ROUGHLY 20 TO 50 % CHANCES REMAIN FOR
SHOWER ACROSS THE WALLOWAS THIS AFTERNOON, WHERE SNOW COULD MIX
IN BUT IS UNLIKELY TO ACCUMULATE EVEN ABOVE 6500 FT AGL. MODELS
GOING FORWARD SHOW A GRADUALLY BUILDING RIDGE ACROSS THE PAC NW
AS 500 MB HEIGHTS RISE FROM ABOUT 564DM TO 570 BY TUESDAY. THIS
SUNNY HIGH PRESSURE SETUP WILL BRING SOME MODIFICATION TO
SURFACE TEMPERATURES ESPECIALLY IN THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK
WHERE HIGHS IN THE 80S SHOULD BE RETURNABLE BY THURSDAY AND
FRIDAY. WESTERLY GAP AND VALLEY WINDS WILL ALSO BE A DIURNALLY
DRIVEN SENSIBLE WEATHER BEGINNING WITH THE KITTITAS VALLEY AND
THE EASTERN COLUMBIA GORGE, AND ADJACENT BLUE MOUNTAIN
FOOTHILLS. HERE, AREAS AROUND ELLENSBURG HAS ABOUT 75% CHANCES
FOR WIND GUSTS ABOVE 30 MPH BUT LITTLE IF ANY APPRECIABLE
CHANCES FOR GUSTS ABOVE 40 MPH. STRONGEST WINDS IN THE REGION
LOOK TO BE ALONG RIDGE TOPS. AS THE TRANSITION FORM THE COOLER
AIRMASS TO THE A WARMER ON ON WEDNESDAYS WITH THE UPPER RIDGE
BECOMING MORE CENTERED ACROSS WASHINGTON AND OREGON, THE WINDS
WILL BECOME LIGHTER OVER A BROADER AREA.
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z TUESDAY/
LIGHT AND VARIABLE WINDS THIS MORNING WILL TAKE TIME TO
DEVELOP MORE OF A WESTERLY TREND, BUT BY EARLY AFTERNOON,
WESTERLY GUST TO 20 AND 30 MPH CAN BE COMMON IN DLS AND YKM AS
GAP WINDS DEVELOP ACROSS PASSES AND VALLEYS. CIRRUS WILL BE THE
PRIMARY CLOUDS AND VFR FLIGHT CATEGORY IS ANTICIPATED FOR ALL
TERMINALS.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 69 42 73 46 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 69 46 72 50 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 75 45 78 49 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 74 44 77 48 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 73 44 76 48 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 68 41 70 44 / 0 10 0 0
RDM 68 31 73 37 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 64 36 70 40 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 65 34 71 39 / 0 0 0 0
DLS 73 45 75 50 / 0 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...NONE.
OR...NONE.
DISCUSSION...71
AVIATION...71
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.
Main Text Page