109
FXUS66 KPDT 240955
AFDPDT
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
255 AM PDT FRI JUL 24 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- HOT, DRY AND WINDY CONDITIONS TODAY AND SATURDAY HAVE PROMPTED
RED FLAG WARNINGS.
- QUIETER WEATHER INTO NEXT WEEK.
DISCUSSION
THE HIGH PRESSURE THAT PROMPTED THE HOT WEATHER OVER THE LAST
FEW DAYS HAS MOVED A BIT EASTWARD. THE FLOW HAS BECOME
SOUTHWESTERLY AS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST IS BETWEEN THE HIGH AND
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OFF THE COAST.
THIS LOW WILL WEAKEN AS IT MOVES TOWARDS BRITISH COLUMBIA.
HOWEVER, A A PIECE OF THE TROUGH WILL COME ONSHORE AND A SURFACE
FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA. ADDITIONALLY, THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL TIGHTEN AND ALLOW FOR BREEZY TO WINDY
CONDITIONS BEGINNING LATER TODAY, CONTINUING TONIGHT AND THEN
RESUMING AGAIN ON SATURDAY. DIURNAL BREEZES WILL CONTINUE INTO
SUNDAY. ON SATURDAY, THERE IS A 60 TO 90 PERCENT PROBABILITY OF
WIND GUSTS >= 39 MPH ACROSS THE CASCADE GAPS, COLUMBIA BASIN AND
GORGE AND KITTITAS VALLEY.
BY TUESDAY, THE FLOW WILL BECOME MORE WESTERLY AND THE PRESSURE
GRADIENT WILL WEAKEN. OVERALL, AFTER SATURDAY, IT LOOKS TO BE A
RELATIVELY QUIET WEEK WITH FEW PRECIPITATION CHANCES. HIGH
TEMPERATURES WILL START OUT ABOVE NORMAL, THEN DECREASE TO NEAR
NORMAL AND THEN BEGIN TO RISE AGAIN LATE IN THE WEEK.
THERE COULD ALSO BE DIURNALLY BREEZY CONDITIONS MONDAY AND
TUESDAY, WITH WINDS IN THE 20 TO 25 MPH RANGE, POSSIBLY AS HIGH
AS 30 MPH IN THE CASCADE GAPS, COLUMBIA BASIN AND GORGE.
AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SATURDAY/
VFR CONDITIONS ARE
MAINLY EXPECTED AT ALL SITES THROUGH SATURDAY EXCEPT BDN,RDM
AND POSSIBLY PDT. HOWEVER, MVFR CONDITIONS OR LOWER CAN BE
EXPECTED AT RDM/BDN AND POSSIBLY PDT DUE TO SMOKE FROM NEARBY
WILDFIRES. ADDITIONALLY, LOWED CONDITIONS CAN NOT BE RULED OUT
ELSEWHERE, BUT CONFIDENCE IS NOT HIGH ENOUGH TO INCLUDE IN THE
INDIVIDUAL FORECASTS AT THIS TIME.
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO AROUND 25 KTS AT DLS AND 20
KTS AT PDT, RDM, BDN AND YKM THIS AFTERNOON BEFORE DECREASING
TO 10 KTS OR LESS DURING THE EVENING.
FIRE WEATHER
RED FLAG WARNINGS REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR TODAY FOR PORTIONS OF THE
AREA, AND THEN FOR SATURDAY FOR A LARGE AREA DUE TO LOW RH AND
INCREASING WINDS. CONDITIONS WILL STILL BE BREEZY INTO SUNDAY
BUT SHOULD BE BELOW RED FLAG CRITERIA.
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS
PDT 97 61 89 55 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 100 66 92 61 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 100 66 94 59 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 99 64 89 57 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 100 66 91 58 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 94 60 86 54 / 0 0 0 0
RDM 95 54 89 48 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 101 61 96 55 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 100 58 95 54 / 0 0 0 0
DLS 95 64 84 60 / 0 0 0 0
PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
WA...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR WAZ690-
691.
AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL 9 AM PDT THIS MORNING FOR WAZ028>030.
OR...RED FLAG WARNING FROM 10 AM TO 8 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR ORZ691-
697-704.
AIR QUALITY ALERT UNTIL NOON PDT TODAY FOR ORZ044-049-050-502-
503-505-506-508-509-511.
RED FLAG WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 8 PM PDT SATURDAY
FOR ORZ698-700.
DISCUSSION...77
AVIATION...77
FIRE WEATHER...77
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