000
FXUS66 KPQR 211008
AFDPQR

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
308 AM PDT TUE MAY 21 2013

.SYNOPSIS...A FRONT IS SPREADING RAIN ACROSS THE REGION THIS MORNING.
A COLD UPPER LOW WILL MOVE OVER NW OREGON THIS AFTERNOON...RESULTING
IN LOWERING SNOW LEVELS...CONVECTIVE SHOWERS CONTAINING SMALL
HAIL...AND POSSIBLY A FEW THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THIS EVENING. COOL
AND UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WORK WEEK AS THE LOW
REMAINS OVER THE PACIFIC NW. THE LOW WILL WEAKEN AND SHIFT FURTHER
INLAND FRIDAY...AND THE SHOWERS WILL DECREASE OVER THE WEEKEND.
HOWEVER...ANOTHER APPROACHING LOW WILL MAINTAIN AT LEAST A SLIGHT
CHANCE FOR SHOWERS SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY.

&&

.SHORT TERM...COOL AND WET WEATHER IS EXPECTED THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS
AS AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WOBBLES OVER THE PACIFIC NW. THE UPPER LOW IS
NEAR 52N 132W EARLY THIS MORNING WITH A SURFACE LOW FURTHER
SOUTH...AROUND 200 MILES OFFSHORE OF NEW PORT OREGON. A FRONT IS
QUICKLY PUSHING THROUGH THE REGION THIS MORNING SPREADING RAIN ACROSS
WA AND OR.

THE UPPER LOW WILL MOVE SOUTH THIS MORNING AND MOVE OVER NW OREGON
THIS AFTERNOON...BRINGING WITH IT A POCKET OF VERY COLD AIR...-22F AT
500 MB. INSTABILITY WILL INCREASE DUE TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
AIR ALOFT AND AT THE SURFACE...AND THE RAIN WILL TURN TO CONVECTIVE
SHOWERS THIS AFTERNOON. MANY OF THESE SHOWERS WILL CONTAIN SMALL
HAIL.. THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY SPROUT UP
IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING...ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE IS NO CAP TO
RESTRICT VERTICAL LIFT. ADDED A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS TO THE
FORECAST. DO NOT HAVE A GOOD SENSE OF WHERE THE LIKELIEST LOCATION
FOR A THUNDERSTORM WILL BE BUT THINK THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY MAY BE A
MORE LIKELY TARGET THAN THE COAST...BUT ADDED THE SLIGHT CHANCE TO
THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA.

SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TODAY AND TONIGHT AND ARE EXPECTED TO FALL
BELOW THE CASCADE PASSES AROUND SUNSET TONIGHT AND DOWN TO AROUND
3000 FEET BY WEDNESDAY MORNING. SNOW WILL BE SLOW TO ACCUMULATE ON
ROADS DUE TO PRECEDING WARM ROAD TEMPERATURES BUT MELTING SNOW MAY
STILL RESULT IN SLICK DRIVING CONDITIONS AND THOSE TRAVELING OVER THE
CASCADES SHOULD PREPARE FOR WINTER CONDITIONS THROUGH THURSDAY
MORNING. THE LATE SEASON SNOW WILL ALSO BE A THREAT FOR
HIKERS...CLIMBERS...AND CAMPERS. TH

.LONG TERM...THURSDAY EVENING THROUGH MONDAY...SEVERAL SHORTWAVE
SYSTEMS WILL ROTATE AROUND A PROMINENT CLOSED LOW THAT WILL
STUBBORNLY LINGER ACROSS THE REGION LATE THIS WEEK. THIS MEANS THERE
WILL BE PERIODS OF SHOWERS MIXED WITH SPORADIC SUN BREAKS THROUGH
THIS WEEKEND...WITH THE BULK OF THE MOISTURE PUSHING THROUGH THE
AREA FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. BEHIND THE MAIN FRONTAL SYSTEM...SNOW
LEVELS RISE ABOVE CASCADE PASS LEVEL AND TEMPERATURES WARM UP CLOSER
TO NORMAL. WET AND UNSETTLED WEATHER APPEARS TO CONTINUE THROUGH
EARLY NEXT WEEK. /27

&&

.AVIATION...AN ELEVATED FRONT IS SPREADING LIGHT RAIN AND CLOUDS
INTO THE REGION THIS MORNING. THE FRONT IS CURRENTLY CENTERED OVER
THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY. EXPECT A MIX OF VFR AND MVFR ALONG WITH
CONTINUED PERIODS OF LIGHT RAIN TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE EARLY
MORNING HOURS. THE FRONT SHOULD PUSH INTO THE CASCADES BY
DAYBREAK AND DISSIPATE. A DEEP UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL THEN PUSH
INTO THE REGION...BRINGING WIDESPREAD SHOWER ACTIVITY LATER TODAY.
EXPECT CONDITIONS TO TREND TOWARD VFR AS THE DAY PROGRESSES AND
FLOW TURNS NWLY. THERE IS A CHANCE OF SMALL HAIL IN ANY HEAVIER
SHOWERS ALONG WITH A SLIGHT CHC OF A FEW CLAPS OF
THUNDER...PRIMARILY DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

KPDX AND APPROACHES...EXPECT A MIX OF VFR AND MVFR CONDITIONS THIS
MORNING WITH LIGHT RAIN AS A FRONT MOVES THROUGH EARLY THIS
MORNING. CONDITIONS SHOULD IMPROVE TO MAINLY VFR THIS AFTERNOON.
WIDESPREAD SHOWERS MAY BRING A BRIEF PERIOD OF MVFR CIGS ALONG
WITH A CHANCE FOR SMALL HAIL DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON OR EVENING.
PYLE

&&

.MARINE...AN APPROACHING LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL TIGHTEN THE
PRESSURE GRADIENT OVER THE WATERS THIS MORNING...BRINGING
INCREASING NW WINDS IN THE 15 TO 25 KT RANGE. A SMALL CRAFT
ADVISORY FOR WINDS WILL BE IN EFFECT FROM JUST AFTER DAYBREAK
THROUGH THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR SMALL
HAIL AND A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES OVER THE WATERS LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

BORDERLINE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS WILL CONTINUE AT TIMES
THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE REMAINS PARKED
OVER THE PAC NW. THE TREND WILL BE TOWARD MORE BENIGN WEATHER LATE
THIS WEEK INTO NEXT WEEKEND AS THE UPPER LOW HIGH PRESSURE WEAKENS
AND HIGHER SURFACE PRESSURE BUILDS INTO THE WATERS.

SEAS SHOULD HOLD IN THE 4 TO 6 FT THROUGH MIDDAY TUESDAY
INCREASING QUICKLY TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING IN RESPONSE TO
THE GUSTY NW WINDS. A SMALL CRAFT FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS WILL LIKELY
BE NECESSARY LATER TUESDAY THROUGH WED AS FRESH CHOPPY SWELL
PUSHES SEAS INTO THE 10 TO 12 FT RANGE.

&&

.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...NONE.
WA...NONE.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 8 PM
     PDT THIS EVENING FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO
     FLORENCE OR OUT 60 NM.

     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA RIVER BAR FROM MIDNIGHT
     TONIGHT TO 4 AM PDT WEDNESDAY.

&&


$$

MORE WEATHER INFORMATION ONLINE AT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND

THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON FROM
THE CASCADE CREST TO 60 NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE. THE AREA IS COMMONLY
REFERRED TO AS THE FORECAST AREA.