Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Pendleton, OR
Issued by NWS Pendleton, OR
544 FXUS66 KPDT 251720 AFDPDT Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pendleton OR 920 AM PST Sun Jan 25 2026 .UPDATED AVIATION. .AVIATION...18Z TAFs...VFR conditions prevail for the period, except in DLS and ALW. Currently have isolated fog/low stratus development over these two sites, bringing IFR/LIFR conditions with quarter mile fog and <1000 foot ceilings. Currently expecting it too last for another hour or so before daytime mixing disperses the obscure conditions. Some guidance hints at ALW re-entering IFR/LIFR through tomorrow night but not too confident at this time (<20 percent chance) but will re-evaluate for the 00Z TAFs. Otherwise, winds light and variable. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 306 AM PST Sun Jan 25 2026/ KEY POINTS... 1. A high pressure ridge will dominate through mid-week 2. Low level stratus likely return Sunday night/Monday morning 3. An upper level system mid-week will bring back mountain precipitation. DISCUSSION...Current satellite shows clear skies with only a few lingering high clouds over the Cascades. This has lead to very cold temperatures across the region tonight as there are no clouds to temper the temperatures. Ground observations show all locations to be below freezing this morning with models showing high temperatures today remaining well below climatological normal. In house guidance shows temperatures today to be anywhere from 5 to 15 degrees below seasonal normal with NBM having highs in the upper 20s to low 30s region wide with only a few areas along far southern central OR and the eastern mountains seeing high 30s to low 40s (60-80% confidence). Models continue to show the leading edge of the upper level high to be to the west of the Cascades and steadily moving eastward. By Monday morning the high should be over the Cascades and the HREF ensembles show low level stratus clouds beginning to reform Sunday and increasing though the day (50-70% confidence). Models show the upper level ridge to linger over the region through Wednesday ahead of the next upper level system. Models are in firm agreement with the upper level trough digging into the PacNW by Wednesday night. However, clusters show the models to differ in the timing of the onset of the incoming mountain precipitation as well as precipitation amounts. As of now, the NBM show a 48 hour snowfall of 0.20-0.40 inches along Snoqualmie Pass and Tollgate in the Blues with highest confidence along Snoqualmie at 40-50% and 25-35 for Tollgate Tuesday night through Thursday night. Thereafter, NBM shows little to no snow accumulations, however, rain accumulations of 0.01-0.05 inches along the east slopes of the Cascades and the Northern Blues (50-60%) with 30% chances of Snoqualmie seeing up to 0.5 inches of precipitation. This is in part due to the snow levels increasing as the flow turns to the southwest bringing in warmer air aloft. NBM shows snow levels increasing to above 5500 feet by Thursday. 90 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... PDT 34 20 38 24 / 0 0 0 0 ALW 34 23 37 27 / 0 0 0 0 PSC 37 22 37 23 / 0 0 0 0 YKM 34 22 35 23 / 0 0 0 0 HRI 35 22 36 23 / 0 0 0 0 ELN 30 20 33 23 / 0 0 0 0 RDM 41 22 48 24 / 0 0 0 0 LGD 38 23 40 26 / 0 0 0 0 GCD 44 24 46 26 / 0 0 0 0 DLS 36 25 41 28 / 0 0 0 0 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None. WA...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...90 LONG TERM....90 AVIATION...95