532
FXUS66 KPDT 301739
AFDPDT

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
1039 AM PDT Wed Sep 30 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...

- Upper level high pressure building over the region through
  next week, with dry conditions prevailing

- Near normal temperatures today, becoming above normal through
  the remainder of the forecast period

- Light, diurnally driven winds will prevail each day

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Nighttime satellite imagery tonight shows mostly clear skies
across the forecast area, with areas of stratus along the WA
Cascade east slopes and Northern Blue mtns/foothills. Of note,
satellite imagery shows a couple of hot spots along the southern
and eastern Walla Walla County border, with the
brightest/biggest just east of Wallula Gap.

Breezy southwest winds continue along portions of the Horse
Heaven Hills tonight, while more isolated breezy conditions are
occurring in wind prone areas of the Columbia Basin and Kittitas
Valley. Winds will continue to weaken tonight behind the
passage of a cold front boundary and upper shortwave trough to
the north.

For the next week, ensemble and deterministic model guidance are
in great agreement in the PacNW being under the influence of
upper level ridging. Through Friday night, the upper level ridge
will remain quite flat over the PacNW due to separate shortwave
passages through southern BC Thursday and Friday (confidence
65-75%). Meanwhile, the upper level ridge will amplify over the
eastern Pacific during this period, then slide inland over the
weekend (confidence 60-75%). Monday and Tuesday, the ridge axis
will push east of the PacNW, but the region will remain under
the influence of the high pressure aloft (confidence 60-70%).
During this period, temperatures will be on a gradual increase,
with peak afternoon temperatures in the upper 70s to mid 80s
Monday (confidence 60-75%). Overall, conditions are expected to
remain dry into middle of next week with light, diurnally driven
winds each day. Lawhorn/82

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TAFS THROUGH 18Z THURSDAY/...
VFR conditions are forecast through the period, though low
stratus draped over north-central to northeast Oregon and south-
central to southeast Washington will present low (30% or less)
chances of MVFR CIGs at PDT/ALW through morning. The base of
the stratus deck should continue to rise to 4-5 kft AGL through
afternoon and gradually dissipate. Winds will be predominantly
light and diurnally driven, sustained at 10 kts or less.

&&

.Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs...
PDT  72  46  74  46 /   0   0   0   0
ALW  72  49  75  51 /   0   0   0   0
PSC  75  48  77  49 /   0   0   0   0
YKM  73  49  74  50 /   0   0   0   0
HRI  75  48  76  49 /   0   0   0   0
ELN  67  43  69  46 /   0   0   0   0
RDM  76  42  78  43 /   0   0   0   0
LGD  71  45  76  48 /   0   0   0   0
GCD  75  45  80  48 /   0   0   0   0
DLS  78  52  80  55 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...None.
OR...None.

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...82
AVIATION...86