Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Pendleton, OR
Issued by NWS Pendleton, OR
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621 FXUS66 KPDT 090535 AFDPDT Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pendleton OR 935 PM PST Sat Nov 8 2025 .Updated for Aviation... .AVIATION... 06Z TAFS...VFR conditions are expected through the TAF period for the most part, with winds 10 kts or less. With high pressure in place over the area, some fog or stratus is possible, with the most likely location being DLS. IFR CIGS are being forecast there Sunday morning. It is possible that there could be fog or stratus in other locations as well (like PSC) but probabilities are low enough (<30 percent) so have not included any lower CIGS/VSBYS at this time. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 205 PM PST Sat Nov 8 2025/ DISCUSSION...Today through Wednesday morning: A ridge of high pressure will continue to build over the PacNW today, with scattered cirrus decks pushing over the forecast area throughout today and into tomorrow. Temperatures will moderate under a strengthening low level inversion across the Columbia Basin and adjacent valleys/foothills (including north central OR) through Sunday, keeping temperates mainly in the 50s, while temperatures warm into the 60s to low 70s elsewhere. The ridge will flatten Sunday night through Monday as a shortwave trough and a deteriorating cold front impact the PacNW. Moisture will limited with this system, only resulting in light precipitation along the Cascade crest and northern Blues, with light snow limited to above 7.5kft along the Cascade crest. Pressure gradients across the Blues will tighten ahead of the system arrival Sunday morning, and remain will strengthened until the shortwave/front passage Monday morning. In response, breezy south winds 15-25mph and gusts up to 40mph will develop through the Grande Ronde valley, with only a 10-20% chance that winds 45mph or greater will develop. Breezy south to southwest winds will also develop over the Blue mountains, which will transition into downslope winds along the Blue mountain foothills by Monday. There is moderate confidence (50-70%) that the downsloping winds will also erode away the low level inversion and cold pool along the foothills, allowing for temperatures to warm into the 60s in these areas. The ridge will rebound back late Monday through Wednesday morning with light winds and dry conditions. Fog and low stratus developing in the overnight hours and early mornings will become a concern through early in the week, especially in areas of the Columbia River gorge, and Blue Mountain foothills, and Yakima/Kittitas valleys. Currently, probabilities for low stratus to develop are only 20-30% through Monday morning, but rise to 35-55% by Tuesday morning. As for patchy fog, chances will generally remain less than 20%, but confidence is moderate (50-70%) that patchy fog will develop along some areas of the Columbia/Snake Rivers as well as along some their tributary rivers. Wednesday afternoon through Friday: Ensemble guidance is in great agreement that a trough will develop offshore the PacNW by Wednesday morning, but ensemble cluster solutions disagree on timing and snow coverage in the mountains. Across the available solutions, the trough axis passage over the forecast area ranges anywhere from Thursday night through Friday evening. Solutions that have an earlier passage Friday morning also result in precipitation chances across the lower elevations diminishing before Friday afternoon (~55% of members) while other solutions (~30% of members) depict the trough axis passage later Friday, resulting in precipitation chances staying around longer. The earlier passage solutions also depict the lowest snow levels across the mountains, resulting in light snow accumulations not only across the Cascade crest, but across portions of the eastern mountains as well. From the NBM, 72 hour chances of snow greater than 4 inches through Friday night is only 25-50% across the Eagle Caps and the Cascade passes; chances are generally 10-30% across the eastern mountains and the Blues. Otherwise, there is mod-high confidence (60-80%) that the lower elevations and mid elevation areas of the eastern mountains will see at least light rainfall through the latter half of the work week, though confidence is low (15-25%) in timing of beginning/ending of rainfall and amount of precipitation areas will receive. Lastly, confidence is moderate (60-70%) that breezy south to west winds (15-25mph with gusts 25-40mph) will develop across the forecast area with the passage of the trough late Wednesday through Friday. Lawhorn/82 AVIATION...00Z...Surface high pressure will continue to dominate sensible weather. VFR conditions are expected with light winds prevailing. One concern however will be the potential for stratus to develop again overnight in the basin over KDLS. As locally east surface winds (near and around DLS) continue through 12z and beyond Sunday morning the redevelopment of the IFR restriction should be considered at least a 50% chance, especially given the poor model prediction as of late. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... PDT 34 54 37 61 / 0 0 0 0 ALW 37 54 41 60 / 0 0 0 10 PSC 32 53 34 56 / 0 0 0 0 YKM 33 55 37 59 / 0 0 0 0 HRI 34 52 36 59 / 0 0 0 0 ELN 31 53 35 57 / 0 0 0 10 RDM 30 66 35 67 / 0 0 0 0 LGD 35 61 42 63 / 0 0 0 0 GCD 35 66 38 67 / 0 0 0 0 DLS 38 56 41 62 / 0 0 0 10 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None. WA...None. && $$ SHORT TERM...82 LONG TERM....82 AVIATION...77