867
FXUS66 KPDT 080434
AFDPDT

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
934 PM PDT Thu May 7 2026

.KEY MESSAGES...
- Above normal temperatures and dry conditions continue through
  next week

- Breezy to locally gusty gap winds Friday and Sunday

- Low RHs and breezy winds will overlap the remainder of this
  afternoon and tomorrow afternoon in the Cascade gaps and Lower
  Columbia Basin

&&

.DISCUSSION...
Tonight through Sunday: Breezy Cascade gap winds
continue this afternoon in the wake of a shortwave exit earlier
this morning. Otherwise, high thin scattered decks of cirrus
are also spreading across the region this afternoon.

Upper level ridging will move over the forecast area this
afternoon and tonight, continuing a drying trend with winds
becoming light overnight. Friday, a shortwave will briefly
flatten the ridge as it slides into the PacNW. Very little
moisture will accompany the shortwave passage tomorrow,
resulting in dry conditions continuing. However, a dry frontal
boundary will follow the shortwave, resulting in increasing
winds through the Cascade gaps and into the lower elevations of
the forecast area. Winds will generally be 15-25mph with gusts
up to 40mph, however winds will be 25-35 mph with gusts 45-55
mph in the Kittitas valley tomorrow afternoon (confidence
75-85%).

Upper level ridging will rebound late Friday and prevail through
Saturday night. While dry conditions will persist through the
weekend, another shortwave will flatten the ridge for Sunday,
resulting in another day of breezy to locally gusty winds in the
afternoon and evening.

Monday through Wednesday: There is good agreement amongst
ensemble cluster solutions that upper level ridging will once
again build back over the region, resulting in dry and warm
conditions with light winds Monday (confidence 60-75%). Tuesday
and Wednesday, agreement lowers quite a bit as about 50% of
members favor a trough passing over the PacNW while the other
about 50% favor ridging persisting overhead. The troughing
solution (favored by ECWMF members) would bring light showers to
the Cascade crest late Tuesday and Wednesday with breezy
conditions and temperatures in the mid 70s to lower 80s in the
lower elevations; the ridging solution (favored by GFS members)
would continue a drying trend with temperatures warming into
the upper 80s to lower 90s in the lower elevations. Lawhorn/82

&&

.AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/...
Dry VFR conditions continue through the forecast period with no
CIG or VIS issues expected. Main concern will be breezy winds
that will sustained between 10-20 knots with gusts up to 20-30
knots, locally higher gusts is possible. DLS will prevail its
breezy 15 to 35 knot winds through the forecast period, while
the rest of sites will develop breezy conditions tomorrow
morning through the afternoon hours, prevailing for most of the
remaining forecast period thereafter.


&&

.FIRE WEATHER...
Afternoon relative humidities will remain low
through next, with areas of central Oregon reaching single digits
by Saturday. Gap and Basin winds will continue to be locally
breezy through this afternoon, and will increase tomorrow as a dry
front moves across with breezy to locally gusty westerly winds
developing in the Basin and adjacent valleys and foothills. Poor
to moderate recovery tonight, with moderate to good recovery
through the weekend.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...
The Naches River near Naches is forecast to remain above action
stage for the next week. Above-normal temperatures are forecast
to continue, and significant precipitation is unlikely (90
percent confidence) for the next week.

&&

.Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs...
PDT  49  74  46  77 /   0   0   0   0
ALW  52  74  50  77 /   0   0   0   0
PSC  54  81  49  81 /   0   0   0   0
YKM  50  79  46  81 /   0   0   0   0
HRI  52  77  48  80 /   0   0   0   0
ELN  46  69  43  77 /   0   0   0   0
RDM  41  75  38  84 /   0   0   0   0
LGD  42  73  41  77 /   0   0   0   0
GCD  43  75  40  80 /   0   0   0   0
DLS  49  74  48  83 /   0   0   0   0

&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Wind Advisory from 11 AM to 11 PM PDT Friday for WAZ026.
OR...None.

&&

$$

DISCUSSION...82
AVIATION...95
FIRE WEATHER...82
HYDROLOGY...86