914
FXUS66 KPDT 031025
AFDPDT

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
325 AM PDT Thu Apr 3 2025

.SHORT TERM...Today through Saturday...Based on the current
satellite and radar imagery, the Blues and Lower Basin have few
clouds passing through along with the crest of the WA/OR Cascades.
With light winds and cold dry air, the cloud coverage will gradually
decrease over the Blues and Lower Basin with mainly clear skies at
the Cascades and central OR thus lowering temperatures.

Precip activity gradually starts ceasing today as a ridge moves
inland of the PacNW. Northern Blues and eastern mountains may have
lingering mountain snow this morning but chances are low (<30%).
With some troughing over the eastern mountains, isolated thunder
could develop at the Wallowas this afternoon into early evening as
well (<20% chance). Weak instability will inhibit thunderstorm
development. Snow showers may continue lingering for the Wallowas
through the rest of this evening, though with slight chances (<30%).
Tonight onwards, the forecast area will be dry. Breezy winds (15-25
mph) will persist through this late evening from the increased
northwesterly flow for the Kittitas Valley and the foothills of the
Southern Blues. But, they might return tomorrow afternoon across the
Cascades and Foothills of the Southern Blues (40-50% confidence).
Winds will then become lighter Friday into Saturday before a frontal
system arrives Sunday. Feaster/97


.LONG TERM...Sunday through Thursday...The period starts off wet
before ridging tries to build in starting around the middle of next
week. Guidance has shifted, however, towards making the potential
ridge next week dirty in nature, which would inhibit warming and
produce more lingering precip chances, primarily for the mountains.
Consensus across models as of now is to lean toward a drier forecast
Wednesday onward, but more PoPs have been introduced to the high
mountains throughout the period compared to 24 hours ago.

The main precip concern for the long term falls on Sunday night into
Monday, where an upper-level trough is forecast to sweep through the
PacNW. Snow levels will be elevated at above 6000 ft across the
duration of most of the precip, so no real snow concerns are
expected. Precip may linger into Tuesday as models hint at a SW
orientation of the flow aloft, enough to trigger at least low-end
PoPs (30-40%) across our lowlands, but the wettest period does look
to be Sunday night into Monday. Ridging then sets up late Tuesday
onward, but ensemble clustering does depict more SW flow across the
forecast area than previous runs had shown. Will have to see where
exactly models shift the ridge axis over subsequent runs, as we
could potentially see more prolonged precip chances should the ridge
shift any more south than it already has. For now, still broadly
forecasting a wet Sunday into Monday, with lingering precip Tuesday,
before drier, warmer conditions prevail Wednesday into Thursday,
with temps inching up into the upper 60s across the lowlands. Expect
breezy conditions to occur as well as we transition from Sunday
night`s trough into midweek ridging. Evans/74

&&

.AVIATION...12z TAFs...VFR conditions expected. Winds will generally
be NW during the day at most sites at around 8-15 kts, with sct mid-
level cigs, before clearing is expected to take place in the
evening. Winds will become light and terrain-driven Thursday night
as well. Evans/74


&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT  56  33  61  34 /  10  10   0   0
ALW  55  35  60  36 /  20   0   0   0
PSC  62  32  64  33 /   0   0   0   0
YKM  60  33  62  35 /   0   0   0   0
HRI  60  32  64  33 /   0   0   0   0
ELN  57  32  61  34 /  10   0   0   0
RDM  52  26  60  28 /  10   0   0   0
LGD  49  28  56  29 /  20   0   0   0
GCD  48  26  57  30 /  20  10   0   0
DLS  61  36  66  38 /   0  10   0   0

&&

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

$$

SHORT TERM...97
LONG TERM....74
AVIATION...74