343
FXUS66 KPDT 311124
AFDPDT

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
324 AM PST Wed Dec 31 2025

.DISCUSSION...

Key Messages:

1. One more day of strong high pressure and air stagnation.

2. Precipitation returns Thursday, with freezing rain chances
   Thursday night into Friday and precipitation chances continuing
   at least over the mountains into the weekend.

The area of high pressure that has been over the western states will
begin to move eastward today.  As it does, a more southerly flow will
develop. Conditions are expected to remain dry again today.

However, moisture will move northward from California on Thursday
and will bring mainly low elevation rain and light mountain snow
during the day on Thursday.

Late Thursday into Thursday night and continuing into early Friday
is the period that we continue to watch. Guidance continues to
disagree as to the amount of QPF moving across the region...
especially the Columbia Basin/Yakima Valley/Kittitas Valley
Thursday night. But QPF is negligible in some models and a bit
more in others.

Additionally, the latest deterministic guidance has come in warmer
as well. While guidance often tends to be too warm when there is
cold air trapped in the Basin and nearby valleys, so will have to
see it the warmer temperatures both at the surface and aloft
continue with runs.

So, the bottom line up front is there is at least the potential
for some light freezing rain mainly Thursday night into early
Friday across portions of the Columbia Basin, Yakima and Kittitas
Valleys before temperatures warm up on Friday.

NBM probabilities currently are highest for >= 0.01 inches of ice
over portions of the Simcoe Highlands, north-central Oregon and
areas of the Yakima and Kittitas Valleys. Probabilities in these
areas are about 30 percent. It is all going to come down to what
the temperatures are and how much QPF there ultimate is.

By later Friday, temperatures should rise enough in most areas and
any precipitation should end that any freezing rain threat would
be over.

An area of low pressure will move northward later Friday into
Saturday and will bring the next round of precipitation, mainly
to the mountains. Snow levels will be 3500-4000 feet in the
Washington Cascades and 4000-4500 feet elsewhere with this system
and accumulations up to 4 inches are possible, with some locally
higher amounts along the crests.


&&

.AVIATION...
12Z TAFS...VFR conditions and light winds are expected for the
most part, through the TAF period. There are a few possible
exceptions...Both PDT and ALW could see some reduced CIGS/VSBYS
this morning though confidence is less than average on
occurrence. Otherwise, ALW could see some reduced CIGS/VSBYS again
Thursday morning.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT  36  22  35  29 /   0   0  30  70
ALW  34  25  34  30 /   0   0  30  70
PSC  38  22  34  28 /   0   0  20  60
YKM  39  22  36  28 /   0   0  10  40
HRI  37  23  34  29 /   0   0  20  70
ELN  34  19  34  28 /   0   0  10  40
RDM  44  24  44  33 /   0  10  40  40
LGD  44  29  42  36 /   0   0  40  70
GCD  48  29  44  38 /   0  10  70  80
DLS  40  27  37  33 /   0  10  30  80

&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Air Stagnation Advisory until noon PST Thursday for ORZ044-507-
     508-510-511.

     Wind Advisory until 3 PM PST this afternoon for ORZ049.

WA...Air Stagnation Advisory until noon PST Thursday for WAZ026>029.

&&

$$

SHORT TERM...77
LONG TERM....77
AVIATION...77