textproduct: Medford

AVIATION (18Z TAFs)

Expecting this TAF cycle to be predominately a VFR forecast with clouds slowly clearing out today. Expecting mostly clear skies later today and overnight. The one area of concern will be fog development. Current analysis suggests there will be quite a bit of dry air near the surface and aloft, so confidence was high enough to not include fog at this point. That said, there is about a 20-30 percent chance for fog to develop with forecast soundings showing a very shallow layer of saturation near the surface.

-Guerrero

PREV DISCUSSION

/Issued 431 AM PDT Thu Apr 2 2026/

DISCUSSION...Updated aviation discussion.

AVIATION...02/12Z TAFs...Showers will continue this morning with a mix of VFR/MVFR and higher terrain obscurations. Gradually, ceilings will improve to VFR for all areas this afternoon with a marked decrease in shower activity. Drier air moves in tonight, so expect clearing skies. Patchy fog could develop in some west side valleys, especially the Umpqua basin toward morning. -Spilde

PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 247 AM PDT Thu Apr 2 2026/

DISCUSSION...The core of a cold upper trough (-35C at 500 mb over north-central Oregon) is moving through the PacNW early this morning and is generating widespread low-topped (~15Kft) showers and relatively low snow levels (~2000-2500 feet). With the cold air aloft, instability has produced some lightning overnight and still can't rule out some isolated strikes through the morning hours. Some small hail and/or graupel could also occur within some of the healthier showers along the coast. Meanwhile, snow continues to pile up over the Cascades/Siskiyou Mtns due to persistent onshore flow and the cold, moist air rising into the terrain. Winter Storm Warnings/Advisories remain in effect through late morning/afternoon for significant travel impacts over the higher passes. Most of I-5 should be OK, however, since the snow levels are low, there could be an inch or two over Siskiyou Summit with slippery travel over the pass. Even some whitening of the ground is possible in areas that haven't seen much snow recently. But, all this should gradually come to an end later this afternoon and evening as the cold trough shifts to the east and upper ridging builds in.

This should allow skies to clear and this will set the stage for a cold night tonight. Temperatures will drop into the teens and 20s over the East Side and many areas west of the Cascades will have a frost/freeze with low temperatures in the upper 20s to mid 30s. Many headlines are up for the frost/freeze potential.

After a cold start Friday, temperatures will rebound to 5-10F above normal for MaxT Friday afternoon. Another chilly night is expected Friday night, but then a big warm up is expected for Easter weekend with west side valley high temps both days in the 70s/low 80s. Even Brookings will get quite warm on Saturday with NE winds flowing down the Chetco.

The warm weather will last into early next week, then models are showing potential for wetter weather returning Tue/Wed of next week. We'll hone in on the details/timing of that in the next few days. -Spilde

AVIATION...02/06Z TAFs...A slight chance of thunderstorms will continue into Thursday morning from the southern Oregon coast to the southern Oregon Cascades. Ceilings will be mainly a mix of MVFR and VFR through Thursday evening. Showers and snow showers behind a cold front will be most numerous overnight into early Thursday morning, then lingering/tapering off from the coast to the Cascades during the remainder of Thursday into the early evening. This will continue areas of mountain obscuration, and also breezy to windy westerly low level winds with strongest gusts east of the Cascades. Lastly, isolated thunderstorms will be possible this afternoon as well.

MARINE...Updated 230 AM PDT Thursday, April 2, 2026...Very steep seas this morning will gradually subside, but remain steep through this evening. West to northwest winds will also gradually ease through the day. Brief improvement on Friday will be followed by stronger north winds with steep seas likely Friday evening through Saturday evening. -Spilde

MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

OR...Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM PDT this morning for ORZ029- 030.

Freeze Warning from 2 AM to 9 AM PDT Friday for ORZ024-026.

Frost Advisory from 2 AM to 9 AM PDT Friday for ORZ021-023.

Winter Storm Warning until 5 PM PDT this afternoon for ORZ025- 027-028.

CA...Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM PDT this morning for CAZ080- 085.

Freeze Warning from 2 AM to 9 AM PDT Friday for CAZ080.

PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...Hazardous Seas Warning until 11 AM PDT this morning for PZZ350-356-370-376.

Small Craft Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for PZZ350-356- 370-376.