textproduct: Pendleton

KEY MESSAGES

- Windy conditions and Low Relative Humidities will lead to extreme fire weather conditions today.

- Additionally, wind advisories are in effect for portions of the area.

- Otherwise, continued dry, with a warming trend through next week.

DISCUSSION

Southwesterly flow was over the region early today in advance of low pressure moving into British Columbia. The trough associated with this low will move across the region later today and bring a dry cold front along with it.

As these features move through, pressure gradient will tighten, resulting in breezy to windy conditions developing across much of the area. The breezy to windy conditions have prompted the issuance of both wind advisories and red flag warnings due to the low humidities as well. The very dry antecedent conditions and the gusty winds could lead to extreme fire weather conditions across the area today. As a result red flag warnings have been issued with PDS (particularly dangerous situation) red flag warnings for a portion of the time.

NBM probabilities of wind gusts >= 39 mph are >80 percent across most of the Kittitas Valley, Columbia Basin, Gorge, Simcoe Highlands and 50-80 percent across the Foothills of the Blue Mountains. NBM probabilities of wind gusts >=47 mph are >80 percent for the Kittitas Valley and locally >70 percent but for the wider area are much lower. The ECMWF EFI has some areas 0f 0.8 to 0.9 and even an area 0f 0.9 to 0.95 for wind gusts today across the Columbia Basin, however it is a small area and not widespread.

After today, there is a second dry trough that drops down on Sunday that will keep things breezy, though not nearly as windy as today. NBM probabilities of wind gusts >= 25 mph are fairly widespread, but wind gust probabilities >= 39 mph are relatively small.

After Sunday, we get into a more west to northwest flow of dry weather with warming temperatures through at least midweek.

FIRE WEATHER

The combination of gusty winds and low relative humidity values will make for critical to extreme fire weather concerns across much of the region today. Red Flag warnings have been issued from 11 AM until 11 PM with WA690, 691, 692, 693 and OR691, 692, 693 694, 695, 696 and 700 under a particularly dangerous situation (PDS) red flag warning from 2 PM until 8 PM. Winds should gust to 30 to 40 mph across these areas today with some locally higher gusts.

Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs

PDT 84 47 77 46 / 0 0 0 0 ALW 87 52 78 52 / 0 0 0 0 PSC 91 52 82 50 / 0 0 0 0 YKM 86 52 82 52 / 0 0 0 0 HRI 86 53 81 51 / 0 0 0 0 ELN 79 50 74 50 / 0 0 0 0 RDM 84 42 79 39 / 0 0 0 0 LGD 89 48 78 46 / 0 0 0 0 GCD 93 49 81 46 / 0 0 0 0 DLS 80 57 79 56 / 0 0 0 0

PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

WA...Red Flag Warning from 11 AM this morning to 11 PM PDT this evening for WAZ690>693. Wind Advisory from 11 AM this morning to 11 PM PDT this evening for WAZ024-026>029-521. Air Quality Alert until 2 PM PDT Monday for WAZ028>030. OR...Red Flag Warning from 11 AM this morning to 11 PM PDT this evening for ORZ691>704. Wind Advisory from 11 AM this morning to 11 PM PDT this evening for ORZ041-044-507-508-510. Air Quality Alert until 2 PM PDT Monday for ORZ044-049-050-502- 503-505>511.