textproduct: Pendleton

KEY MESSAGES

- Active weather pattern through the weekend with mostly rain across the region, and light high mountain snow developing by Sunday

- Breezy to locally gusty southerly winds across portions of central and northeast OR will continue through the weekend

- A train of upper low pressure systems will bring progressively cooler conditions across the forecast area, with light to locally moderate mountain snow accumulations, and potentially a dusting in portions of central OR

DISCUSSION

Currently showers based on radar echos are focused on the Cascade Crest, Wallowa mountains and the northwest Blue Mts of Washington. REFS (short term ensembles) show the precipitation ending across the eastern Mountains by about 8 am with only rain or snow showers remaining across the Cascade crest in OR and WA. The showers will taper off completely across the WA cascade crest by mid afternoon as a mid level ridge slides into the Columbia Basin. Farther west, satellite showed clearing sky across the central Oregon and the Eastern Columbia River Gorge, with stratus/fog through the John Day Basin and the River Gorge near DLS.

Temperatures this afternoon are forecast to reach the low 60s across the Washington and Oregon Columbia Basin, Foothills of the Blue Mountains and Yakima Valley. Cooler 50s are more probable across the adjacent mountains and 40s along the highest elevations. Light to breezy southerly winds will be found Today with gusts to the low/mid 20s (mph) across central Oregon into the John Day Ochoco Highlands and southern Blues. A brief dry period This Afternoon through Saturday Evening will meet increasing probabilities for rain and mountain snow again Late This Evening and lingering though Monday. 80 to 90 percent precis chances are average across the mountain zones with 45 to 70 percent chances for rains across the Columbia Basin and adjacent mt valleys centered on Tonight through early Sunday morning. Based on the mean NBM values, wetting rains look reserved for the higher terrain and foothills.

Dry weather develops Monday Night, expands across the area on Tuesday with temperatures gradually cooling across the lower elevations to the 40s by Tuesday Afternoon. By Wednesday there is potential for colder air to invade the area, bringing more of a snow profile/lower snow levels across the area, with current NBM chances best over the southern Blue Mountains and Cascades.

AVIATION /12Z TAFS THROUGH 12Z SUNDAY/

Clearing mid clouds across RDM/BDN and DLS this morning. Stratus in the the gorge leaves DLS in LIFR overcast conditions which is expected to linger through mid to late morning. Visibility may continue to bounce between IFR and MVFR at YKM (50-60% confidence) through about mid morning (18z). Vicinity showers near ALW should be ending over the next few hours; models and guidance are not indicating any ceilings or low vsbys for PSC/PDT/ALW. South winds may gust into the 20 Knot range at BDN by the afternoon.

Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs

PDT 42 57 37 51 / 30 90 90 20 ALW 46 55 41 50 / 10 80 90 30 PSC 41 58 37 53 / 50 50 40 0 YKM 37 55 31 52 / 70 30 0 0 HRI 43 58 37 52 / 50 70 70 10 ELN 34 49 26 45 / 70 40 10 0 RDM 36 51 26 46 / 30 40 20 10 LGD 39 48 35 46 / 10 90 80 70 GCD 37 50 34 47 / 10 90 90 40 DLS 43 52 37 49 / 70 70 20 10

PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

WA...None. OR...None.