textproduct: Pendleton

KEY MESSAGES

- Moderate HeatRisk Friday and again Monday through Wednesday

- Fire Weather Watches in effect Saturday

DISCUSSION

Heat and Fire weather risks are the main couple weather setups going forward that may result in impacts over the next week or so across the PDT CWA. Deep subsidence continues into Friday, keeping winds light across the across the region. 850Mb temperatures in the 20 to 22C range will promote mixing of hotter afternoon temperatures reaching into the the mid 90s. HeatRisk is most pronounced Friday and then again Monday and Tuesday. Tuesday is forecast to be the hottest day of the week where lower elevation Columbia Basin areas can easily exceed 100F with overnight lows Monday night and Tuesday night between 65 and 70F. HeatRisk in the Columbia River Gorge and surrounding valleys is approaching Level 3 (red) during this time frame.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/

VFR conditions are forecast for the next 24 hours. Skies will range from mostly clear to BKN mid/high cloud. Diurnally and terrain-driven winds are forecast through mid-afternoon Friday, followed by breezy and gusty westerly winds through the Cascade gaps late afternoon and evening. There is a very low (5-10 percent) chance of high-based showers and thunderstorms affecting BDN/RDM Friday afternoon and evening.

FIRE WEATHER

Poor to fair (30 to 60%) RH recoveries overnight into early Friday morning. Higher confidence in critical fire weather probabilities well exceeding 60% across OR700, OR691 and WA690 would favor a Fire Weather Watch for Saturday afternoon and evening. The Eastern Columbia River Gorge will be an area of enhanced dry and breezy winds Friday afternoon. Critical combined RH and wind of 25% and 20 mph winds come in at about 30-40% confidence in the afternoon and evening.

Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs

PDT 54 91 59 84 / 0 0 0 0 ALW 59 93 64 86 / 0 0 0 0 PSC 58 95 61 91 / 0 0 0 0 YKM 60 94 59 90 / 0 0 0 0 HRI 57 94 63 86 / 0 0 0 0 ELN 55 90 57 82 / 0 0 0 0 RDM 50 91 51 83 / 0 0 0 0 LGD 52 91 55 83 / 0 0 0 0 GCD 50 94 54 86 / 0 0 0 0 DLS 63 95 63 81 / 0 0 0 0

PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

WA...Fire Weather Watch from Saturday morning through Saturday evening for WAZ690. OR...Fire Weather Watch from Saturday morning through Saturday evening for ORZ691-700.