textproduct: Pendleton

DISCUSSION...Issued 319 PM PST Thu Feb 26 2026

Regional satellite and radar showed cirrus overspreading the Oregon Cascades into central Oregon. A stable layer impinging on the Upper Cascade crest of Washington was still allowing high elevations snow in Kittitas County, where the HREF continued to hint at light snow accumulations. Road cams and mesonet observations indicated reduced visibility to under 1 miles in the upper slopes in Kittitas County, but no discernible impacts as the roads were all wet though the pass level. Some of that downsloping adiabatic warming will be lost by Saturday as winds slack off over much of the entire region. Sunny and spring like 50s will make a pleasant weekend, while mountain slopes and higher elevations are relegated to the 40s.

Surface wind gusts both This Afternoon and Friday will remain breezy/gusty with the 75th percentile of the NBM wind gust in the falling in the 30+ mph range. The west to southwesterly flow east of the Cascades will lead to a warming temperatures in the afternoon Friday as highs approach 60 degrees across the Lower Columbia Basin. The next appreciable chances for precipitation return across the central Oregon Cascade slopes This Weekend with profiles supporting rain or rain/snow in those zones, before drying out region wide for Monday and Tuesday. High probabilities for rain or snow, (70-90%) return by early Wednesday, depending on elevation levels across the higher terrain.

AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z SATURDAY/

VFR conditions are forecast and very likely (80-100 percent chance) at all sites for the next 24 hours. The 00Z HREF does show a 10-20 percent chance of MVFR or lower CIGs/VSBYs in FG/BR at YKM/PSC overnight, but confidence in this scenario is very low. Clouds will consist of predominantly FEW-BKN cirrus, with some periods of SKC as well. Winds of 15 kts or less are forecast, and will be diurnally driven, with periodic gusts up to 20 kts during the late morning and afternoon hours for Columbia Gorge/Basin sites. 86

Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs

PDT 31 60 32 51 / 0 0 0 0 ALW 35 59 35 51 / 0 0 0 0 PSC 32 60 31 53 / 0 0 0 0 YKM 29 60 30 52 / 0 0 0 0 HRI 32 60 31 52 / 0 0 0 0 ELN 30 50 30 48 / 0 0 0 0 RDM 24 60 27 56 / 0 0 0 10 LGD 29 60 31 56 / 0 0 0 0 GCD 27 57 31 57 / 0 0 0 10 DLS 33 60 34 53 / 0 0 0 0

PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES

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