758 FXUS66 KPQR 111854 AAA AFDPQRArea Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Portland OR 1154 AM PDT Thu Sep 11 2025
Updated aviation discussion.
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.SYNOPSIS...Morning clouds across the region should begin to break out this afternoon. There is also a 15-25% chance for thunderstorms from Santiam Pass into the Lane County Cascades this afternoon. Warmer conditions with sunnier skies expected tomorrow through Saturday afternoon. The next frontal system arrives Saturday night to Sunday, returning widespread rain. Conditions dry and warm up early next week, with potential for light offshore winds.
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.SHORT TERM...Now through Saturday Night...Satellite imagery and surface observations as of early Thursday morning depict widespread stratus across northwest Oregon and southwest Washington as the low-level atmosphere remains moist with light onshore flow. We should begin to see more cloud breaks this afternoon as daytime heating progresses. Expect seasonable temperatures today with afternoon highs in the mid 70s across interior valleys and low 60s along the coast.
Another weather feature today is the broad upper level low centered over the Great Basin that will continue to bring wrap around moisture into the area from the northeast. While most places west of the Cascades are expected to be dry today, there remains a 20-60% chance of showers across the Cascades and foothills this afternoon, with the highest chances as you move further south into the Linn and Lane County Cascades. There is also a 15-25% chance for thunderstorms this afternoon from Santiam Pass southward into the Lane County Cascades. Any passing thunderstorms may bring lightning and brief heavy rain. Chances for showers and thunderstorms diminish after 5-7 PM today.
Shortwave ridging returns to the region on Friday, leading to decreasing clouds and more sunny skies. Temperatures are forecast slightly warmer, with upper 70s across interior valleys and mid 60s along the coast. High pressure with sunny skies continues through Saturday afternoon, with temps warming up into the low 80s across interior valleys. By Saturday evening, the shortwave ridge will progress eastward as the next frontal system approaches. Clouds and chances for widespread rain return Saturday night, with rain beginning at the coast as early as 5-8 PM Sat. Winds across the region also turn more west-southwesterly ahead of the front. -Alviz
.LONG TERM...Sunday through Thursday...Widespread rain returns across northwest Oregon and southwest Washington as our first fall-like frontal system swings through the region. LREF ensemble guidance (ENS/GEFS/GEPS) are in general agreement (80% chance) that the front will move through Saturday night into Sunday morning, which is when the bulk of the rain is expected. The NAM looks like an outlier, bringing the front further south into southern Oregon and northern California. If this scenario were to occur, then we would end up much drier.
While the LREF ensembles are in general agreement with the timing of the front, there is still uncertainty with the magnitude of the front, and thus total rainfall amounts. The NBM 75th percentile for 24 hour rainfall ending 5 PM Sunday is around 1-1.5" along the coast and 0.60-0.80" across interior valleys, while the NBM 25th percentile is around 0.30-0.50" along the coast and 0.10-0.20" across interior valleys. Currently, the GEFS ensemble is wanting to bring in the higher- end rainfall amounts while the ENS/GEPS ensembles are suggesting lower amounts. Will continue to monitor how this evolves in the next day or so. For now, we can generally say that Sunday is looking to be wetter and cooler. By late Sunday afternoon, the front will weaken and rain will gradually taper off Sunday night into early Monday morning.
Monday looks drier (75% chance) as shortwave ridging returns to the region and the aforementioned system progresses eastward. However, around 25% of ensemble members (mainly from the GEFS) keep troughing over the Pacific Northwest on Monday, so if this were to occur we may maintain cooler and potentially wetter conditions for an extra day. By Tuesday, there is high agreement among ensemble members that above-average 500 mb heights return, rebounding temperatures into the low 80s across interior valleys with sunny skies. Wednesday looks similar to Tuesday, however, 25% of ensemble members do also show a weak front approaching the Pacific Northwest.
One last thing to note about Monday night to Wednesday, a thermal trough develops across western Oregon with high pressure east of the Cascades, leading to an offshore flow pattern. These offshore winds early next week are not looking particularly strong at this point, but will be something to monitor in the coming days. -Alviz
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.AVIATION...Predominately MVFR conditions persist across the area late this morning. Expecting MVFR CIGs to persist along the coast while cloud cover begins to scatter out inland early this afternoon between 20-23z. Could see patches linger a bit past that but generally expecting VFR conditions to develop throughout the Willamette Valley. A brief break in the clouds is possible along the coast around 23z Thu to 02z Fri before stratus builds back in. Could see MVFR CIGs inland beginning around 10-12z Fri with a 40-60% chance through 17-19z Fri. Winds remain light and variable, generally less than 10 kts.
There remains a 15-30% probability for showers and a 10-20% probability for thunderstorms over the Cascades and Cascade foothills from 12Z Thursday through 06Z Friday. There is less than 10% probability that a thunderstorm moves westward into the Willamette Valley.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...MVFR conditions holding steady but the cloud deck seems to be rising slowly. Guidance suggests clouds break up and VFR conditions return around 20z but given the trend, likely later around 23z. VFR conditions in the evening with another marine push expected around 10-12z Fri. West to northwesterly winds less than 10 kts. -Batz/HEC
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.MARINE... High pressure over the waters will maintain northerly to northwesterly winds with gusts less than 15 kt through Thursday. Winds become more variable across the waters on Friday ahead of the next system, but still remain light. Expect seas at 5-6 ft at 13-14 sec Thursday to Friday with a west- northwesterly swell.
A low pressure system moves through the waters this weekend. A front associated with this low will weaken as it moves across the waters Saturday and Sunday. The winds will shift southerly ahead of the front on Saturday, then northerly with and behind the front by Sunday afternoon. Probabilities for observing wind gusts of 21 kt or greater (small craft conditions) across the waters in a 24 hour period on Saturday into Sunday range from 30-60%, highest across the outer waters. However, 1-hour probabilities for small craft gusts are only 15-30%, suggesting that any small craft wind gusts may be brief and not as frequent/long-lasting. Given the lead time and some uncertainty with the exact low track, will continue to hold off on issuing any products for now. Seas are forecast around 6-7 feet at 10-12 sec through Saturday. A northwest swell is expected to move into the waters on Sunday bringing waves of 9-12 feet at 10-12 seconds which would support steep, hazardous seas for some time.
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.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None. WA...None. PZ...None. &&
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