346
FXUS66 KPQR 261759 AAA
AFDPQR

Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Portland OR
1059 AM PDT Sat Apr 26 2025

.SYNOPSIS...Showers taper off across all but the High Cascades
by this afternoon. Warmer and sunnier skies across the north
this afternoon, with lingering clouds and milder temps in the
Eugene area. Onshore flow brings milder temps and cloudier skies
across the area SUnday through Tuesday. Warmer and sunnier
weather returns mid to late next week as high pressure builds
over the region.

&&

.SHORT TERM...Now through Tuesday...Water vapor imagery early
this morning depicts a well defined upper level low off the
central California coast, with abundant mid level moisture
continuing to wrap around the northern periphery of the system
into northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. Broken cloud
cover remains over much of the area as a result, with a few high
based showers ongoing across parts of Lane and Linn Counties
per latest radar imagery. Will see this lingering shower
activity gradually taper off west of the Cascades through later
this morning as the low begins to track inland across central
CA, with any additional showers mainly confined to the High
Cascades by this afternoon. Once again will not be able to
completely rule out a lightning strike or two with modest
elevated instability along the Crest this afternoon, but models
keep this probability below 15%. Therefore opted to keep mention
of thunder out of the forecast for today. Similar to yesterday,
thicker cloud cover across the south will hold temperatures
down in the low to mid 60s in the Eugene area while more breaks
of sun will allow highs to climb to around 70 in the Portland
area this afternoon.

Northwest flow takes hold on Sunday as the upper low departs
into the Great Basin, yielding seasonably mild conditions with
temps in the low 60s across the interior lowlands and the 50s
along the coast. A weak embedded disturbance may bring a few
sprinkles to coastal area in the morning, but model consensus
keeps any QPF below a tenth of an inch. Onshore flow then
maintains cloudy and mild conditions with temps in the low to
mid 60s Monday and Tuesday. Another embedded shortwave will
bring a better chance for precipitation across the area Monday
night into Tuesday, but model QPF amounts remain meager
(generally less than a tenth of an inch) away from northern
coastal areas, where locations such as Astoria will have around
a 20% chance to see as much as a quarter inch of rain. Increased
onshore flow will also bring gusty west winds to the western
Columbia River Gorge through the period, with winds gusting to
20-30 mph each day. /CB

.LONG TERM...Tuesday night through Friday...WPC ensemble
clusters continue to advertise a return of upper level ridging
mid to late next week, bringing another warming trend with highs
back in the 70s in the interior lowlands next Wednesday and
Thursday. Temperatures look to peak on Thursday, with the NBM
indicating a 40-50% chance to reach 80 degrees across most of
the interior valleys and closer to a 70-80% chance in the
Portland Metro. Meanwhile, marine layer influences appear likely
to keep coastal locations more mild with highs in the 60s
through mid to late next week. Medium range guidance then hints
at a return of cooler and possibly wetter weather towards the
end of next week as the ridge shifts eastward and another trough
approaches the region Friday into the weekend. Bottom line, do
not see any indications of significant weather impacts across
the area through the next seven days. /CB

&&

.AVIATION...A mix of MVFR and VFR CIGs this morning but should see
an improvement to all VFR inland by early this afternoon.
Conditions along the coast will remain MVFR for a bit longer but
should see a brief period of improvement to VFR late this
afternoon and evening. Winds will remain light and southwesterly
to northwesterly through most of the period - with northwesterly
winds up to 8-10 kt between 22Z Saturday and 06Z Sunday being the
only exception. Along the coast, expect light northwesterly winds
10-14 kt with gusts up to 22 kt persisting until around 06Z
Sunday.

PDX AND APPROACHES...MVFR cloud deck expected to dissipate by
early this afternoon, leading to VFR conditions thereafter.
Expect winds under 8 kt to remain mostly westerly to
northwesterly, then increase to 8-10 kt between 22Z Saturday and
06Z Sunday. -Batz/Hall

&&

.MARINE...A broad low moving into central California has
resulted in a tightened pressure gradient over the waters. This
has resulted in winds gusting up to 25-30 kt in the outer
coastal waters and up to 25 kt for the inner coastal waters.
With these breezy conditions and a building northwesterly swell,
expect combines seas to reach 10 to 11 feet this morning. As a
result, expect the Small Craft Advisory to continue across all
waters through Saturday. The outer coastal waters may see Small
Craft conditions persist into Sunday morning.

By early Sunday, both winds and seas will begin to ease as high
pressure weakens slightly and moves inland. The start of next
week looks to be rather quiet, with seas around 5 to 7 feet and
wind gusts under 20 kt. ~Hall

&&

.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...

OR...None.
WA...None.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 8 PM PDT this evening for PZZ210.
     Small Craft Advisory until 2 AM PDT Sunday for PZZ251>253.
     Small Craft Advisory until 2 PM PDT Sunday for PZZ271>273.
&&

$$

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