Wildfire in Washington, July 18 to 31, 2004

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED TYPO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OREGON
830 PM PDT SAT JUL 17 2004

.DISCUSSION...A STRONG SHORT WAVE MOVING NORTH OUT OF SOUTHEAST
OREGON HAS BEEN RESPONSIBLE FOR KICKING OFF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS THIS EVENING ACROSS EXTREME EASTERN GRANT
COUNTY...UNION COUNTY...AND WALLOWA COUNTY.  WATER VAPOR IMAGERY
SHOWS ANOTHER WAVE CURRENTLY OVER NORTHERN NEVADA THAT WILL KEEP
FEEDING MOISTURE INTO THESE AREAS DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. AS FAR
AS LIGHTNING ACTIVITY IS CONCERNED...BELIEVE THE MAJORITY OF THE
LIGHTNING ACTIVITY CURRENTLY OVER NORTHEAST OREGON WILL END BY
MIDNIGHT.  BUT MODEL SOUNDINGS INDICATE STILL ENOUGH ELEVATED
INSTABILITY OVERNIGHT FOR A FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES.  THE MAIN THREAT
FROM STORMS THE REMAINDER OF TONIGHT WILL BE BRIEF HEAVY RAIN.
ELSEWHERE...SKIES ARE PARTLY TO MOSTLY CLOUDY AT THE MOMENT WITH DRY
CONDITIONS.  THIS SHOULD PERSIST INTO THE NIGHT EXCEPT FOR THOSE
ZONES CLOSE TO THE CASCADES WHERE INCREASING MID LEVEL MOISTURE
SHOULD TOUCH OFF A FEW ISOLATED SHOWERS AFTER MIDNIGHT.  THE
FORECAST WAS UPDATED EARLIER TO REFLECT THESE TRENDS.  BELIEVE CLOUD
COVER WILL STILL KEEP TEMPERATURES WARM OVERNIGHT SO NO FURTHER
UPDATES ARE EXPECTED.  WOLF

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...BY SUNDAY MORNING...SOUNDINGS ARE WET WITH
HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATERS.  THUS...ANY SHOWERS AND T-STORMS ON SUNDAY
WILL HAVE MODERATE-HEAVY RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH THEM.  THE MOIST
SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT.   THE MAIN
UPPER LOW WILL MOVE NORTH TOWARDS VANCOUVER ISLAND SUNDAY NIGHT THEN
FILL AS IT MOVES ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA ON MONDAY.  THE FLOW WILL
CHANGE TO WESTERLY AND COOLER MARINE AIR WILL SPREAD EASTWARD ON
MONDAY.  WILL CONTINUE A SLIGHT CHANCE OF MOUNTAINS SHOWERS AND
T-STORMS ON MONDAY WITH BREEZY WINDS IN THE EASTERN COLUMBIA GORGE
AND THE KITTITAS VALLEY.  SMITH

.LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...INSTABILITY ASSOCIATED WITH
A WEAK SHORT WAVE WILL LINGER OVER WALLOWA COUNTY TUESDAY. A FLAT
RIDGE WILL BUILD OVER EASTERN WASHINGTON AND OREGON TUESDAY NIGHT
AND WEDNESDAY BRINGING DRIER AND MORE STABLE AIR TO THE REGION.
THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD OFFSHORE
WITH TEMPERATURES INCREASING DUE TO SUBSIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE
RIDGE.  COONFIELD

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PENDLETON (AIRPORT) 070 091 066 085 / 010 020 010 020
WALLA WALLA         071 094 067 088 / 010 020 010 020
TRI-CITIES          071 096 067 090 / 010 020 010 010
YAKIMA              064 093 060 086 / 020 030 010 010
HERMISTON           070 095 066 089 / 010 020 010 010
ELLENSBURG          066 090 062 080 / 020 030 020 010
REDMOND             059 087 055 082 / 020 020 010 010
LA GRANDE           066 091 063 087 / 030 030 020 020
JOHN DAY            060 089 057 087 / 020 030 020 020
THE DALLES          073 088 069 084 / 020 030 010 010
&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...NONE.
WA...NONE.
&&

86

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OREGON
1030 PM PDT SAT JUL 17 2004

ORZ041>050-WAZ024>030-181200-
NORTH CENTRAL OREGON-CENTRAL OREGON-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN (OR)-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS (OR)-BLUE MOUNTAINS-JOHN DAY BASIN-
OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS-GRANDE RONDE VALLEY-WALLOWA COUNTY-
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE (WA)-
EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES-KITTITAS VALLEY-YAKIMA VALLEY-
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN (WA)-FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS (WA)-
NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS-
1030 PM PDT SAT JUL 17 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THUNDERSTORMS
     EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE (WA), EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN
     CASCADES, NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS, EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER
     GORGE (OR), NORTH CENTRAL OREGON, CENTRAL OREGON, BLUE
     MOUNTAINS, JOHN DAY BASIN, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS, GRANDE
     RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY

A MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL BRING SCATTERED SHOWERS AND ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE REST OF TONIGHT NEAR THE CASCADES AND
OVER EASTERN OREGON AND EXTREME SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON. THE BIGGEST
THREAT WITH THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE HEAVY RAIN. THUNDERSTORMS
PRODUCING CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING WILL NEED TO BE CLOSELY
MONITORED FOR FIRE STARTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY
          EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE (WA), EAST SLOPES OF THE
          SOUTHERN CASCADES, KITTITAS VALLEY, YAKIMA VALLEY, LOWER
          COLUMBIA BASIN (WA), FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS (WA),
          NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS, EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE
          (OR), NORTH CENTRAL OREGON, CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER COLUMBIA
          BASIN (OR), FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS (OR), BLUE
          MOUNTAINS, JOHN DAY BASIN, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS,
          GRANDE RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY

MORE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE SUNDAY AS ANOTHER UPPER-LEVEL
WAVE MOVES ACROSS THE AREA AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT THAT WILL MOVE
THROUGH LATE IN THE DAY.  THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTAIN BRIEF HEAVY
RAIN...GUSTY WINDS...SMALL HAIL...AND LIGHTNING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

PROTOTYPE GRAPHICAL FORECASTS OF WEATHER HAZARDS OUT TO SEVEN DAYS
ARE DISPLAYED ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT:

WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/PENDLETON/FORECAST/HWOGRAPHICS/HWOGRAPHICS.PHP

ALL LETTERS IN THE ABOVE URL ARE LOWER CASE...EXCEPT THE G IN
HWOGRAPHICS AND THE G IN HWOGRAPHICS.PHP.