Wildfire in Oregon, July 12, 2010

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1023 AM PDT MON JUL 12 2010

UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION AND WATCH WARNING ADVISORY SECTION

.UPDATE...AN UPPER LEVEL SHORTWAVE CURRENTLY NEAR VANCOUVER ISLAND
WILL TRACK ACROSS WASHINGTON TODAY AND WILL BE THE PRIMARY CAUSE OF
WINDY TO VERY WINDY CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND
SURROUNDING VALLEYS.  VISIBLE SATELLITE SHOWS THE STRATUS DECK FROM
THE CASCADES WESTWARD THAT WILL DEEPEN WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE
TROUGH AND CAUSE A STRONG MARINE PUSH EAST OF THE CASCADES.
BASICALLY...IT IS A DRY COLD FRONT WITH NO PRECIPITATION
EXPECTED.  WINDS YESTERDAY CAUSED LOCAL BLOWING DUST AND BELIEVE THE
BLOWING DUST POTENTIAL WILL BE GREATER TODAY...THEREFORE A BLOWING
DUST ADVISORY WAS ISSUED FOR THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN, BLUE MTN
FOOTHILLS, THE YAKIMA VALLEY, AND NORTH CENTRAL OREGON.  THE WIND
ADVISORY APPEARS ON TRACK BUT A WARNING MAY BE NEEDED FOR THE
KITTITAS VALLEY AS WINDS WILL BE CLOSE TO WARNING CRITERIA.

&&

.FIRE WEATHER...THE COMBINATION OF WINDS AND DRY GRASSLAND FUELS
WILL RESULT IN RED FLAG CONDITIONS FOR THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN
ZONES AS WELL AS THE BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS AND THE EASTERN
COLUMBIA GORGE. A RED FLAG WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THESE AREAS FOR
TODAY.

&&

.AVIATION...18Z TAFS...CEILINGS WILL BE VFR FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS
WITH JUST A FEW PASSING HIGH CLOUDS AND A FEW CU DEVELOPING IN THE
AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING OVER THE MOUNTAINS. WINDS WILL BECOME
STRONGER BY EARLY THIS AFTERNOON IN MOST AREAS. AREAS OF BLOWING
DUST HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR KALW. VISIBILITY WILL BE REDUCED AT TIMES
ACROSS THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND ADJACENT AREAS...INCLUDING
KALW...KPDT...AND KPSC. 76

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 300 AM PDT MON JUL 12 2010/

LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...A FLAT MID/UPPER LEVEL RIDGE
OF HIGH PRESSURE IN THE NE PACIFIC NEAR 42N...ORIENTED WEST TO
EAST...WILL PERSIST IN THAT AREA FROM WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
WITH THE STORM TRACK ACROSS BRITISH COLUMBIA. THIS PATTERN WILL KEEP
THE FORECAST AREA IN A WESTERLY WIND FLOW WITH ATTENDANT DOWNSLOPE
WINDS EAST OF THE CASCADES PRODUCING SUBSIDENCE AND THEREFORE DRY
AND STABLE CONDITIONS. ON SATURDAY THE MODELS SHOW A MID/UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH MOVING EASTWARD IN THE NE PACIFIC. THE TROUGH WILL APPROACH
THE COAST AND BE NEAR 130W BY SUNDAY AFTERNOON THUS BACKING
MID/UPPER LEVEL WINDS FROM THE WEST TO THE SOUTHWEST...WITH
DOWNSLOPE WINDS EAST OF THE CASCADES CONTINUING THROUGH THE DAY ON
SATURDAY FOR DRY CONDITIONS.  POLAN

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT  80  48  76  50 /   0   0   0   0
ALW  81  50  78  53 /   0   0   0   0
PSC  85  53  82  50 /   0   0   0   0
YKM  82  45  78  48 /   0   0   0   0
HRI  83  49  80  50 /   0   0   0   0
ELN  72  52  75  50 /   0   0   0   0
RDM  82  37  80  37 /   0   0   0   0
LGD  79  45  74  44 /   0   0  10  10
GCD  81  42  75  44 /   0   0   0   0
DLS  75  53  76  52 /   0  10  10   0

&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PDT THIS EVENING
     ORZ041-042-044-501-504.

     BLOWING DUST ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING
     ORZ042-044-501.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING ORZ041-044-501.

WA...RED FLAG WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PDT THIS EVENING
     WAZ024-026>029-501-502.

     BLOWING DUST ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING WAZ027>029.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING WAZ024-027>029.

     HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 11 PM PDT THIS EVENING WAZ026.

&&

THREAT INDEX
TODAY : YELLOW
TUESDAY : GREEN
WEDNESDAY : GREEN

GREEN: NONE OR LIMITED NEED FOR WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES.
YELLOW: A FEW WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES POSSIBLE OR IN EFFECT.
RED: NUMEROUS WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES POSSIBLE OR IN EFFECT.

FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON

85

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
950 AM PDT MON JUL 12 2010

UPDATED FOR BLOWING DUST ADVISORIES AND HIGH WIND WARNING

ORZ041>044-049-050-501>506-WAZ024-026>030-501-502-131415-
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON-NORTH CENTRAL OREGON-
CENTRAL OREGON-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON-GRANDE RONDE VALLEY-
WALLOWA COUNTY-FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
NORTHERN WHEELER AND SOUTHERN GILLIAM COUNTIES-JOHN DAY BASIN-
OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS-
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON-KITTITAS VALLEY-
YAKIMA VALLEY-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES OF WASHINGTON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON-
950 AM PDT MON JUL 12 2010

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

BLOWING DUST
     YAKIMA VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS
     OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, NORTH CENTRAL OREGON,
     LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE
     MOUNTAINS OF OREGON

RED FLAG WARNING
     EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES OF WASHINGTON, EAST SLOPES
     OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON, NORTHERN WHEELER AND
     SOUTHERN GILLIAM COUNTIES

     CONTACT YOUR LOCAL FOREST OR LAND MANAGEMENT AGENCY FOR
     CURRENT FIRE DANGER CONDITIONS IN YOUR AREA.

STRONG WIND
     EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, KITTITAS VALLEY,
     EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON

A DRY COLD FRONT SWEEPING ACROSS WASHINGTON AND NORTHERN OREGON WILL
RESULT IN WINDY TO VERY WINDY CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE COLUMBIA
BASIN AND SURROUNDING VALLEYS.  THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE IN THE
KITTITAS VALLEY WHERE A HIGH WIND WARNING IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT.
WIND AND BLOWING DUST ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE OREGON AND
WASHINGTON PORTIONS OF THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN AND THE BLUE
MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS.  A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE EASTERN
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE...AND A BLOWING DUST ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR
NORTH CENTRAL OREGON.  DETAILS ON THE VARIOUS ADVISORIES AND THE
HIGH WIND WARNING CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS PRODUCT PDXNPWPDT.

THE COMBINATION OF WINDS AND DRY GRASSLAND FUELS WILL CREATE RED
FLAG CONDITIONS FOR THE AREAS LISTED ABOVE.  DETAILS ON THE RED FLAG
WARNING CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS PRODUCT PDXRFWPDT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

DRY CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE PERIOD.  BREEZY CONDITIONS
ARE EXPECTED ON TUESDAY AND AGAIN ON THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THROUGH THIS EVENING DUE TO WINDS
AND FIRE WEATHER CONCERNS.

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

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

WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/PDT/CURRENTHAZARDS/HWO.HTML

ALL LETTERS IN THE ABOVE URL ARE LOWER CASE.