477 FXUS66 KPQR 080403 AAA AFDPQRArea Forecast Discussion...UPDATED National Weather Service Portland OR 903 PM PDT Tue Oct 7 2025
Updated aviation discussion.
.SYNOPSIS...Warm, dry, and sunny conditions today will give way to cooler, cloudier, and wetter weather beginning tomorrow and continuing through the weekend. Low pressure meandering offshore will bring persistent chances for rainfall, most notably as the system moves inland and overhead late Friday into Saturday.
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.DISCUSSION...Now through Monday...Heights aloft have begun to fall ahead of an upper-level trough deepening as it swings southward off the coast of British Columbia while upper-level ridging shifts east of the Rockies. At the surface, thermal troughing along the coast is similarly shifting inland, with pressure gradients supporting earlier easterly flow reversing to yield increasing onshore flow through this evening. This change of airmass will bring much cooler temperatures and increased cloud cover to the region beginning Wednesday.
As the trough pinches off to form a closed upper low atop a deepening surface low centered west of the central Oregon coast, chances for rainfall will increase through the remainder of the workweek. There remains some uncertainty in the position of these vertically-stacked lows, which will affect when rainfall may begin across the region. At this time, there is a 30-40% chance rainfall may begin as early as Wednesday night along the coast and across the western slopes of the Cascades, and around a 50% chance for inland valley locales by Thursday evening, although these chances are sensitive to the position of the low. There is high confidence, 70-90% chances, in rainfall across the region by Friday afternoon and continuing through much of Sunday as consensus remains high that the broad area of low pressure will move inland and overhead through the weekend.
For the period from 5 AM Friday through 5 AM Monday, a reasonable low-end rainfall accumulation, or the rainfall amount with a 75% chance of exceedance, is 0.55-0.75" along the I-5 corridor, and 0.75-1.5" along the coast and in the higher terrain of the Coast Range and Cascades. Conversely, the reasonable high-end accumulation (25% probability of exceedance) is 1-1.5" along the I-5 Corridor and 1.5-3" along the coast and in the higher terrain of the Coast Range and Cascades. Or in an alternative frame, the chances of exceeding 0.5" and 1" of rainfall in the 72-hour period are, respectively, 80-90% and 35-55% along the I-5 corridor, and 90-100% and 75-90% along the coast and in the higher terrain of the Coast Range and Cascades.
As the aforementioned low moves overhead, temperatures will continue to trend cooler across the region, with the snow level falling to 4500-5000 ft by Sunday morning. This will allow snow to accumulate in the High Cascades, however only light and minimally-impactful accumulations are expected at pass level. Frost Advisories may need to be issued in the Upper Hood River Valley as well as valleys within the Cascades and Coast Range as overnight lows fall into the 30s through the weekend. Elsewhere, temperatures will remain cool with daytime highs in the 50s and 60s and overnight lows in the 40s. -36
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.AVIATION...An upper level trough dropping south from the Gulf of Alaska, supporting a weak cold front that continues moving through the region. Marine stratus has developed along the coast but is expected to dissipate between 9-11z Wednesday. Chances for MVFR CIGs throughout the Willamette Valley have increased with chances (70-80%) for MVFR exist across the southern Willamette Valley between 12-18z Wednesday and 30-50% through the northern Willamette Valley. Northwest winds across the area will persist through the period.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR conditions with increasing clouds likely by 12z Wednesday. There is a 30-40% chance of MVFR CIGs between 11-14z. -19/02
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.MARINE...Low pressure shifts inland later today as a weak cold front approaches the waters from the north, causing winds to become more north to northwesterly. Winds are expected to increase through tonight, with more widespread gusts to 25 kt across the outer coastal waters. A Small Craft Advisory remains in effect through 5 AM PDT Wednesday. Seas around 3 to 4 ft are expected to gradually build to around 7 to 8 ft tonight, becoming more steep and choppy.
An area of weak low pressure approaches the coastal waters on Wednesday while winds are expected to weaken, followed by offshore flow on Thursday as the surface low continues to drop south. Seas are likely to linger around 5 to 7 ft through the end of the week. Still some uncertainty where the surface low hangs out at on Friday, but will likely push inland by Saturday. /02
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.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None. WA...None. PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 2 AM PDT Wednesday for PZZ210. Small Craft Advisory until 5 AM PDT Wednesday for PZZ251>253- 271>273. &&
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NWS PQR Office Area Forecast Discussion