893 FXUS66 KPQR 282056 AFDPQRArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Portland OR 156 PM PDT Sun Sep 28 2025
.SYNOPSIS...Dry conditions today become wet and cool for the work week. Multiple frontal systems will bring periods of widespread rain and breezy winds to the region. The first will be Monday, followed by the strongest system Tuesday through Wednesday, with unsettled conditions continuing through Friday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...Sunday Afternoon through Saturday...Satellite imagery early Sunday afternoon shows the first of a number of frontal systems approaching the PacNW, situated around 130 W longitude over the eastern Pacific. Mostly clear skies are being observed currently, except for marine stratus intrusion along the coast. This will allow for one more day of high temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. Cloud cover will become more prevalent late this afternoon and evening across the region as the front approaches. Southerly winds will begin increasing along the coast tonight, with gusts up to 25-35 mph through early Monday morning. Widespread rain associated with this front is expected to make landfall along the coast around 2-5 AM, slowly moving inland into the valley by mid to late morning. Model guidance continues to indicate this front will weaken as it makes landfall, and rain is mostly expected to dissipate by late afternoon with only a few scattered showers continuing into the evening. Latest guidance indicates up to 0.5-0.75 inch of rain expected along the coast and Coast Range with 0.1-0.25 inch inland through 5 AM Tuesday.
The next frontal system won`t be far behind. There will be a brief break in rain for most areas Tuesday morning before the next, stronger frontal system moves into the region midday Tuesday through early Wednesday. Southerly winds will be breezier with this system. Gusts up to 35-45 mph are expected along the coast, though there could be a few isolated gusts up to 50 mph as NBM indicates a 15-25% chance of this, mainly late Tuesday afternoon and evening. Inland areas will mainly see gusts up to 20-25 mph, though there`s a 25-50% chance of peak gusts up to 30 mph, mainly when the front passes Thursday night. Rain will be more widespread with this front, as well, beginning along the coast midday and pushing inland Tuesday night. Conditions become more showery Wednesday, with increasing chances (15-25%) of post-frontal thunderstorms across the entire area Wednesday late morning into the evening hours. Not expecting severe thunderstorms, but any that form could produce heavy rain, gusty winds, and frequent lightning.
Some uncertainty remains on the timing and strength of the next frontal system, but it will be hot on the heels of the second one, moving inland sometime late Wednesday into Thursday along with the parent low that these fronts will be spinning along. Winds are expected to remain generally elevated Wednesday through Thursday with gusts up to 35 mph along the coast and 25 mph inland, possibly increasing again briefly as the front passes. Thunderstorm chances return again on Thursday afternoon and evening, which similar impacts to Wednesday. Depending on the timing and track of this last system, showers could continue into Friday and Saturday, though a number of ensemble members show dry conditions these days. Ensembles indicate a longwave trough will begin deepening somewhere over the Western US on Saturday, but the WPC 500 mb cluster analysis indicates a nearly 50/50 chance of it deepening over the Great Basin area vs over the Pac NW. If it deepens over the PacNW, rain chances will be higher. If it deepens over the Great Basin, dry weather will prevail. Will have to see how the pattern resolves. -HEC
&&
.AVIATION...VFR conditions continue inland beneath increasing high cloud coverage, while along the coast, persistent MVFR or low-VFR cigs are expected. Winds will continue generally out of the south throughout the period ahead of an approaching cold front, with gusts of 20-25 kt likely at coastal terminals through much of the period. A few breaks to VFR are also possible at the coast near 00z Mon, but confidence in timing remains low. Rain arrives and stalls along the coast by 09-12z Mon, not pushing inland until closer to 15-18z Mon, bringing largely MVFR cigs/vis.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR conditions expected through much of the period with increasing high clouds ahead of an approaching cold front. Southerly flow at 5-10 kt will continue, while rain showers beginning to arrive by 15-18z Mon as cigs fall to low-end VFR. Chances for MVFR cigs increase after 18z Mon. -Picard
&&
.MARINE...A cold front moving across the waters through tonight will continue to produce southerly winds of 15-25 kt with gusts up to 30 kt. Gust of 30-40 kt cannot be ruled out, but are likely to remain isolated and intermittent. Seas remain at 8-11 ft, levels hazardous to small craft and meriting continuation of the Small Craft Advisory across the coastal waters and including the Columbia River Bar through tonight. After the front moves onshore Monday morning, winds will ease to 10 kt while seas subside to 6-8 ft by Monday afternoon.
Another, more potent frontal boundary will approach the waters Monday night into Tuesday before moving onshore by Tuesday night. There remains high confidence in widespread gales from midday Tuesday through late Tuesday evening; a Gale Watch also remains in effect through this period across the waters and including the Columbia River Bar. Gusts in excess of 40 kt are very likely, a 75-95% chance, while chances of storm-force gusts greater than 48 kt are generally 15-20% or less. These strong winds will also see seas build to 15-19 ft by Wednesday afternoon, with a 5-25% chance of 20 ft seas beyond 30 NM.
Southerly winds then steadily weaken below 15 kt by Friday while seas similarly ease to 4-6 ft by the end of the week. As the persistent upper low responsible for the repeated frontal passages finally moves inland next weekend, building surface high pressure over the northeastern Pacific will see winds return to a seasonable northerly pattern. -Picard
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None.
WA...None.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 5 AM PDT Monday for PZZ210-251>253- 271>273.
Gale Watch from late Monday night through Wednesday morning for PZZ210-251>253-271>273.
&&
$$
www.weather.gov/portland
Interact with us via social media: www.facebook.com/NWSPortland x.com/NWSPortland
NWS PQR Office Area Forecast Discussion