308 FXUS66 KMFR 082158 AFDMFRArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Medford OR 258 PM PDT Mon Sep 8 2025
.SYNOPSIS... Showers and thunderstorms will bring wetting rain to the region from Monday afternoon through Wednesday. Temperatures will be about 10 degrees cooler than normal during this time. Conditions begin to dry out towards the end of the week before another system potential hits the region on Sunday.
.DISCUSSION...
Showers have started to pop up on radar this afternoon ahead of a very dynamic low. We`ve already observed lightning from the geostationary lightning mapper on GOES 18 earlier this morning in the outer waters, so mid level moisture and lapse rates aloft are already enough for for lightning. Thunderstorm probabilities will continue to increase into the afternoon hours are are currently sitting at about 20 to 30%. Those 4 hour lightning probabilities peak up to 80 or 90 percent later this afternoon and early evening over the Central Cascades. The good news is these storms should be on the wet side. Precipitable water(PWAT) is around 1 to 1.25 inches based on polar orbiting satellite data, so storms should lean wetter. Right now, we`re forecasting a wide swath of 0.25 to 0.5 inches of rain west of the Cascades through today.
By tonight, the low will be sitting just off the Oregon coastline with the best divergence aloft farther to the north and east in Washington. There is some chance for nocturnal thunderstorms across the area as low has some negative tilt at 500mb. We don`t have it in the forecast at this time, although the chances are definitely not zero. Showers will persist overnight as the low remains over head.
By Tuesday, we should see more pop up slow moving showers and thunderstorms through the day. It will feel a lot like early fall as the sun breaks through the clouds and warms us up into the mid to upper 70`s west of the Cascades and even upper 60`s along the coast. Overall, no major weather impacts anticipated as the rain should dampen fire activity and smoke production.
More of the same on Wednesday before the upper level low begins to shift eastwards on Thursday. We`ll see precipitation chances on the downtrend around that time as temperatures gradually begin to warm up on Friday and Saturday.
The last noteworthy topic is the start of next week on Sunday. Ensembles seem pretty evenly split on if an upper level low pushes into the forecast area. About 50% are showing this happening while the other 50% are keeping us dry. Because of this, we have about a 50 to 60% chance of rain Sunday afternoon and evening.
-Smith
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.AVIATION...08/18Z TAFs...VFR conditions prevail late this morning across all areas, including along the coast and over the marine waters. However, conditions at the coast lower to mainly MVFR in the afternoon as low pressure approaches and showers develop. MVFR is expected to persist at the coast through 18Z Tuesday morning.
Meantime, VFR conditions will prevail for most inland areas, even as showers increase in coverage through the afternoon. The exception will be areas of mountain obscurations from the Coast Range to the Cascades and into northern Klamath County. Moderate to heavy rain rates may accompany showers with periods of visibilities lowered to MVFR. Embedded thunderstorms (15-30% chance) are expected for inland areas, including at Roseburg and Medford, from 23Z through 04Z. Heavy rainfall and gusty and erratic winds are possible around thunderstorms.
Ceilings will remain mainly VFR while the probability of thunderstorms, and shower coverage decreases after 04Z, but scattered showers and areas of mountain obscuration will continue overnight into Tuesday morning. -DW
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.MARINE...Updated 200 PM PDT Monday, September 8, 2025...Upper level low pressure will move into the region today, bringing widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms through this evening. Far less shower activity is expected on Tuesday as this activity moves inland. Sub-advisory conditions will persist through mid-week under light winds and low seas. South to southeast winds today will turn northerly late tonight into Tuesday, then persist through the end of the week.
Northerly winds should generally remain below advisory criteria through the week, though could be a bit stronger in the favored location south of Port Orford and between 5 and 30 nm from shore during the afternoons Tuesday and Wednesday. While sub-advisory conditions are likely to persist through the end of the week and into the weekend, seas do increase some during the latter half of the week (from 3-5 ft to 5-7 ft)as a low northwest swell (5-6 ft @ 12-14 seconds) builds into the waters starting Thursday and persisting into the weekend.
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.FIRE WEATHER...
Just some limited fire weather concerns today due to the gusty winds and RHs in the upper teens in south central Lake County ahead of this low. All this incoming rain has also raised some concerns of a debris flow on a burn scar later this afternoon or evening, especially over the Emigrant Fire. SPC HREF was showing 1hr rates of 0.5 to 1" and the probability of 1" per hour was about 20 to perhaps 30%. We opted not to go with a flash flood watch as storms should be faster moving, although the risk of a debris flow is definitely not zero.
-Smith
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.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None.
CA...None.
PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...None.
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NWS MFR Office Area Forecast Discussion