Weather Alert in Oregon
Special Weather Statement issued August 22 at 1:26AM PDT by NWS Portland OR
AREAS AFFECTED: East Portland Metro; West Columbia River Gorge of Oregon above 500 ft; West Columbia River Gorge I-84 Corridor; Central Columbia River Gorge I-84 Corridor; East Clark County Lowlands; West Columbia River Gorge - SR 14; Central Columbia River Gorge - SR 14; South Washington Cascades
DESCRIPTION: Breezy easterly winds are expected through Friday night for the Columbia River Gorge and adjacent Cascade ridgetops and late Friday morning through Friday evening for the eastern Portland/Vancouver metro. Winds will be strongest on exposed ridgetops where wind gusts will most likely peak between 25-35 mph. Elsewhere, expect wind gusts between 15-20 mph, except up to 30 mph in the western Columbia River Gorge. The breezy east winds will occur simultaneously with low relative humidity values of 20-30% or less, resulting in near critical fire weather conditions. Due to recent rains in the area, larger fuels (such as trees and shrubs) are not dry enough to cause rapid fire spread, but the hot weather will allow fine fuels (such as grasses) to dry out quickly, allowing for potential rapid spread. Use extra caution with potential ignition sources, especially in grassy areas. Outdoor burning is not recommended.
INSTRUCTION: N/A
Want more detail? Get the Complete 7 Day and Night Detailed Forecast!
Current U.S. National Radar--Current
The Current National Weather Radar is shown below with a UTC Time (subtract 5 hours from UTC to get Eastern Time).

National Weather Forecast--Current
The Current National Weather Forecast and National Weather Map are shown below.

National Weather Forecast for Tomorrow
Tomorrow National Weather Forecast and Tomorrow National Weather Map are show below.

North America Water Vapor (Moisture)
This map shows recent moisture content over North America. Bright and colored areas show high moisture (ie, clouds); brown indicates very little moisture present; black indicates no moisture.

Weather Topic: What are Cirrostratus Clouds?
Home - Education - Cloud Types - Cirrostratus Clouds
Next Topic: Cirrus Clouds
Cirrostratus clouds are high, thin clouds that form above
20,000 feet and are made mostly of ice crystals. They sometimes look like giant
feathers, horse tails, or curls of hair in the sky.
These clouds are pushed by the jet stream and can move at high speeds reaching
100 mph.
What do they indicate?
They indicate that a precipitation is likely within 24 hours.
Next Topic: Cirrus Clouds
Weather Topic: What is Condensation?
Home - Education - Precipitation - Condensation
Next Topic: Contrails
Condensation is the process which creates clouds, and therefore
it is a crucial process in the water cycle.
Condensation is the change of matter from a state of gas into a state of liquid,
and it happens because water molecules release heat into the atmosphere and
become organized into a more closely packed structure, what we might see as
water droplets.
Water is always present in the air around us as a vapor, but it's too small for
us to see. When water undergoes the process of condensation it becomes organized
into visible water droplets. You've probably seen condensation happen before on the
surface of a cold drink!
Next Topic: Contrails
Current conditions powered by WeatherAPI.com