785 FXUS66 KMFR 132137 AFDMFRArea Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Medford OR 237 PM PDT Sat Sep 13 2025
.DISCUSSION...Warm temperatures continue across the area today as an upper ridge remains over the area. This ridge moves to the east, allowing a weak front to arrive this evening and move over the area on Sunday. This front will bring a day of cool temperatures as well as chances for rain showers through the day. Coos and Curry counties look to get the most rainfall, with half an inch possible around Cape Blanco. Overall, rainfall amounts will be unimpactful. There are slight chances (15-25%) of embedded thunderstorms occuring as the front moves to the east.
A progressive pattern continues with an upper ridge guiding conditions to start the week. The main impact will be another round of warmer temperatures. East winds may be with west side valleys peaking in the high 80s to low 90s on Tuesday. East side areas are forecast to be in the low to mid 80s on Tuesday and Wednesday. Fire weather concerns remain in this period and are addressed in the discussion below.
An upper trough could bring near-seasonal temperatures to end next week. Most of the activity with this trough look to pass to the north of the areas. However, southwest flow around the trough may allow for isolated thunderstorms in northern California or east of the Cascades on Friday afternoon and evening. Details for this period remain coarse. Beyond Friday, models continue to diverge in overall pattern. Meteogram guidance generally indicates temperatures staying at or just above seasonal levels and long-term precipitation signals remain scrambled. -TAD
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.AVIATION...13/18Z TAFs...A mix of IFR/MVFR conditions persist along the coast and into the northern portions of the Umpqua Basin. This will gradually improve over the next few hours, lifting to MVFR with at least a brief period of VFR conditions possible along the coast this afternoon. For inland locations, VFR conditions will prevail through this evening with typical afternoon breezes and increasing high level cloud cover ahead of an approaching system.
A front will move onshore this evening and spread through the region overnight. This will bring lowering conditions from west to east along with increasing mountain obscurations along and west of the Cascades. Generally IFR conditions are expected along the coast with a mix of low end VFR and MVFR conditions for terminals west of the Cascades. There`s pretty good agreement on increased thunderstorm chances (20-30%) along the coast/coast ranges westward between 06z- 12z tonight, and potentially into the Umpqua Basin as well after 09z. A slight chance of thunderstorms (10-15%) will continue for the reminder of south central Oregon into early Sunday morning, and linger for eastern Lake County through Sunday afternoon. /BR-y
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.MARINE...Updated 200 PM PDT Saturday, September 13, 2025... Northwest swell-influenced seas remain below advisory levels tonight and through Sunday afternoon. An approaching front will bring marine showers and increased northwest swell tonight and through the day Sunday. A thermal trough looks to develop on Sunday afternoon, bringing gusty northerly winds and steep seas south of Cape Blanco Sunday evening through Monday morning. Steep seas will build across all waters from Monday morning through Tuesday morning before conditions improve through Wednesday morning.
On Wednesday afternoon, wind-built unsettled seas are possible as well. Gusty northerly winds look to build across all waters, with forecast gusts approaching gale speeds over waters south of Cape Blanco on Thursday. This period will be watched closely as it approaches. -TAD
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.FIRE WEATHER...Updated 200 PM PDT Saturday, September 13, 2025...Fire weather concerns fairly are minimal through the weekend. Another trough swings through the region later today through Sunday, bringing another round of beneficial rainfall. Highest rainfall amounts and best chances for wetting rains are along the coast range westward and into the Umpqua Basin. The front arrives at the coast later this evening, then moves inland overnight and is already east of the area by late Sunday afternoon. Guidance shows an area of showers with some potential thunderstorms developing over portions of Fire Weather Zones (FWZs) 624 and 625 ahead of this front late tonight. Meanwhile, isolated thunderstorms are possible along the coast late tonight as this front pushes onshore. Isolated thunderstorms are possible as far west as the Umpqua Basin and Rogue Valley, but chances are lower compared to areas along the Coast Range westward.
Behind this front, upper level ridge builds in and a thermal trough develops along the coast. This will induce a period of easterly/offshore flow and bring about a sharp warming and drying trend for the Monday-Wednesday period. East to northeasterly winds develop Sunday night into Monday morning, but recoveries will remain on the good side. It`s not until Monday night/Tuesday morning that recoveries really drop in to the moderate to locally poor range. Currently, it looks like recoveries are lowest on Tuesday morning, but as drier air spreads eastward, more areas will see moderate to locally poor recoveries for Wednesday morning as well. Current guidance bottoms out RH recoveries in the 30-40% range (down to 25% for some of the higher peaks), and has winds gusting to 15-20 mph. This doesn`t quite reach criteria for watch/warning products, and typically it needs to be at least a few nights in a row to get the RHs to really drop low enough. As such, we`ll be maintaining a headline for this event in the Fire Weather Planning Forecast (FWFMFR). Meanwhile, daytime humidities will trend lower with teens/low 20s common across the region on Tuesday. Min RHs will also trend higher on Wednesday as the flow becomes onshore again.
A weak and dry front is expected to move into the area late Wednesday. This may result in some enhanced afternoon breezes for inland area. Otherwise, expect temperatures to trend less warm Wednesday into Thursday.
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.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...CA...None.
PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...Small Craft Advisory from 5 PM Sunday to 5 AM PDT Tuesday for PZZ350-356-370-376.
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TAD/MNF
NWS MFR Office Area Forecast Discussion