Blue Mountains To Columbia Basin: A Week Of Windy Windows And Brief Showers — Adventure Forecast

October 30, 2025

The meteorological story for the coming week is one of brief, clipped systems riding a southwest flow aloft and a few windy windows in the lee of the Blue Mountains. A ridge holds the Pacific Northwest dry and light today into Friday morning, but the pattern turns more active late Friday into Saturday and again early next week. Read on for what that means for hikers, climbers, bikers, paddlers and pilots across the Pendleton WFO area — with plain-language translation of the NWS discussion and practical guidance for trip planning.

Through Friday morning: Expect calm, mostly dry conditions. A broad upper-level ridge is overhead, which keeps winds light and skies mostly benign. A weak shortwave will undercut the ridge today and bring high clouds (think thin layers around 20–25 kft) this afternoon and evening — nothing to spoil a trail run or after-work climb. Overnight into Friday morning there's a risk of patchy valley fog — typical in cool, stable nights — so expect reduced visibility at dawn in lowlands and valley bottoms.

Friday afternoon into Saturday: The ridge drifts east while a strong upper low in the Gulf of Alaska nudges south. Southwest flow aloft strengthens and a warm front will clip the WA Cascade crest late Friday. Snow levels initially remain very high (above ~9,000 ft), so most recreation areas will see rain rather than snow. A cold front will follow and sag south along the Oregon Cascades late Friday night into Saturday morning, sweeping through the forecast area by Saturday afternoon.

Practical impacts: Saturday brings the best chance for light rain across the lower elevations (roughly 35–75% chance depending on location) but most places will only see very light totals — generally under 0.1 inch in the Columbia Basin, adjacent valleys and central Oregon. The northern Blue Mountain foothills look wetter, with 0.1–0.25 inch possible Saturday afternoon into Saturday night (moderate confidence). Snow levels will fall behind the front, but by the time the air cools enough for snow at pass elevations the precipitation amounts should be extremely light — very low chance (<15%) of even an inch on mountain passes.

Wind hazards: One of the headline risks is wind around the Blue Mountains. A tightening pressure gradient Friday night will make the Grande Ronde Valley and Blue Mountain foothills breezy to locally gusty — 25–40 mph gusts are possible. Southerly breezes develop ahead of the front Saturday morning (good for warm-air advection) and then shift westerly behind the front Saturday afternoon. Southwesterly winds Saturday daytime will be notable (12–24 mph with gusts to ~33 mph in some spots). Expect calmer, lighter winds Sunday as the front departs and a brief ridge rebuilds.

Sunday through midweek: A short-lived ridge returns Sunday into Monday morning with dry, lighter conditions — the cleanest outdoor day in the near term. By Monday afternoon into Tuesday a shortwave and surface low are likely to send another pair of warm/cold fronts across the region, bringing another round of light rain and higher-elevation snow in the Cascades (moderate confidence). The pattern stays active into Wednesday with yet another frontal system possible, so plan for intermittent light precipitation and breezy periods later next week.

Where this matters for activities

• Low-elevation hikes, trail runs and road rides: Today and Friday morning are the most dependable windows. Saturday is usable if you accept light rain and gusty winds in the valleys and foothills — choose sheltered routes or lower-elevation loops away from exposed ridgelines. Sunday is the best day for longer outings.
• Mountain trips and pass crossings: Snow levels are high through Friday; the first cold-frontal push Saturday can drop snow levels but modeled precipitation amounts are light. If you're planning a high-pass or alpine objective, expect chilly, possibly wintry conditions on the highest ridges behind the front but only a slim chance of impactful accumulations.
• River paddling and fishing: Light, spotty rain Saturday won’t raise river levels much in lowland basins — expect only small runoff responses. Wind gusts in the Grande Ronde may affect canoeing or SUPs locally; avoid open-water launches in gusty windows.
• Climbing and bigwall outings: Gusty winds and changing wind direction around peaks Saturday will make technical routes more hazardous; prefer shorter approaches or wait for calmer conditions Sunday.
• Road cycling and bikepackers: Crosswinds and gusts Saturday in the valleys and near canyon gaps can be dangerous for exposed riders. If you're riding, pick lower-traffic corridors with shelter or delay until Sunday.

Aviation note: VFR conditions prevail across local TAF sites today with high-level ceilings near 20–25 kft that thin this evening. Ceilings lower (15–25 kft) as the next system approaches; winds are light (below 6 kts) while the ridge is dominant.

Bottom line: A mostly friendly late-October pattern punctuated by a gusty, damp window Friday night–Saturday, then a nicer Sunday before more systems return early next week. If you need a single planning rule: aim for Sunday for the widest range of safe, comfortable outdoor options. When you go out Saturday, expect wet trails, spotty drizzle, and strong, gusty winds along the Blue Mountain rim and Grande Ronde corridor — pack waterproof layers, secure your tent and avoid exposed ridgelines.