Sunny stretch continues across Central Oregon, 80s stick around into the weekend

If it feels like Central Oregon skipped spring and jumped straight into early summer, you’re not wrong.

We’re in the middle of a warm, dry pattern that’s going to stick around for a while, bringing plenty of sunshine and temperatures running well above normal across Bend, Redmond, Madras and Prineville.

Despite prescribed burns happening at Pine Mountain in the Deschutes National Forest, air quality remained in the Healthy category across Central Oregon.

Sunny and warm, with a bit of a breeze

For the rest of today, expect mostly sunny skies and highs climbing into the upper 70s to low 80s. It’ll be a little breezy at times this afternoon, with north winds picking up and occasional gusts around 25 mph.

Tonight stays quiet and clear, with temperatures dropping into the mid 40s to low 50s, pretty comfortable for early May.

Midweek: More 80s and staying dry

Wednesday looks even warmer, with more low 80s across the High Desert and light winds turning a bit breezy in the afternoon.

You might notice a few more clouds drifting through on Wednesday night, but overall, the pattern stays dry.

Thursday keeps the same theme going, sunny, warm, and right around that upper 70s to low 80s range. Winds will shift slightly out of the west, but nothing too impactful.

Looking toward the weekend

By the end of the week, temperatures ease back just a bit, but not by much.

Highs will settle into the 70s and low 80s Friday through Saturday, with a mix of sun and clouds. There’s a small chance of a few showers in the Cascades late Friday into Friday night, but for most of Central Oregon, it’s looking dry.

Heading into Mother’s Day Sunday, temperatures rebound back into the 80s with partly cloudy skies, another warm day shaping up across the region.

In the Mountains: Cooler, but still mild

If you’re heading toward Sisters, Sunriver, or Camp Sherman, expect cooler temperatures but the same overall pattern.

Highs will mostly stay in the 60s to 70s through midweek, with some afternoon breezes and a few passing clouds. By the weekend, temperatures will gradually warm back into the 70s and even low 80s in some valley spots.

Fire and air quality concerns

The good news is that recent fires like the Trout Creek Fire are now fully contained.

But with this warm, dry stretch, we’re starting to see early signs of fire-season conditions building. On top of that, prescribed burns happening around the region could lead to some localized smoke, especially late at night and early in the morning when winds calm down.

Fire and smoke maps showed Central Oregon in the Health Category for most of the day Tuesday.

The big picture

Zooming out, this whole pattern is being driven by a ridge of high pressure sitting over the Pacific Northwest. That ridge is basically blocking storms and keeping things warm and dry.

And right now, there’s no strong signal that it’s going anywhere soon.

Bottom line

• Warm and sunny through the week
• Highs consistently near or above 80
• Mostly dry, with only a slight chance of mountain showers late week
• Early-season fire concerns are slowly building

It’s great weather to get outside, but it’s also a reminder that Central Oregon is drying out earlier than usual.