Oregon, 2006

Wildfire in Oregon, May 18, 2006

May 18, 2006 · NWS PDT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 wildfire, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$10,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 18, 3:40 PM PST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 18, 3:40 PM PST, 1 hour 20 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
440 PM PDT THU MAY 18 2006

UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. LATEST RADAR WAS
SHOWING THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE
REGION IN OREGON. ABUNDANT MOISTURE REMAINS IN PLACE OVER THE AREA
WITH PWAT PUSHING ABOVE AN INCH AND SFC DEW POINTS RISING INTO THE
50S. COMBINING THIS WITH NEAR RECORD HEAT AND A MID LEVEL SHORT WAVE
THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING NORTH AND EXPAND IN COVERAGE
AND INTENSITY INTO THIS EVENING. WITH A FAIRLY LOW WBZ...HAIL
GREATER THAN HALF INCH IS BRIEFLY POSSIBLE AND DUE TO THE SLOW
MOVEMENT OF STORMS SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE. AN
INVERTED V SOUNDING AND THE TSTORMS MAY ALSO PRODUCE GUSTY WINDS. A
COOL FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION TOMORROW WITH NOTICEABLY COOLER
AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES EXPECTED ESPECIALLY IN THE WEST ALONG THE
CASCADES. WITH THE APPROACH OF THE FRONT...AND AN UPPER LEVEL JET
POSITIONING ITSELF OVERHEAD BY LATE AFTERNOON/TOMORROW NITE...THE
CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ON THE INCREASE. A MID
LEVEL LOW OFF THE N CA/OR COAST WILL REMAIN STATIONARY SPINNING
DISTURBANCES ACROSS THE TWO STATE AREA KEEPING THE UNSETTLED AND
COOLER WEATHER IN THE FORECAST SATURDAY.

.LONG TERM...SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY...AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY.  AN UPPER LEVEL SYSTEM OFF
THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL AT TIMES SEND DISTURBANCES AND MOISTURE
NORTHWARD ACROSS THE INTERIOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST.  SUNDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING THERE MAY BE ADEQUATE INSTABILITY AND VERTICAL WIND
SHEAR FOR SOME ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.  MONDAY LOOKS SOMEWHAT
MORE STABLE BUT STILL A SLIGHT CHANCE OF AFTERNOON/EVENING
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS. BY WEDNESDAY CONDITIONS LOOK DRIER
AND MORE STABLE.  80

&&

.AVIATION DISCUSSION... LOCAL MVFR CONDITIONS ARE POSSIBLE AS
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE THIS EVENING...OTHERWISE VFR
CONDITIONS WILL GENERALLY PREVAIL. WILL INCLUDE VCTS IN
KRDM...KDLS...KPDT...AND KALW THIS EVENING.  THERE IS A SMALL CHANCE
THAT THUNDER MAY MAKE IT TO KPSC...BUT WILL LEAVE OUT OF THE TAF FOR
NOW.

&&

.HYDROLOGY...FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NACHES RIVER
NEAR NACHES.  A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE IMNAHA RIVER AT
IMNAHA.  FORECASTERS ARE ALSO MONITORING THE GRANDE RONDE RIVER AT
TROY...ALTHOUGH FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED THERE.  THE RAPID SNOW MELT
RUNOFF IS THE MAIN REASON FOR THE HIGH WATER LEVELS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT  63  85  56  74 /  40  20  30  30
ALW  65  87  58  76 /  40  20  30  30
PSC  62  90  58  81 /  20  20  30  20
YKM  62  83  56  76 /  20  20  30  30
HRI  61  87  56  78 /  30  20  30  20
ELN  58  81  53  74 /  20  20  30  30
RDM  52  77  48  68 /  40  20  40  30
LGD  57  85  54  72 /  40  20  30  30
5J0  52  85  51  74 /  50  20  40  30
DLS  61  79  56  75 /  20  20  40  30

&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...FLOOD WATCH FOR THE IMNAHA RIVER AT IMNAHA IN WALLOWA COUNTY
     (ORZ050).
WA...FLOOD WARNING FOR THE NACHES RIVER NEAR NACHES IN YAKIMA
     COUNTY (WAC077)

&&

TI:YGG
FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON
97/80/80
Hazardous weather outlook, May 18, 2:30 PM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED TYPOS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
330 PM PDT THU MAY 18 2006

WAZ024-501-502-026>030-ORZ041>044-049-050-501>506-191130-
EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES OF WASHINGTON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON-
KITTITAS VALLEY-YAKIMA VALLEY-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS-EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON-
NORTH CENTRAL OREGON-CENTRAL OREGON-
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON-GRANDE RONDE VALLEY-WALLOWA COUNTY-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
NORTHERN WHEELER AND SOUTHERN GILLIAM COUNTIES-JOHN DAY BASIN-
OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS-
330 PM PDT THU MAY 18 2006

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

FLOOD WARNING
     EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES OF WASHINGTON

THUNDERSTORMS
     EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, EAST SLOPES OF THE
     SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON, KITTITAS VALLEY, YAKIMA
     VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS OF THE
     BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS,
     EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON, NORTH CENTRAL OREGON,
     CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON, GRANDE RONDE
     VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF
     OREGON, NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, SOUTHERN BLUE
     MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, NORTHERN WHEELER AND SOUTHERN GILLIAM
     COUNTIES, JOHN DAY BASIN, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS

A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE NACHES RIVER NEAR NACHES.
PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENT PDXFLSPDT WWUS86 KPDT
FOR DETAILS.  SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT ACROSS
EASTERN OREGON AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS
OVER SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON.  THE BIGGEST THREAT WITH
THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT WILL BE WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH AND HAIL UP TO
ONE HALF INCH IN DIAMETER.  HOWEVER...A FEW THUNDERSTORMS MAY
PRODUCE HAIL UP TO PENNY SIZE OR WIND GUSTS TO 55-60 MPH.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

FLOOD WARNING FRIDAY THROUGH
     EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES OF WASHINGTON

THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
     EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, EAST SLOPES OF THE
     SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON, KITTITAS VALLEY, YAKIMA
     VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS OF THE
     BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS,
     EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON, NORTH CENTRAL OREGON,
     CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON, GRANDE RONDE
     VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF
     OREGON, NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, SOUTHERN BLUE
     MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, NORTHERN WHEELER AND SOUTHERN GILLIAM
     COUNTIES, JOHN DAY BASIN, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS

FLOOD WATCH SATURDAY UNTIL MONDAY
     WALLOWA COUNTY

THE FLOOD WARNING FOR THE NACHES RIVER NEAR NACHES IS IN EFFECT
THROUGH SUNDAY.  A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE IMNAHA RIVER AT
IMNAHA FOR SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY.  PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD
WATCH PDXFFAPDT WWUS66 KPDT FOR DETAILS.  ANOTHER ROUND OF
AFTERNOON/EVENING THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST FOR FRIDAY THROUGH
SUNDAY. THUNDERSTORMS MAY PRODUCE HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...AND GUSTY
WINDS.  THE UNSETTLED WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY TODAY DUE TO SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

GRAPHICAL FORECASTS OF WEATHER HAZARDS OUT TO SEVEN DAYS
ARE DISPLAYED ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT:

WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/PENDLETON/CURRENTHAZARDS/HWO.HTML

ALL LETTERS IN THE ABOVE URL ARE LOWER CASE...EXCEPT THE H IN
CURRENTHAZARDS.

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 18, 1:46 PM PST, 3 hours 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
246 PM PDT THU MAY 18 2006

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0120 PM     HAIL             9 NW SENECA             44.24N 119.09W
05/18/2006  E0.25 INCH       GRANT              OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

0150 PM     HAIL             25 SW JOHN DAY          44.16N 119.31W
05/18/2006  E0.50 INCH       GRANT              OR   PUBLIC

&&

RCRAMP

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.

Wildfire, Lower Columbia Basin

When
May 18, 5:00 PM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where
Lower Columbia Basin forecast zone
Property damage
$10,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
45.506, -119.160 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Gusty winds picked up embers from a controlled burn and started a workshop on fire just east of Hermiston.

What these are

Wildfire
A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oregon in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, May 2006

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5506994.