Heavy Snow in Washington, January 17, 2006

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1040 PM PST MON JAN 16 2006

.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE WARM FRONT HAS
MOVED ACROSS SOUTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON AND NORTH CENTRAL OREGON AND
IS STILL MOVING THROUGH NORTHEAST OREGON AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON
WHERE IT IS PRODUCING LIGHT RAIN AT LOWER ELEVATIONS AND SNOW ABOVE
3000 FEET.

TIGHTENING PRESSURE GRADIENTS ACROSS EASTERN OREGON ARE PRODUCING
VERY WINDY CONDITIONS IN THE GRAND RONDE VALLEY AT THIS TIME. THE
TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT THUS RESULTING IN
A CONTINUATION OF THE VERY WINDY CONDITIONS THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY
MORNING WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS IN THE VICINITY OF LADD AND PYLES
CANYONS. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINDER OF
TONIGHT UNTIL 6 AM PST TUESDAY.

SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE COAST WITH A
WIDESPREAD AREA OF PRECIPITATION AHEAD OF THE FRONT EXTENDING INLAND
TO THE CRESTS OF THE CASCADES IN WASHINGTON AND NORTHERN OREGON. THE
FRONT IS PRESENTLY MOVING FASTER THAN THE 00Z MODEL RUNS INDICATE.
THE COLD FRONT WILL MOVE TO THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN WASHINGTON CASCADES AND THE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN OREGON
CASCADES LATE TONIGHT AND THEN SLOW DOWN TEMPORARILY ON TUESDAY
MORNING DUE TO AN UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE MOVING NORTHEAST ALONG THE
COLD FRONT DURING THE DAY ON TUESDAY. THE COLD FRONT WILL FINALLY
MOVE THROUGH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON
EARLY TUESDAY EVENING. THE UPPER LEVEL WAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS
SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON AND NORTHEAST OREGON TUESDAY NIGHT...THUS
KEEPING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST AREA. ANOTHER FAST
MOVING UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION WEDNESDAY
WITH A CHANCE OF OROGRAPHIC SNOW SHOWERS IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
WEDNESDAY NIGHT.  POLAN

&&

.AVIATION...IFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL AT KYKM DUE TO LOW CEILINGS
THROUGH TONIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY MORNING. KPDT...KALW AND KRDM WILL
HAVE MVFR CONDITIONS AT TIMES OVERNIGHT. CONDITIONS WILL IMPROVE
LATE TONIGHT AN EARLY TUESDAY MORNING AT ALL TAF SITES AND TWEB
ROUTES AND THEN DETERIORATE LATE TUESDAY AS A COLD FRONT MOVES
THROUGH EASTERN OREGON AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.  POLAN

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT  38  47  36  42 /  70  60  50  30
ALW  40  49  37  42 /  70  60  60  30
PSC  38  49  36  45 /  70  40  40  30
YKM  30  42  31  38 /  70  30  40  30
HRI  38  48  34  44 /  70  50  40  30
ELN  30  38  29  34 /  80  40  40  30
RDM  35  44  30  38 /  60  70  60  40
LGD  34  40  31  36 /  70  70  70  40
5J0  30  43  28  38 /  70  80  70  50
DLS  37  46  35  42 /  70  70  60  30

&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY FOR ORZ506.

     SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY FOR ORZ502.

     SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY FOR ORZ503.

     HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 AM PST TUESDAY FOR ORZ049.

WA...SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY FOR WAZ030.

     HEAVY SNOW WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST TUESDAY FOR WAZ501-WAZ502.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST TUESDAY FOR WAZ026.

&&

TI:YGG
FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON
99/88/99

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1051 PM PST MON JAN 16 2006

WAZ024-501-502-026>030-ORZ041>044-049-050-501>506-171315-
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-
1051 PM PST MON JAN 16 2006

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

WINTER MIX OF SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN
     KITTITAS VALLEY

SNOW
     EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES OF WASHINGTON, EAST SLOPES
     OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON, NORTHWEST BLUE
     MOUNTAINS, NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, SOUTHERN BLUE
     MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS

STRONG WIND
     GRANDE RONDE VALLEY

A STRONG SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS...BRINGING RAIN AND SNOW TO THE REGION. HEAVY SNOW
WARNINGS...A WINTER STORM WARNING AND SNOW ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT
FOR PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST
PRODUCT PDXWSWPDT (WWUS46 KPDT) FOR DETAILS. PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL
REMAIN TIGHT ACROSS NORTHEAST OREGON. THIS WILL PRODUCE VERY WINDY
CONDITIONS IN THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING
WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS OCCURRING IN THE VICINITY OF LADD AND PYLES
CANYONS. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GRAND RONDE
VALLEY THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST
PRODUCT PDXNPWPDT (WWUS76 KPDT) FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

SNOW TUESDAY
     NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS, NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON,
     SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS

STRONG WIND EARLY TUESDAY MORNING
     GRANDE RONDE VALLEY

AS THE PRECIPITATION FROM THE MONDAY WARM FRONTAL PASSAGE WINDS
DOWN...SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
OF OREGON AND WASHINGTON AND THE OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS THROUGH
MID MORNING ON TUESDAY. VERY WINDY CONDITIONS WILL PERSIST IN THE
GRANDE RONDE VALLEY INTO EARLY MORNING ON TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED TONIGHT FOR SNOW AND FREEZING
RAIN IN THE KITTITAS VALLEY.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED TONIGHT AND TUESDAY FOR HEAVY
SNOW ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN CASCADES IN
WASHINGTON AND FOR SNOW IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS IN WASHINGTON AND
OREGON.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE REQUIRED TONIGHT AND EARLY TUESDAY
MORNING IN THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY FOR STRONG WINDS.

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.