A tight pressure gradient produced strong winds in the southern Grande Ronde Valley. Wind gusts in mph included 7 miles south southeast of LaGrande (65) and LaGrande Airport (60, and Union (58).
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.
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.
The episode as NWS PDT wrote it up.
A tight pressure gradient produced strong winds in the southern Grande Ronde Valley. Wind gusts in mph included 7 miles south southeast of LaGrande (65) and LaGrande Airport (60, and Union (58).
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 Jan 1, 8:55 AM PST, 3 hours 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
855 AM PST TUE JAN 1 2008
.UPDATE...WINDS IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY
HAVE INCREASED TO 30-35 KNOTS AND WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE AS THE
DAY PROGRESSES. CURRENTLY...THERE IS A 11.7 MB GRADIENT FROM
ONTARIO TO MEACHAM. THIS WAS UNDERFORECAST BY MODELS...AND MODELS
SHOW GRADIENTS TIGHTENING TONIGHT. HAVE ISSUED A WIND ADVISORY FOR
THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY THROUGH 6 PM FOLLOWED BY A HIGH WIND WARNING
FROM 6 PM TONIGHT TO 3 PM WEDNESDAY. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS A
MAJOR CONCERN IN THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY AND HAVE INCLUDED THIS IN
THE FORECAST.
ANOTHER UPDATE WILL BE TO REMOVE THE PATCHY FREEZING FOG FROM THE
FORECAST IN THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN...THE KITTITAS AND YAKIMA
VALLEYS...AND THE EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE. JOHNSON
&&
.AVIATION...VFR CONDITIONS WITH MID TO HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS WILL
CONTINUE AT ALL TAF SITES TODAY AND TONIGHT. SURFACE WINDS WILL
REMAIN BELOW 15 KTS. DK
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 230 AM PST TUE JAN 1 2008/
SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THERE WILL BE
INCREASING CLOUDS TONIGHT AHEAD OF A WARM FRONT. PRECIPITATION WILL
DEVELOP OVER MOST OF EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH CENTRAL AND
NORTHEAST OREGON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING DUE TO ISENTROPIC
LIFT ASSOCIATED WITH THE WARM FRONT. WARM ADVECTION WILL KEEP
PRECIPITATION IN THE COLUMBIA BASIN MAINLY RAIN...WITH SNOW MORE
LIKELY IN HIGHER ELEVATIONS TO THE SOUTH. COLD AIR DAMMING WITH LOW
LEVEL UPSLOPE WINDS WILL KEEP COLD AIR TRAPPED IN THE KITTITAS AND
YAKIMA VALLEYS...PRODUCING AN ISOTHERMAL TEMPERATURE PROFILE AND A
MIXTURE OF SLEET AND SNOW. FREEZING RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN THE SOUTHERN
PART OF THE KITTITAS AND YAKIMA VALLEYS WHERE COLD AIR WILL BE THE
SHALLOWEST...BUT THINK THAT A RAIN/SNOW MIX IS MORE LIKELY. AFTER
THE WARM FRONT MOVES NORTH THERE WILL BE SOME BRIEF CLEARING...
PARTICULARLY IN OREGON.
LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...A MILD SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW
WILL PREVAIL DURING THE EXTENDED PERIOD FROM THURSDAY UNTIL ABOUT
SATURDAY. FREQUENT WEATHER DISTURBANCES IN THE FLOW WILL MOVE ACROSS
THE PACIFIC NW FROM THE SOUTHWEST. WITH MILD AIR REMAINING IN PLACE
AND HIGH SNOW LEVELS THE PRECIPITATION WILL FALL MOSTLY AS RAIN IN
THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN AND SURROUNDING VALLEYS/FOOTHILLS. SOME
MOUNTAIN VALLEYS WILL ALSO SEE MAINLY RAIN SUCH AS THE JOHN DAY
BASIN...THE LOWER DESCHUTES RIVER BASIN AND THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY.
SNOW WILL BE CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAINS...THOUGH THE YAKIMA AND
KITTITAS VALLEYS MAY SEE SOME SNOW OR MIXED PRECIPITATION AT TIMES
AS COLD AIR WILL TEND TO BECOME TRAPPED THERE UNDER WARMER AIR ABOVE
IT. IT WILL BECOME WINDY AT TIMES IN THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY AND ON
EXPOSED RIDGES IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS AS EACH WEATHER DISTURBANCE
APPROACHES THE CWA. AFTER SATURDAY THE OVERALL FLOW ALOFT WILL
BECOME MORE WEST TO NORTHWEST. THIS WILL ALLOW COOLER AIR TO MOVE
INTO THE CWA WITH SNOW LEVELS LOWERING A COUPLE THOUSAND FEET. THIS
WILL ALSO BE A SOMEWHAT DRIER PATTERN...WITH PRECIPITATION STAYING
MAINLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS AS SNOW SHOWERS.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 34 28 41 32 / 0 0 20 20
ALW 36 29 44 35 / 0 0 20 20
PSC 33 26 38 28 / 0 0 20 30
YKM 31 26 36 28 / 0 0 30 30
HRI 34 24 41 29 / 0 0 20 20
ELN 29 20 35 28 / 0 0 30 30
RDM 38 25 43 29 / 0 0 20 20
LGD 29 23 36 27 / 0 0 20 20
GCD 31 22 36 28 / 0 0 20 20
DLS 37 30 39 32 / 0 0 30 30
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM PST WEDNESDAY
FOR ORZ049.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR ORZ049.
WA...NONE.
&&
TI:GYG
FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON
85/84/84HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
834 AM PST TUE JAN 1 2008
UPDATED FOR WIND INFORMATION IN THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY
ORZ041>044-049-050-501>506-WAZ024-026>030-501-502-021415-
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-
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON-KITTITAS VALLEY-
YAKIMA VALLEY-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS-
EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES OF WASHINGTON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON-
834 AM PST TUE JAN 1 2008
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
STRONG WIND
GRANDE RONDE VALLEY
AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL MOVE OVER EASTERN WASHINGTON AND OREGON
TODAY WITH PARTLY CLOUDY SKIES. WINDS ARE GENERALLY LIGHT EXCEPT
ACROSS THE SOUTHERN GRANDE RONDE VALLEY. WINDS WILL INCREASE TODAY
IN THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY AND BECOME STRONG TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY.
A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY THROUGH 6
PM THIS EVENING...AND A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FROM 6 PM
THIS EVENING TO 3 PM PST WEDNESDAY. BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW IS
LIKELY IN THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY...AND THE VISIBILITY WILL BE
SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED AT TIMES. FOR DETAILS...PLEASE REFER TO THE
LATEST PRODUCT...PDXNPWPDT.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY
SLEET WEDNESDAY
EAST SLOPES OF THE CENTRAL CASCADES OF WASHINGTON, EAST SLOPES
OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES OF WASHINGTON, KITTITAS VALLEY,
YAKIMA VALLEY
STRONG WIND WEDNESDAY
GRANDE RONDE VALLEY
THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY IS IN EFFECT UNTIL
3 PM PST WEDNESDAY. DETAILS CAN BE FOUND IN THE PRODUCT...PDXNPWPDT.
PRECIPITATION WILL DEVELOP OVER MOST OF EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING AHEAD
OF A WARM FRONT. WARM ADVECTION WILL KEEP PRECIPITATION IN THE
COLUMBIA BASIN MAINLY RAIN...WITH SNOW MORE LIKELY IN HIGHER
ELEVATIONS TO THE SOUTH AND ALONG THE CASCADES. COLD AIR WILL BE
TRAPPED IN THE KITTITAS AND YAKIMA VALLEYS...PRODUCING A MIXTURE OF
SLEET AND SNOW. FREEZING RAIN IS POSSIBLE IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF
THE KITTITAS AND YAKIMA VALLEYS WHERE COLD AIR WILL BE THE
SHALLOWEST...BUT A RAIN/SNOW MIX IS MORE LIKELY. AFTER THE WARM
FRONT MOVES NORTH WEDNESDAY EVENING THERE WILL BE SOME BRIEF
CLEARING...PARTICULARLY IN OREGON. A SERIES OF FRONTS WILL MOVE
THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. MILD AIR
WILL REMAIN OVER THE AREA THROUGH FRIDAY...SO THE PRECIPITATION WILL
FALL MOSTLY AS RAIN IN THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN AND SURROUNDING
VALLEYS/FOOTHILLS. SOME MOUNTAIN VALLEYS WILL ALSO SEE MAINLY RAIN
SUCH AS THE JOHN DAY BASIN...THE LOWER DESCHUTES RIVER BASIN AND THE
GRANDE RONDE VALLEY. SNOW WILL BE CONFINED TO THE MOUNTAINS...THOUGH
THE YAKIMA AND KITTITAS VALLEYS MAY SEE SOME SNOW OR MIXED
PRECIPITATION AT TIMES AS COLD AIR WILL TEND TO BECOME TRAPPED THERE
UNDER WARMER AIR ABOVE IT. IT WILL BECOME WINDY AT TIMES IN THE
GRANDE RONDE VALLEY AND ON EXPOSED RIDGES IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS AS
EACH WEATHER DISTURBANCE APPROACHES THE CWA. SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY
THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW WILL BECOME WEST TO NORTHWEST AND BRING COLDER
AIR INTO EASTERN WASHINGTON AND OREGON.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY IN THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY THROUGH
3 PM WEDNESDAY.
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/PDT/CURRENTHAZARDS/HWO.HTML
ALL LETTERS IN THE ABOVE URL ARE LOWER CASE...EXCEPT THE H IN
CURRENTHAZARDS.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, January 2008
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: 70972.