Heavy Snow in Washington, February 7 to 9, 2008

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
930 AM PST THU FEB 7 2008

UPDATED AVIATION SECTION

.SHORT TERM...UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE WITH STRONG ASSOCIATED JET
CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE PACNW THIS MORNING. COLD FRONT WITH
THIS DISTURBANCE IS ROUGHLY EXTENDING FROM EXTREME EASTERN WALLOWA
COUNTY SOUTHWEST INTO SOUTH-CENTRAL OREGON AT THE MOMENT. THIS FRONT
SHOULD PRETTY MUCH BE OUT OF THE REMAINDER OF OREGON BY NOON. THUS
MAIN PROBLEM TODAY WILL BE THE CONTINUATION OF THE POST-FRONTAL
WINDS THAT ARE OCCURRING ACROSS THE REGION. EXPECT GRADIENTS TO
GRADUALLY WEAKEN THIS AFTERNOON...BUT ON THE WHOLE THE GRADIENTS AND
WINDS ALOFT SUPPORT THE CONTINUATION OF THE CURRENT WIND WARNINGS
AND ADVISORIES. THE ONE EXCEPTION IS THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY WHERE
WINDS HAVE SHIFTED TO WESTERLY AND AS SUCH ONLY EXPECT BREEZY
CONDITIONS THERE...AND THE ADVISORY HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE.
STRONG WEST FLOW HAS BEEN PRODUCING STRONG SHADOWING IN THE LEE OF
THE CASCADES AND THEREFORE ONLY EXPECT ISOLATED SHOWERS AT THE MOST
THROUGH THE REST OF THE DAY IN THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN AND YAKIMA
VALLEYS. ELSEWHERE SCATTERED SHOWERS (NUMEROUS IN THE MOUNTAINS) DUE
TO INCREASING INSTABILITY AND UPSLOPE AFFECTS. HIGHER AMOUNTS OF
PRECIP WILL CONTINUE NEAR THE CASCADE CREST...ESPECIALLY IN
WASHINGTON...DUE STRONG SLOP OVER. WILL CONTINUE SNOW/BLOWING SNOW
ADVISORIES IN THE SOUTHERN/CENTRAL WASHINGTON CASCADE EAST SLOPES
DUE TO THE WINDS AND CONTINUED STRONG SLOP OVER. UPDATES THIS
MORNING WILL BE TO REDUCE POPS AND SOME CLOUD COVER...AS WELL AS
TRIM BACK WINDS IN THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY. 90

.LONG TERM...PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...A BROAD UPPER RIDGE ALONG THE
COAST WILL KEEP A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER THE FORECAST AREA
THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM PERIOD INTO THE EXTENDED.
WEAK WEATHER DISTURBANCES EMBEDDED IN THE FLOW WILL BRING PERIODIC
EPISODES OF RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS. SNOW LEVELS WILL RISE TO
AROUND 4000-4500 FEET MSL BY SATURDAY. THIS WILL CONFINE ANY SNOW TO
THE MOUNTAINS WITH RAIN IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. A COLD FRONT WILL
MOVE ACROSS THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST ON SUNDAY WHILE A STRONGER SYSTEM
IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INTO THE REGION SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND SUNDAY
NIGHT. A MORE AMPLIFIED HIGH PRESSURE RIDGE WILL THEN BUILD OVER THE
REGION ON MONDAY WITH A COOL BUT DRY NORTH TO NORTHWEST FLOW
RETURNING TO THE AREA. HOWEVER THE OVERALL PATTERN WILL REMAIN
PROGRESSIVE WITH FREQUENT WEATHER SYSTEMS AND NO LONG TERM BLOCKING
RIDGES OR TROUGHS EXPECTED. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR TO ABOVE
NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD WITH SNOW LEVELS HIGH ENOUGH TO KEEP
SNOWFALL MAINLY IN THE MOUNTAINS AND RAIN IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS.

&&

.AVIATION...MAIN CONCERN WILL BE WINDY CONDITIONS IN THE LOWER
COLUMBIA BASIN AND THE BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS. WIND SPEEDS IN THESE
AREAS WILL RANGE FROM 20 TO 30 KTS WITH GUSTS 40 KTS OR MORE AT
TIMES. WINDY CONDITIONS WILL DECREASE IN THE LATE AFTERNOON AND
EVENING. A FEW SHOWERS WILL OCCUR MAINLY NEAR THE CASCADES
MOUNTAINS. OVERALL VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED BUT DROPPING TO MVFR
NEAR SHOWERS.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT  46  34  44  37 /  30  20  20  20
ALW  48  34  46  39 /  30  20  30  20
PSC  51  36  47  37 /  20  20  20  20
YKM  46  27  48  35 /  20  20  20  20
HRI  49  33  47  36 /  20  20  20  20
ELN  39  30  42  31 /  30  20  20  20
RDM  46  23  43  29 /  30  20  20  20
LGD  41  28  38  31 /  40  30  30  20
GCD  44  29  41  30 /  30  20  30  20
DLS  48  36  46  37 /  40  30  20  20

&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR ORZ044-501.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR ORZ042-043-504.

     SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
     ORZ502.

WA...SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
     WAZ501-502.

     HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR WAZ028-029.

     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR WAZ026-027.

     SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW ADVISORY UNTIL 3 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
     WAZ030.

&&

TI:RGG
FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON
90/88/91

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1030 AM PST THU FEB 7 2008

UPDATED TO REMOVE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY FROM STRONG WINDS

ORZ041>044-049-050-501>506-WAZ024-026>030-501-502-081245-
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-
1030 AM PST THU FEB 7 2008

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

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

STRONG WIND
     KITTITAS VALLEY, YAKIMA VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF
     WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON,
     NORTH CENTRAL OREGON, CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF
     OREGON, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, NORTHERN
     WHEELER AND SOUTHERN GILLIAM COUNTIES

PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL REMAIN TIGHT AND PRODUCE STRONG WINDS ACROSS
PORTIONS OF THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN TODAY. WINDS GUSTS OF 40 TO 60 MPH
ARE EXPECTED. ELSEWHERE VERY WINDY CONDITIONS CAN BE EXPECTED.
PLEASE REFER TO PRODUCT PDXNPWPDT FOR FURTHER INFORMATION.

SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO FALL OVER THE EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON
CASCADES AND OVER THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. ALONG WITH THE SNOW...VERY
WINDY CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN BLOWING AND DRIFTING OF SNOW
REDUCING VISIBILITIES. PLEASE REFER TO PRODUCT PDXWSWPDT FOR
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY ACROSS MOST PORTIONS OF THE AREA
DUE TO STRONG WINDS AND WINDY CONDITIONS. ALSO IN AREA MOUNTAINS
WHERE SNOW AND BLOWING SNOW WILL OCCUR.

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.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
101 PM PST THU FEB 07 2008

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

1230 PM     SNOW             3 W TOLLGATE            45.79N 118.16W
02/07/2008  M8.0 INCH        UMATILLA           OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            RECEIVED 8 INCHES SNOW IN 24 HOURS. ELEV 4300 FT.

1240 PM     SNOW             NNW TOLLGATE            45.79N 118.11W
02/07/2008  E7.0 INCH        UMATILLA           OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            RECEIVED ESTIMATED 7 INCHES SNOW IN 24 HOURS.

&&

AA