A powerful low pressure area from the Pacific and strong upper level winds brought damaging downslope winds to the southern Grande Ronde Valley and the Joseph area. Wind gusts included 88 mph 3 miles north of Joseph, which caused long term power outages and 60 mph in the North Powder area which brought down tree limbs.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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 powerful low pressure area from the Pacific and strong upper level winds brought damaging downslope winds to the southern Grande Ronde Valley and the Joseph area. Wind gusts included 88 mph 3 miles north of Joseph, which caused long term power outages and 60 mph in the North Powder area which brought down tree limbs. Sustained winds at least 40 mph occured 5 miles west northwest of Union (44 mph) and in the North Powder area (51 mph).
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 Nov 15, 9:25 PM PST, 5 hours 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR 925 PM PST SUN NOV 15 2009 UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION .UPDATE...LIGHT FREEZING RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH AN APPROACHING WARM FRONT HAS BEEN OBSERVED AT STAMPEDE PASS. THEREFORE...IT IS REASONABLE TO ASSUME THAT LIGHT FREEZING RAIN WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE IN OTHER HIGH VALLEYS OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADE EAST SLOPES THROUGH TOMORROW MORNING. OTHER PORTIONS OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES WILL SEE A RAIN/SNOW MIX CHANGING OVER TO RAIN ON MONDAY. WARM FRONTAL RAIN SHOWERS HAVE ALSO BEEN OCCURRING ACROSS NORTHEAST OREGON AND THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN...BUT SHOULD TAPER OFF IN THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS DRIER AIR PUSHES IN FROM THE SOUTH. 82 && .AVIATION...06Z TAFS...VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. A DEVELOPING WEATHER SYSTEM OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST WILL SEND A STREAM OF MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS ACROSS THE AREA. SKIES WILL REMAIN BROKEN TO OVERCAST ABOVE 7000 FEET AGL...EXCEPT AT KYKM WHERE CEILINGS WILL RANGE FROM 3500-5000 FEET. KRDM AND KALW WILL SEE SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 10 TO 20 KT WITH GUSTS TO 30 KTS FOR MUCH OF THE NEXT 24 HOURS. KPDT WILL SEE SIMILAR WINDS AFTER 16/18Z TOMORROW AFTERNOON. 82 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 347 PM PST SUN NOV 15 2009/ SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...TWO MAIN CONCERNS FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS UNDER A RELATIVELY ACTIVE AND SLOWLY CHANGING PATTERN. FIRST IS THE STRENGTHENING OF A SURFACE LOW OFF THE NORTH AMERICAN COAST ALONG WITH THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH DIGGING OFFSHORE THROUGH EARLY TUESDAY MORNING. PRESSURE GRADIENTS BETWEEN THE GREAT BASIN AND THE SURFACE LOW OFFSHORE WILL REMAIN FAIRLY TIGHT UNTIL A COLD FRONT CROSSES THE REGION ON TUESDAY. AS SUCH, SOUTHERLY GRADIENTS WILL REMAIN FAIRLY TIGHT BRINGING BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS TO MOST OF THE AREA THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY. THE MAIN AREA OF CONCERN IS THE SOUTHERN GRANDE RONDE VALLEY WHERE A WIND ADVISORY WAS ISSUED EARLIER TODAY. CURRENT GRADIENTS AND NAM12 FORECAST GRADIENTS BETWEEN KBKE AND KMEH WILL REMAIN AT LEAST 5 MB THROUGH NOON ON TUESDAY WITH THE BULK OF THE PERIOD BETWEEN 6 AND 7 MB. COLD AIR SPILLING FROM THE BAKER VALLEY INTO THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY WILL ALSO MAKE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTIONS TO WIND SPEEDS. WILL NEED TO MONITOR AS THIS WILL PLACE THAT AREA ON THE UPPER END OF THE ADVISORY RANGE AND POSSIBLE INTO HIGH WIND WARNING RANGE SHOULD GRADIENTS TIGHTEN FURTHER. SECOND CONCERN IS FOR A LINGERING POTENTIAL FOR LIGHT FREEZING RAIN ACROSS THE HIGHER VALLEYS OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADE EAST SLOPES TONIGHT AND TOMORROW MORNING. REGION WILL CONTINUE TO SEE A STREAM OF WARM MOIST AIR AND PRECIPITATION MAINLY WEST OF THE CASCADES WITH THE FOCUS MAINLY ON THE CENTRAL CASCADES FOR MOST OF TONIGHT. AS THE FLOW TURNS MORE SOUTHERLY TONIGHT, A SLIGHTLY WARMER NOSE WILL CROSS THE EAST SLOPES BUT THE PROFILE STILL REMAINS MARGINAL FOR FREEZING RAIN. ADDITIONALLY, A SOUTHEASTERLY PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL POTENTIALLY TRAP COLD AIR AGAIN TONIGHT IN THE HIGHER VALLEYS. BEST CHANCES OF SEEING EVERYTHING COME TOGETHER WILL BE NEAR THE CASCADE CREST OF KITTITAS AND YAKIMA COUNTIES. ELSEWHERE ALONG THE WASHINGTON AND FAR NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING, EXPECT MAINLY A SNOW AND RAIN MIX GRADUALLY TURNING TO RAIN MONDAY AT THE CASCADE PASSES WITH ONLY LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS AND RELATIVELY LITTLE IMPACTS EXPECTED. TUESDAY MORNING WILL SEE A COLD FRONT CROSS THE REGION BRINGING A CHANCE OF RAIN OR SNOW NEARLY EVERYWHERE. AT THIS TIME, STRONG INVERSIONS HAVE NOT BEEN INDICATED FOR THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF THE CWA SO DO NOT HAVE ANY WINTERY MIX PRECIPITATION CONCERNS AS MIXING WINDS SHOULD KEEP A FAIRLY STANDARD PROFILE. CURRENT QPF ESTIMATES RESULT IN A COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW FOR THE CASCADE EAST SLOPES ENDING TUESDAY AFTERNOON. /JBONK LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT...A PROGRESSIVE AND STORMY PATTERN IS EXPECTED THROUGH MOST OF THE UPCOMING WORK WEEK. INITIALLY A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL BE MOVING THROUGH THE EASTERN HALF OF THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT AND WILL BRING A CHANCE OF RAIN TO THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA WITH SNOW ABOVE 2000 TO 2500 FEET. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS DO NOT LOOK TOO SUBSTANTIAL SO EXPECT AN INCH OR LESS IN CENTRAL OREGON AND 1 TO 3 INCHES IN THE MOUNTAINS. THERE WILL BE A BREAK BETWEEN SYSTEMS ON WEDNESDAY AND ONLY LINGERING SHOWERS DUE TO UPSLOPE FLOW WILL CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS. WINDS WILL BE LIGHTER AND TEMPERATURES WILL BE DOWN A FEW DEGREES SINCE LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL NOT SEE AS MUCH DOWNSLOPE SOUTHERLY WINDS AS ON TUESDAY. BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL BEGIN CROSSING THE CASCADES AND THE ENTIRE AREA WILL SEE A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 15 TO 25 MPH THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THE SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL RAISE TEMPERATURES AROUND 5 DEGREES AND THUS SNOW LEVELS WILL BE AROUND 4000 TO 4500 FEET AWAY FROM THE CASCADES WITH THIS SYSTEM. A TROUGH WILL FOLLOW THIS SYSTEM INTO THE AREA FRIDAY WITH A CONTINUED CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. TEMPERATURES WILL DROP A FEW DEGREES FRIDAY AS LIGHTER WINDS WILL NOT CREATE AS MUCH DOWNSLOPE COMPRESSIONAL HEATING. PERRY SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL EXIT THE AREA SATURDAY AND NORTHWEST FLOW WILL SET IN AHEAD OF A WEAK RIDGE. HAVE KEPT SLIGHT CHANCE TO CHANCE SHOWERS ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS AS ECMWF AND GFS STILL INDICATE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF QPF...AND UPSLOPE SHOWERS WILL STILL BE OF CONCERN ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS. AS THE RIDGE EXITS THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT ANOTHER SHORTWAVE DISTURBANCE WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF MOISTURE. SHOWER ACTIVITY DURING THE DAY WILL BE MAINLY IN THE FORM OF RAIN DUE TO SOUTHWEST FLOW PROVIDING BRIEF WAA. HOWEVER BY LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING CAA BEHIND THE DISTURBANCE MAY PROVIDE A RAIN SNOW MIX ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. WEBER && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... PDT 33 49 41 53 / 10 10 20 30 ALW 35 49 43 52 / 10 10 10 30 PSC 32 48 43 55 / 10 10 20 30 YKM 31 46 36 50 / 20 20 30 30 HRI 30 49 41 54 / 0 0 20 30 ELN 29 43 36 48 / 30 30 30 40 RDM 26 51 33 48 / 10 10 20 40 LGD 28 38 32 49 / 0 0 0 20 GCD 28 47 37 48 / 0 0 10 20 DLS 35 47 39 48 / 20 20 60 70 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM PST TUESDAY FOR ORZ049. WA...NONE. && THREAT INDEX MONDAY : GREEN TUESDAY : GREEN WEDNESDAY : GREEN GREEN: NONE OR LIMITED NEED FOR WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES. YELLOW: A FEW WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES POSSIBLE OR IN EFFECT. RED: NUMEROUS WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES POSSIBLE OR IN EFFECT. FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT... WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON 82/
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1233 PM PST SUN NOV 15 2009
UPDATED TO ADD WIND TO THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY THROUGH TUESDAY
ORZ041>044-049-050-501>506-WAZ024-026>030-501-502-161415-
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-
1233 PM PST SUN NOV 15 2009
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.
.DAY ONE...TONIGHT
STRONG WIND
GRANDE RONDE VALLEY
TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL LINGER OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS
ACROSS THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY. THIS WILL PRODUCE BREEZY CONDITIONS
FOR THE AREA THROUGH TUESDAY AFTERNOON. AN UPPER TROUGH WILL
CONTINUE TO DIG SOUTH TOWARDS THE EASTERN PACIFIC THROUGH TONIGHT.
STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL KEEP SKIES MOSTLY CLOUDY. MEANWHILE
LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE WEST OF THE CASCADES.
THIS MOISTURE WILL AFFECT THE CASCADE CREST REGION AND THE CASCADE
EAST SLOPES...ESPECIALLY IN WASHINGTON THROUGH TONIGHT. SNOW LEVELS
WILL RISE TONIGHT...EXPECTING RAIN TO BECOME THE MAIN TYPE OF
PRECIPITATION. HOWEVER...THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY OF SOME LOCAL
LIGHT FREEZING RAIN IF COLD AIR REMAINS TRAPPED IN SOME VALLEYS.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
STRONG WIND MONDAY AND TUESDAY
GRANDE RONDE VALLEY
WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TUESDAY WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS
EXPECTED TO OCCUR MONDAY MORNING AND MONDAY NIGHT. THE UPPER TROUGH
WILL CONTINUE TO DEEPEN OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC MONDAY AND TUESDAY.
THIS PATTERN WILL CONTINUE LIGHT PRECIPITATION NEAR THE CASCADES AND
INTO PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WASHINGTON. THE UPPER TROUGH LOOKS TO MOVE
INTO THE WESTERN U.S. BY MID WEEK...SPREADING ANOTHER ROUND OF COOL
AND UNSETTLED WEATHER ACROSS THE ENTIRE REGION.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.
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.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, November 2009
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: 196897, 196898.