A tight pressure gradient and southwest flow aloft brought high wind gusts to the Grande Ronde Valley. Peak wind gusts measured in miles per hour were LaGrande Airport (58), Ladd Canyon Rest Stop (65), and Hot Lake (59).
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 and southwest flow aloft brought high wind gusts to the Grande Ronde Valley. Peak wind gusts measured in miles per hour were LaGrande Airport (58), Ladd Canyon Rest Stop (65), and Hot Lake (59). The Ladd Canyon Rest Stop reported sustained winds above 40 mph from 11 pm to 2:15 am.
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 11, 3:48 PM PST, 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
348 PM PST TUE JAN 11 2011
UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION
.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT...VERY ACTIVE WEATHER
PATTERN THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS WITH MULTIPLE WINTER...WIND...AND
HYDRO HIGHLIGHTS IN EFFECT. SNOW WILL BEGIN TO OVERSPREAD THE AREA
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND CONTINUE TONIGHT. A TRANSITION TO FREEZING
RAIN AND THEN RAIN IS EXPECTED FROM SOUTH TO NORTH ON WEDNESDAY.
HEAVIEST SNOWS WILL BE ACROSS THE CASCADE EAST SLOPES AND KITTITAS
VALLEY WHERE THE COLD AIR IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN THE LONGEST. BY LATE
WEDNESDAY THE COLD AIR TRAPPED EAST OF THE CASCADES SHOULD BEGIN TO
GIVE WAY ALL AREAS WITH SNOW LEVELS RISING ABOVE 5000 FEET.
CONSIDERABLE PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED THROUGH THURSDAY OVER THE NE
MOUNTAINS AND CASCADE CREST SO THERE WILL BE SOME POTENTIAL FOR
FLOODING (SEE DISCUSSION BELOW). THERE IS A SLIGHT CONCERN THAT SNOW
LEVELS WILL NOT BE HIGH AS DEPICTED BY THE MODELS OVER THE BLUE
MOUNTAINS AND SOME OF THE RAIN COULD FALL AS HEAVY SNOW. THIS WILL
HAVE TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY SINCE QPF AMOUNTS ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN
EXCESS OF 1.5 INCHES WATER EQUIVALENT.
PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL TIGHTEN SUBSTANTIALLY OVERNIGHT FROM THE
FOOTHILLS EASTWARD TO THE IDAHO BORDER. WITH A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET
IN PLACE...VERY WINDY CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY AND WIND ADVISORIES WILL
BE ISSUED FOR BOTH THE OREGON FOOTHILLS ZONES AND WALLOWA COUNTY.
THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY WILL BE UNGRADED TO A
HIGH WIND WARNING BEGINNING AT 10 PM THIS EVENING. PEAK WINDS ARE
EXPECTED WEDNESDAY MORNING BEFORE SLOWLY SUBSIDING.
.LONG TERM...FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...MODELS ARE IN GOOD
AGREEMENT IN KEEPING A RIDGE CENTERED JUST OFFSHORE FRIDAY THROUGH
THE WEEKEND. OUR AREA WILL BE ON THE BACKSIDE OF THE RIDGE WITH A
NORTHWESTERLY FLOW AND A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES MOVING OVER THE
RIDGE. ONE SYSTEM WILL BE ARRIVING DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY WITH A
CHANCE OF RAIN AND HIGH ELEVATION SNOW THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING.
WITH SOUTHERLY WINDS ARRIVING AHEAD OF THE SYSTEM...HIGHS WILL BE IN
THE MID TO UPPER 40S IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH MID 30S TO LOWER
40S IN THE MOUNTAINS. LOWS WILL NOT DROP VERY FAR OVERNIGHT AND EVEN
SOME MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS WILL REMAIN ABOVE FREEZING. THIS WILL KEEP
SNOW LEVELS ABOVE 4500 TO 5000 FEET. THE RAIN WILL TAPER OFF
SATURDAY BEFORE THE NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVES SATURDAY EVENING WITH RAIN
LIKELY THROUGH SUNDAY. CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN SIMILAR WITH
TEMPERATURES IN THE 40S DURING THE DAY WITH 30S OVERNIGHT. SNOW
LEVELS WILL CONTINUE TO REMAIN AT 4500 TO 5000 FEET SO ONLY THE
HIGHER MOUNTAINS WILL SEE SNOW WITH THIS SYSTEM. PERRY
MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE
WIDESPREAD MOISTURE ACROSS THE INTERIOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST. AND
ALTHOUGH IT IS TOO SOON TO TELL...MODELS STILL INDICATE A POTENTIAL
PATTERN FOR DOWNSLOPE WINDS MONDAY. WITH THIS WIND POTENTIAL HAVE
DECIDED TO KEEPING POPS LOW IN THE LOWER ELEVATION AND HIGHER ALONG
THE MOUNTAINS FOR MONDAY. ANOTHER SYSTEM LOOKS TO MOVE IN TUESDAY
EVENING AND POPS FOR NOW HAVE BEEN INCREASED AS MOISTURE CONTENT
LOOKS TO BE HIGH. CURRENT FORECAST HAS TEMPERATURES COOLING OFF
TUESDAY WITH THIS SYSTEM AND SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO ABOUT 3000
FEET. WEBER
&&
.AVIATION...00Z TAFS...A SYSTEM MOVING INTO THE AREA WILL BRING
STEADILY INCREASING AND LOWERING CLOUD COVER LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT. SNOW SHOWERS HAVE BEGUN TO MOVE INTO THE AREA FROM WEST TO
EAST. SNOW SHOWERS HAVE STARTED AT KRDM AND KBDN WITH MVFR CEILINGS
AND VISIBILITIES. SNOW AT KYKM SHOULD AROUND 02Z AND REACH
KPSC...KALW AND KPDT BY 04-06Z. MVFR AND IFR CEILINGS AND
VISIBILITIES ARE EXPECTED AFTER 04Z ACROSS THE AREA THEN BEGIN
IMPROVING AFTER 15Z AS PRECIPITATION SWITCHES OVER TO RAIN. WARMING
ALOFT WILL CREATE CONDITIONS FOR A FREEZING RAIN/SNOW MIX OVER
PORTIONS OF THE AREA AFTER 06Z. KRDM WILL LIKELY SEE A MIX OF FZRA
AND SNOW CHANGING OVER TO RAIN AROUND 13Z. KYKM WILL SEE SNOW
THROUGH 12Z THEN HAVE A FZRA/SNOW MIX THROUGH 18Z BEFORE SWITCHING
BACK TO ALL SNOW. FZRA IS MARGINAL AT KALW AND KPDT DUE TO SOUTHERLY
WINDS WARMING THE BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS RAPIDLY BUT HAVE OPTED TO
INCLUDE IT THERE AFTER 07Z AND ENDING BY 13Z. FZRA WILL BEGIN AT
KDLS AND KPSC AFTER 09Z AND END AT KDLS BY 18Z AND KPSC BY 20Z.
WINDS WILL BE UNDER 15 KTS THROUGH 12Z TONIGHT BUT WILL BE
INCREASING AFTER 06Z. KPDT WITH SEE SOUTHERLY WINDS OF 20 TO 30 KTS
WITH GUSTS TO 40 KTS AFTER 06Z TAPERING OFF TO 10 TO 20 KTS WITH
GUSTS TO 30 KTS AFTER 20Z. KALW AND KRDM WILL REACH 10 TO 20 KTS
AFTER 12Z AND REMAIN THERE THROUGH TOMORROW AFTERNOON. PERRY
&&
.HYDROLOGY...SNOW LEVELS WILL BE INCREASING TO BETWEEN 5 TO 6
THOUSAND FEET OVERNIGHT WEDNESDAY AND CONTINUE AT THOSE HIGHER
LEVELS THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS OF UP TO 1.5
INCHES IN 24 HOURS IS EXPECTED OVER THE BLUE MOUNTAINS BY THURSDAY
NIGHT AND 1 TO 2 INCHES OF PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED ALONG THE
CASCADE CREST WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING. AT THIS
TIME...NO LARGE RIVER FLOODING IS FORECAST...BUT SMALL STREAM
FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WITH THE COMBINATION OF RAIN AND SNOWMELT. A
FLOOD WATCH WILL BE IN EFFECT WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY
NIGHT. ML
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 24 46 38 45 / 50 50 60 90
ALW 26 43 39 45 / 50 70 70 90
PSC 25 38 38 43 / 80 70 60 80
YKM 22 33 32 37 / 80 70 60 80
HRI 26 39 37 43 / 70 60 60 80
ELN 19 32 30 36 / 100 80 60 80
RDM 28 47 36 50 / 70 70 60 80
LGD 26 38 36 42 / 50 80 80 90
GCD 20 41 34 41 / 70 70 70 100
DLS 28 39 38 44 / 80 80 60 80
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM PST WEDNESDAY
ORZ050.
FLOOD WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY
NIGHT ORZ049-502-507.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM PST WEDNESDAY
ORZ507-508.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST WEDNESDAY ORZ041-042.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM PST
WEDNESDAY ORZ044.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 3 PM PST WEDNESDAY
ORZ049.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING ORZ049.
WA...FLOOD WATCH FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH LATE THURSDAY
NIGHT WAZ029-030-520.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST WEDNESDAY
WAZ024-027-521.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST WEDNESDAY WAZ026-520.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM PST
WEDNESDAY WAZ028.
&&
THREAT INDEX
WEDNESDAY : RED
THURSDAY : YELLOW
FRIDAY : 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
78/83/83HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
238 PM PST TUE JAN 11 2011
UPDATED HAZARDS
ORZ041-042-044-049-050-502-503-505>509-WAZ024-026>030-520-521-
121415-
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON-NORTH CENTRAL OREGON-
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON-GRANDE RONDE VALLEY-WALLOWA COUNTY-
NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-JOHN DAY BASIN-OCHOCO-
JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS-
FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE OREGON CASCADES-
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 OF WASHINGTON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES-SIMCOE HIGHLANDS-
231 PM PST TUE JAN 11 2011
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.
.DAY ONE...TONIGHT
WINTER MIX
SIMCOE HIGHLANDS, EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON,
YAKIMA VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON, EASTERN
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON, NORTH CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER
COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON
SNOW
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES, KITTITAS VALLEY
STRONG WIND
GRANDE RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY, FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN
BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE
MOUNTAINS OF OREGON
A WINTER STORM WILL IMPACT THE REGION TONIGHT BRINGING SNOW AND AN
EVENTUAL TRANSITION TO FREEZING RAIN. NUMEROUS WARNINGS AND
ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST PDXWSWPDT FOR
MORE DETAILS.
A VERY TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT WILL LEAD TO STRONG WINDS IN THE
GRANDE RONDE VALLEY...ALONG THE BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS...AND
SOUTHERN WALLOWA COUNTY. NUMEROUS ADVISORIES AND WARNINGS ARE IN
EFFECT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST PDXNPWPDT FOR MORE DETAILS.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY
WINTER MIX WEDNESDAY
SIMCOE HIGHLANDS, EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON,
YAKIMA VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON, EASTERN
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON, NORTH CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER
COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON
SNOW WEDNESDAY
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES, KITTITAS VALLEY
STRONG WIND WEDNESDAY
GRANDE RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY, FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN
BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE
MOUNTAINS OF OREGON
FLOODING THURSDAY
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE
MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS OF
WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF
OREGON, NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON
THE SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN WILL CONTINUE ON WEDNESDAY WITH THE
PRECIPITATION CHANGING TO ALL RAIN IN MOST PLACES BY WEDNESDAY
NIGHT. THE STRONG WINDS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHEAST
OREGON THROUGH THE DAY ON WEDNESDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST
PDXWSWPDT AND PDXNPWPDT FOR MORE DETAILS.
IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG THE WASHINGTON CASCADE
CREST AND NEAR THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. THIS COULD
RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT RISES IN AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS FROM HEAVY
RAIN FALLING ON SNOW. A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED. PLEASE REFER TO
THE LATEST PDXFFAPDT FOR MORE DETAILS.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY.
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.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 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, January 2011
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: 268187.