A large Pacific weather system became established in mid January that produced copious amounts of rainfall with unseasonably warm conditions in parts of Oregon.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 large Pacific weather system became established in mid January that produced copious amounts of rainfall with unseasonably warm conditions in parts of Oregon.
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 16, 9:33 AM PST, 1 hour 27 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
933 AM PST SUN JAN 16 2011
UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION
.SHORT TERM...TODAY AND TONIGHT...PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN
VERY IMPRESSIVE OVERNIGHT THROUGH THIS MORNING. MEACHAM WEATHER
SPOTTER REPORTS THEY HAVE 2 INCHES OF RAIN SO FAR. THE RESULT HAS
BEEN DRAMATIC RISES ON THE SMALL CREEKS AND STREAM OVERNIGHT FEEDING
INTO THE MAIN RIVERS. NUMEROUS FLOOD WATCHES...ADVISORIES AND
WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT AT THIS TIME SO SEE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENT
FOR MORE DETAILS AND THE HYDROLOGY SECTION BELOW.
MORE RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH TODAY MAINLY ALONG THE
EAST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES AND OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEAST
OREGON AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON. COULD EASILY SEE ANOTHER INCH OF
RAIN IN THESE AREA TODAY AND OVERNIGHT. PRECIPITATION RATES WILL
DECREASE TONIGHT WITH PRECIPITATION DECREASING TO SHOWERS. REST OF
THE FORECAST AREAS WILL BE INFLUENCED BY THE WASHINGTON CASCADE RAIN
SHADOW SO EXPECT JUST SOME OCCASIONAL LIGHT RAIN TODAY. OTHER
CONCERN WILL BE INCREASE SOUTHWEST TO WEST WINDS TODAY THROUGH
MONDAY MORNING. THE UPPER LEVEL JET STREAM WILL BE PASSING OVER THE
REGION. SOME OF THESE WINDS WILL MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE PROVIDING
PERIODS OF WINDY CONDITIONS. TEMPERATURES WILL BE IN THE UPPER 40S
TO LOWER 60S TODAY BUT BEGIN TO COOL SLIGHTLY ON MONDAY.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...HEAVY RAIN IN THE WEST SIDE OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS HAS
CAUSED STRONG RISES WITH THE UMATILLA AT GIBBON AND PENDLETON
EXPECTED TO GO ABOVE FLOOD STAGE TODAY. WE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR
WALLA WALLA RIVER WITH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT. FLOOD WARNING
CONTINUES FOR THE KLICKITAT RIVER NEAR PITT. SMALL STREAM FLOOD
ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE BLUE MOUNTAINS AND WALLOWA
COUNTY AS WELL AS THE EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES.
ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIN EXPECTED WITH CLOSE TO AN INCH POSSIBLE OVER
THE BLUE AND 1 TO 1.5 INCHES ALONG THE EAST SLOPES. ML
&&
.AVIATION...18Z TAFS...FOG AND MIST WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT KYKM
THROUGH THE DAY AS ABUNDANT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE REMAINS IN THE AREA.
CONFIDENCE IS LOW IN FORECAST WITH SPOTTER REPORTING FOG WEST SIDE
OF TOWN WITH CLEARING ELSEWHERE...AND CALM WINDS IN ONE LOCATION AND
VERY WINDY A MILE AWAY. DECIDED TO KEEP TAF ON THE LOW SIDE BUT
HIGHLY VARIABLE CONDITIONS WOULD NOT SURPRISE ME AT YKM. PREDOMINATE
CEILINGS FOR ALL OTHER TAF LOCATIONS WILL BE 4-5 KFT.
HOWEVER...MVFR CONDITIONS WITH THE RAIN WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE AT KPDT
AND KALW THROUGH THE DAY. SURFACE WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS AFTERNOON
ACROSS THE AREA WITH KPSC...KALW AND KPDT SEEING GUSTS 25 TO 35 KTS
BY THE EVENING HOURS. 76
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 240 AM PST SUN JAN 16 2011/
SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT. THE PRIMARY WEATHER
CONCERN IN THE SHORT TERM WILL BE HIGH WATER LEVELS ALONG THE RIVERS
AND STREAMS IN THE FORECAST AREA. THE HYDROLOGY SECTION WILL
PROVIDE MORE DETAILS. A VERY MOIST WARM FRONT WITH A SIGNIFICANT
MOISTURE PLUME OFF THE PACIFIC HAS BROUGHT WIDESPREAD RAIN WITH 24
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 0.5-1.0 INCH ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE
CASCADES AND BLUE MOUNTAINS AND 0.25-0.5 OF AN INCH ELSEWHERE. A
STEADY STREAM OF PACIFIC MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO BRING MODERATE TO
HEAVY RAIN OVER THE MOUNTAINS AIDED BY OROGRAPHIC LIFT. THE COLUMBIA
BASIN WILL SEE LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN THE MORNING DECREASING THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A STRONG WESTERLY FLOW WILL PROVIDE RAIN
SHADOWING OFF THE CASCADES. THE DOWNSLOPE DRYING WILL TAKE PLACE
OVERNIGHT...AND RAIN WILL END THROUGHOUT THE COLUMBIA BASIN DOWN TO
CENTRAL OREGON. RAIN WILL GRADUALLY TAPER OFF OVER THE MOUNTAINS
OVERNIGHT AFTER THE PASSAGE OF A SURFACE COLD FRONT.
WINDS ALOFT WILL INCREASE FROM THE NW OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY
MORNING...AND HIGH PRESSURE BUILDING BEHIND THE FRONT WILL RESULT IN
A TIGHT PRESSURE GRADIENT. IT WILL BE BREEZY/WINDY THROUGHOUT THE
FORECAST AREA TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING (STRONG WINDS ALONG
RIDGETOPS). A WIND ADVISORY WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE LOWER COLUMBIA
BASIN OF WASHINGTON TONIGHT UNTIL NOON ON MONDAY. MAIN CONCERN WILL
BE THE HORSE HEAVEN HILLS AND NEAR HANFORD...AREAS THAT ARE WIND
PRONE TO STRONG SW WINDS AND SHOULD HAVE GUSTS IN THE 45-55 MPH
RANGE. SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE MOUNTAINS MONDAY...MAINLY
ALONG THE NW FACING SLOPES. THE REST OF THE AREA WILL SEE LITTLE TO
NO PRECIPITATION. ONLY A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY
NIGHT. COOLER AIR WILL SPREAD EAST OF THE CASCADES MONDAY AND
MONDAY NIGHT...AND IT WILL BE QUITE A BIT COOLER MONDAY NIGHT
COMPARED TO THE UNSEASONABLY WARM TEMPERATURES WE HAVE EXPERIENCED
THE PAST SEVERAL DAYS. JOHNSON
LONG TERM...TUESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...MODELS CONTINUE TO INDICATE
A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE IN THE EAST PACIFIC AND A WEATHER
DISTURBANCE MOVING THROUGH THE NORTHWEST FLOW OVER THE FORECAST AREA
ON TUESDAY. MODELS DIFFER HOWEVER IN THE DETAILS OF HOW MUCH
PRECIPITATION WILL BE WITH THE SYSTEM. THE CASCADES AND MOUNTAINS OF
NORTHEAST OREGON HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR PRECIPITATION DUE TO THE
UPSLOPE FLOW...WHILE THE LOWER ELEVATIONS HAVE A LESSER CHANCE WITH
RAINSHADOWING. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER ACROSS THE REGION AS COLDER
AIR MOVES IN WITH THIS SYSTEM TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY. THIS
WILL LEAD TO A CHANCE OF RAIN AND SNOW FOR THE ENTIRE AREA...THOUGH
THE BRUNT OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL BE EAST OF THE AREA BY TUESDAY
NIGHT EXCEPT IN FAVORABLE NORTHWEST UPSLOPE FLOW REGIONS. THE RIDGE
OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT EAST AND BRING A DRY NORTHWEST FLOW TO
MOST OF THE AREA FOR WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL
IMPACT THE AREA BY FRIDAY. THE EUROPEAN MODEL IS FASTER WITH THE
SYSTEM...BRINGING IT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT WHILE THE GFS BRINGS IT
THROUGH ON FRIDAY/FRIDAY NIGHT. HAVE A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION FOR
THE HIGHER TERRAIN STARTING THURSDAY NIGHT DUE TO THE UNCERTAINTY OF
THE TIMING OF THE SYSTEM AND INCREASE THE CHANCES INTO FRIDAY AND
FRIDAY NIGHT WHEN BOTH MODELS INDICATE UNSETTLED FLOW OVER THE
REGION. THIS UNSETTLED PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEKEND. DMH
HYDROLOGY...THERE HAVE BEEN SHARP RISES ALONG MANY OF THE RIVERS THE
PAST 12 HOURS ASSOCIATED WITH RAIN AND SNOW MELT RUNOFF. THE
KLICKITAT RIVER NEAR PITT IS JUST UNDER BANKFULL AND IS FORECAST TO
RISE ABOVE FLOOD STAGE BY NOON TODAY. A FLOOD WARNING WAS ISSUED
FOR THE KLICKITAT RIVER...AND MINOR FLOODING IS EXPECTED. FLOOD
WATCHES WERE ISSUED FOR THE WALLA WALLA RIVER NEAR TOUCHET AND THE
UMATILLA RIVER AT PENDLETON...AS LATEST FORECAST BRINGS LEVELS TO
FLOOD STAGE MONDAY AFTERNOON. ADDITIONAL FLOOD WATCHES AND WARNINGS
MAY BE ISSUED FOR OTHER RIVERS IF LEVELS SHOULD SPIKE SUDDENLY.
SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORIES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR AREAS NEAR THE
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES. JOHNSON
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 59 46 53 41 / 100 50 20 10
ALW 59 47 55 40 / 100 60 20 10
PSC 61 48 57 39 / 50 20 10 0
YKM 53 45 52 34 / 40 20 20 0
HRI 61 46 56 38 / 50 20 10 10
ELN 52 45 49 34 / 70 30 20 10
RDM 58 42 53 33 / 70 50 10 10
LGD 47 41 48 35 / 90 70 40 20
GCD 50 41 47 37 / 80 70 20 20
DLS 59 47 55 39 / 80 60 20 10
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT
ORZ049-050-502-507.
FLOOD WARNING FOR THE UMATILLA RIVER TODAY THROUGH MONDAY
MORNING ORC059.
WA...SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT
WAZ029-030-520.
FLOOD WARNING FOR THE KLICKITAT NEAR PITT TODAY THROUGH MONDAY
WAC039.
FLOOD WATCH FOR THE WALLA WALLA RIVER TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT
WAZ028-029.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON PST MONDAY WAZ028.
&&
THREAT INDEX
TODAY : YELLOW
MONDAY : YELLOW
TUESDAY : 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
91/76/76HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
845 AM PST SUN JAN 16 2011
CORRECTED DAY ONE DISCUSSION
ORZ041-042-044-049-050-502-503-505>509-WAZ024-026>030-520-521-
171300-
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-
845 AM PST SUN JAN 16 2011
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
FLOODING
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES, SIMCOE HIGHLANDS,
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, KITTITAS VALLEY,
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, NORTHWEST BLUE
MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, GRANDE RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY,
FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, NORTHERN
BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON
STRONG WIND
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON
RECENT HEAVY RAIN AND SNOWMELT RUNOFF HAVE FORCED WATER LEVELS ON
MANY RIVERS AND STREAMS TO RISE RAPIDLY. A FLOOD WARNING IS
CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR THE KLICKITAT AND UMATILLA RIVERS. DETAILS
CAN BE FOUND IN THE PRODUCT...PDXFLWPDT. FLOOD WATCH HAVE BEEN
POSTED (PDXFFAPDT) FOR THE WALLA WALLA RIVER. A SMALL STREAM
ADVISORY IS CURRENTLY IN EFFECT (PDXFLSPDT) FOR THE AREAS LISTED
ABOVE. ADDITIONAL FLOOD STATEMENTS MAY BE ISSUED AS RIVER AND
STREAM LEVELS RESPOND TO THE RAIN AND SNOWMELT.
A COLD FRONT WILL PUSH EAST OF THE CASCADES TONIGHT. WINDS ALOFT
WILL INCREASE AND PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL TIGHTEN AFTER THE FRONTAL
PASSAGE. IT WILL BE BREEZY TO WINDY ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA WITH
GUSTS TO 40 MPH. IN THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF
WASHINGTON...PARTICULARLY ALONG THE HORSE HEAVEN HILLS AND NEAR
HANFORD...GUSTS OF 45-55 MPH ARE EXPECTED. A WIND ADVISORY IS IN
EFFECT FOR THIS AREA FROM 10 PM TONIGHT UNTIL 12 PM PST ON MONDAY.
FOR DETAILS...REFER TO THE NWS PRODUCT...PDXNPWPDT.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY
FLOODING MONDAY
SIMCOE HIGHLANDS, FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF
WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF
OREGON, FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON
STRONG WIND MONDAY
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON
FLOODING WILL REMAIN A CONCERN ON MONDAY. HOWEVER...RAIN WILL TAPER
OFF MONDAY WITH ONLY A FEW LINGERING SHOWERS ON MONDAY NIGHT. WINDS
WILL ALSO DECREASE ON MONDAY BUT WILL BE VERY WINDY OVER PORTIONS OF
THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN IN THE MORNING.
A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT ON TUESDAY WILL AIDE IN OROGRAPHIC SHOWERS
OVER THE CASCADES AND THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AS A WEAK DISTURBANCE
MOVES ACROSS THE REGION. A STRONGER SYSTEM WILL BRING AREAS OF RAIN
AND SNOW TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY WITH SNOW LEVELS AROUND
2000-2500 FEET. DRIER CONDITIONS WILL FOLLOW WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY
BEFORE THE NEXT SYSTEM ARRIVES ON THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. WET AND
UNSETTLED CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED NEXT WEEKEND.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED DUE TO FLOODING AND WINDS IN THE
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
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.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
632 AM PST SUN JAN 16 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0630 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 N MEACHAM 45.53N 118.42W
01/16/2011 M1.29 INCH UMATILLA OR TRAINED SPOTTER
1.29 INCHES SINCE 5 PM YESTERDAY. THE FOUR-FEET OF SNOW
THAT WAS ON THE GROUND HAS MELTED DOWN TO CLOSE TO
TWO-FEET.
&&
MJOHNSONThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Minor to moderate flooding along the Umatilla River from Gibbon to Echo. The gauge at Gibbon crested at 7.21 which was .21 above flood stage. The gauge at Pendleton crested at 10.31 which was 2.51 above flood stage.
Only minor flooding observed. The John Day River gauge at John Day crested at 8.42 feet, which was .42 feet above flood stage.
Only minor flooding observed. The John Day River at Service Creek crested at 13.72 which was 2.22 feet above flood stage.
Only minor flooding observed. The river at Troy crested at 10.3 which was .3 above flood stage.
Ice jams which plugged culverts combined with rainfall and melting snow caused flooding. This prompted the closure of Conant Basin Road near Post and also Juniper Canyon Road.
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: 273436, 273440, 273443, 273438, 273450.