Heavy Snow in Oregon, March 1, 2012

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
1007 PM PST WED FEB 29 2012

UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION AND WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES SECTION

.SHORT TERM...UPDATE...A DEEP UPPER TROUGH REMAINS OVER THE WESTERN
U.S. THIS EVENING. THE MAIN UPPER LOW CENTER CONTINUES TO DRIFT EAST
ALONG THE BRITISH COLUMBIA/WASHINGTON BORDER. THIS LOW APPEARS TO BE
FILLING A BIT. MEANWHILE A SECONDARY WAVE OFFSHORE CONTINUES TO
SWING THROUGH THE UPPER TROUGH AND WILL AFFECT WEATHER IN THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. THIS SECONDARY LOW WILL
ENHANCE SOME OF THE SHOWERS THAT CONTINUE TO DEVELOP IN THE ONSHORE
FLOW. THE BULK OF SHOWERS ARE MOVING INTO THE WEST SLOPES OF THE
CASCADES WITH SLOP OVER INTO THE EAST SLOPES BEFORE DRYING IN THE
DOWN SLOPE LOW LEVEL FLOW. THE SECONDARY WAVE APPEARS TO SHIFTING
THE FOCUS OF SHOWERS TOWARDS THE OREGON CASCADES, WHICH IS THE TREND
INDICATED BY THE MODELS. AT THIS TIME IT STILL LOOKS THAT SNOW
IMMEDIATELY EAST OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADE CREST WILL CONTINUE TO
LIGHTEN OVERNIGHT. THUS WILL MOST LIKELY ALLOW THE WINTER STORM
WARNING IN THE WASHINGTON CASCADE EAST SLOPES ZONE TO EXPIRE AT 10
PM. MEANWHILE, WITH THE SHOWER FOCUS SHIFTING TOWARDS OREGON WILL
CONTINUE TO RUN THE CURRENT WARNING FOR THE OREGON CASCADE EAST
SLOPES. SUNRIVER SNOW CAMERA SHOWS UP TO 3 INCHES SINCE 4 PM.
INDICATIONS THAT 3 TO 5 INCHES OF SNOW WILL FALL OVER THE
OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS HAVE NOT CHANGED. THE BULK OF THIS SNOW
LOOKS TO FALL THURSDAY MORNING. THUS WILL CONTINUE THE ADVISORY FOR
THIS AREA. ELSEWHERE SNOW FALL STILL LOOKS TO BE SPOTTY AND BELOW
ADVISORY LEVELS. WINDS HAVE DECREASED ACROSS THE REGION, THOUGH A
FEW LOCATIONS REMAIN BREEZY. EXPECT THE BREEZY AREAS TO SEE WINDS
SLOWLY DIMINISH, ESPECIALLY AFTER MIDNIGHT. UPDATES THIS EVENING
WERE MAINLY MADE TO ADJUST POPS AND SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE WARNED AND
ADVISED AREAS. 90

.LONG TERM...PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...MOISTURE MOVING THROUGH THE
NORTHWESTERLY FLOW WILL BE PUSHED NORTHWARD SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY
NIGHT AS A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OFF THE COAST. THIS WILL
CAUSE RISING SNOW LEVELS AND WARMING TEMPERATURES AS WELL AS A
DECREASE IN PRECIPITATION. MODELS HAVE SLOWED DOWN THE SYSTEM DURING
THE WEEKEND...PUSHING BACK THE FRONTAL PASSAGE TO BE MORE ON MONDAY.
HAVE SLOWED THE TIMING IN THE GRIDS WITH A CHANCE ALONG THE CASCADES
SUNDAY NIGHT AND THEN A CHANCE ACROSS THE REGION ON MONDAY. PORTIONS
OF THE YAKIMA VALLEY AND COLUMBIA BASIN MAY BE RAINSHADOWED DUE TO A
MORE WESTERLY FLOW WITH THE FRONT. ALONG WITH PRECIPITATION...THIS
FRONT WILL BRING BREEZY WINDS TO THE REGION. THE FRONT EXITS THE
AREA MONDAY NIGHT AS A TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE DROPS SOUTHWARD. THIS
TROUGH WILL BRING LOWER SNOW LEVELS AND COOLER TEMPERATURES AS WELL
AS A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION CONTINUING INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE WEEK.
MODELS ARE IN DISAGREEMENT ON HOW FAST THE TROUGH MOVES OUT OF THE
REGION...WITH THE EUROPEAN BEING QUICKER TO PUSH THE TROUGH EAST AND
BUILDING ANOTHER RIDGE OFF SHORE. HAVE LEANED TOWARD THE MORE ACTIVE
GFS AND KEPT A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION EACH DAY THROUGH THE MIDDLE
OF THE WEEK.

&&

.AVIATION...06Z TAFS...SNOW SHOWERS WILL AFFECT KRDM AND KBDN AT
TIMES THROUGH TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY MORNING. INITIALLY EXPECT
SHOWERS IN AT LEAST THE VICINITY, THEN EXPECT A PERIOD OF STEADIER
SNOW SHOWERS TOWARDS 01/10 UTC (THOUGH IT COULD EASILY START
EARLIER). SNOW SHOWERS WILL LOWER CIGS/VIS TO AT LEAST MVFR IF NOT
LOWER AT TIMES. EXPECT CONDITIONS AT KRDM AND KBDN TO IMPROVE LATE
MORNING THURSDAY. EXPECT GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS AT KDLS, KYKM,
KPSC, KPDT AND KALW THROUGH THE PERIOD. KPDT AND KALW SHOULD SEE
LOWER END VFR WITH SHOWERS IN THE VICINITY DUE TO UPSLOPE FLOW INTO
THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. KALW IS CLOSER TO AN UPPER LOW AND WILL INDICATE
SHOWERS ON SITE FOR A PERIOD BETWEEN 01/10 AND 01/17 UTC. THESE
SHOWERS MAY BRIEFLY LOWER CIGS/VIS TO MVFR, THOUGH WILL HOLD OFF FOR
NOW. WINDS WILL BECOME 12 TO 22 KTS AND GUSTY THURSDAY AFTERNOON AT
KDLS, KYKM, KPSC, KPDT AND KALW. 90

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT  29  43  28  46 /  30  40  20  10
ALW  32  45  31  48 /  40  40  30  10
PSC  31  48  29  49 /  20  20  10  10
YKM  25  42  26  43 /  30  10   0  10
HRI  30  47  28  49 /  20  30  20  10
ELN  23  41  26  44 /  30  10  10  20
RDM  21  37  17  43 /  50  60  20  10
LGD  26  38  24  41 /  50  50  30  20
GCD  25  35  22  39 /  60  60  30  20
DLS  31  48  31  47 /  50  30  20  20

&&

.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM PST THURSDAY ORZ506.

     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 1 PM PST THURSDAY ORZ509.

WA...NONE.

&&

THREAT INDEX
THURSDAY : GREEN
FRIDAY : GREEN
SATURDAY : 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

90/84/90

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
952 PM PST WED FEB 29 2012

UPDATED FOR EXPIRATION OF WINTER STORM WARNING IN WASHINGTON CASCADES

ORZ041-042-044-049-050-502-503-505>509-WAZ024-026>030-520-521-
011415-
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-
952 PM PST WED FEB 29 2012

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SNOW
     EAST SLOPES OF THE OREGON CASCADES, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS

A STRONG WINTER STORM WILL CONTINUE TO PRODUCE PERIODS OF MODERATE
TO HEAVY SNOW ALONG THE EAST SLOPES OF THE OREGON CASCADES WHERE A
WINTER STORM WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IS
IN EFFECT FOR THE OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST
PDXWSWPDT FOR MORE DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

SNOW THURSDAY
     EAST SLOPES OF THE OREGON CASCADES, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS

SNOW WILL CONTINUE TO IMPACT PORTIONS OF CENTRAL OREGON THROUGH THE
DAY THURSDAY. DRIER WEATHER CAN BE EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
ALTHOUGH OCCASIONAL MOUNTAIN SHOWERS WILL BE POSSIBLE. ANOTHER STORM
SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY BRINGING
RAIN...SNOW AND BREEZY WINDS.

.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.

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
637 PM PST WED FEB 29 2012

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

0636 PM     HEAVY SNOW       7 NNW EASTON            47.32N 121.25W
02/29/2012  M8.5 INCH        KITTITAS           WA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            8.5 INCHES OF SNOW FROM 930 AM TO 600 PM.

&&

RTRIMARCO

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
820 PM PST WED FEB 29 2012

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

0820 PM     HEAVY SNOW       24 WNW LA PINE          43.80N 121.95W
02/29/2012  M9.0 INCH        DESCHUTES          OR   MESONET

            SNOTEL. 9 INCHES IN PAST 24 HOURS.

&&

RTRIMARCO