A strong pacific system moved through the pacific northwest. A deep surface low provided strong surface gradients across much of the pacific northwest.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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 strong pacific system moved through the pacific northwest. A deep surface low provided strong surface gradients across much of the pacific northwest. This along with strong winds aloft provided several wind strong wind gusts across our area. These gusts were widespread and ranged from several gusts of 58 MPH to a gust of 99 MPH. In addition several areas reported sustained winds over several hours ranging 40-50 MPH. In addition, these strong winds resulted in blowing dust and a multi-vehicle accident occurred along I-84 near Stanfield, OR. Unfortunately there was a fatality associated with the pile up.
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 17, 3:48 PM PST, 42 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
348 PM PST TUE NOV 17 2015
UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION
.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT...THE STRONG PACIFIC
SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE REGION THROUGH THIS EVENING. THE
SYSTEM'S COLD FRONT IS CURRENTLY MOVING THROUGH WESTERN WASHINGTON.
STRONG SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST WINDS WILL CONTINUE IN THE WARNED AREAS
INTO THE EVENING PRIOR TO COLD FRONTAL PASSAGE. ONCE THE FRONT
PASSES EXPECT WINDS TO DECREASE IN THESE ZONES. THE KITTITAS VALLEY,
THE COLUMBIA GORGE, THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY AND WALLOWA COUNTY WILL
ACTUALLY SEE THEIR WINDS INCREASE WITH AND AFTER THE FRONTAL
PASSAGE. THUS THE ADVISORIES FOR THESE ZONES WILL BE CONTINUED AS
THEY ARE. BLOWING DUST HAS BEEN MORE WIDESPREAD THAN EXPECTED IN THE
LOWER BASIN OF WASHINGTON AND HAVE ISSUED A BLOWING DUST ADIVORY IN
ADDITION TO THE CURRENT HIGH WIND WARNING. THIS DUST SHOULD SETTLE
DOWN AFTER THE FRONTAL PASSAGE. PATCHY DUST WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE
AT OTHER LOCATIONS ACROSS THE COLUMBIA BASIN INTO THE EVENING. THERE
WILL BE ANOTHER GOOD SHOT OF PRECIP WITH THE FRONT, THEN LINGERING
(MAINLY MOUNTAIN) SHOWERS OVERNIGHT. SNOW LEVELS WILL FALL BEHIND
THE FRONT, BUT SNOW AMOUNTS IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN WILL BE LIGHT DUE
TO DECREASING PRECIP AFTER THE FRONT. WINDS WILL DECREASE FUTHER
THROUGH THE DAY WEDNESDAY. MEANWHILE A FEW SHOWERS MAY LINGER OVER
THE MOUNTAINS DUE TO WESTERLY FLOW. THE NEXT PACIFIC STORM WILL MOVE
INTO THE REGION LATE WEDNESDAY NIGHT WITH SNOW AS LOW AS 2000 FEET
MSL POSSIBLE. 90
.LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT...THIS PERIOD WILL BEGIN
WITH A STORM SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE AREA ON THURSDAY AND INTO THE
FIRST PART OF THURSDAY NIGHT. AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS PROGGED TO
MOVE RIGHT ACROSS CENTRAL OREGON THURSDAY MORNING THEN INTO
SOUTHEASTERN OREGON THURSDAY AFTERNOON. THEREFORE CONTINUED WITH
LIKELY TO CATEGORICAL POPS DURING THIS PERIOD FOR MUCH OF THE
AREA...EXCEPT ONLY WENT CHANCE POPS FOR THE YAKIMA....KITTITAS
VALLEYS AND THE FAR NORTHERN COLUMBIA BASIN IN WASHINGTON. IF THIS
SYSTEM TRENDS ANY FURTHER SOUTH POPS/QPF MAY NEED TO BE TRIMMED BACK
FURTHER ACROSS SOUTHERN WASHINGTON. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OUT
BETWEEN 2500 TO 3500 FEET THURSDAY MORNING EXCEPT 4000 TO 5500 FEET
OVER CENTRAL OREGON...THESE SNOW LEVELS WILL GRADUALLY RISE TO
BETWEEN 3500 TO 5000 FEET OVER NORTHERN OREGON AND SOUTHERN
WASHINGTON THURSDAY AFTERNOON...WITH 6000 TO 7000 FEET IN CENTRAL
OREGON. CURRENT FORECAST SNOW AMOUNTS GENERALLY RANGE BETWEEN 2 TO 5
INCHES ABOVE 3500 FEET IN THE MOUNTAINS ON THURSDAY. THIS WEATHER
SYSTEM THEN MOVES SOUTHEASTWARD AND OUT OF OUR AREA LATE THURSDAY
NIGHT AND EARLY FRIDAY MORNING. BEHIND THIS EXPECT DRIER AND COOLER
CONDITIONS FOR FRIDAY AND SATURDAY...WITH THE WEATHER LIKELY
REMAINING DRY AND SLIGHTLY WARMER FOR SUNDAY. ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY
EXPECT OVERNIGHT LOWS IN THE 20S AND LOWER 30S WITH DAYTIME HIGHS
ONLY IN THE UPPER 30S TO MID 40S. MURPHY
.MONDAY AND TUESDAY...THE MODELS HAVE COME INTO BETTER AGREEMENT IN
THE EXTENDED FORECAST...KEEPING MONDAY DRY WITH A LOW OVER
CALIFORNIA AND A DEEPER TROUGH DEVELOPING OFF THE COAST. THE TROUGH
WILL START SENDING MOISTURE EAST OF THE CASCADES MONDAY NIGHT...WITH
SNOW LEVELS RANGING FROM 2500 FT ALONG THE EAST SLOPES IN WASHINGTON
TO 5500 FT IN CENTRAL OREGON. PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL THEN
INCREASE ON TUESDAY AS THE LOW MOVES SOUTH...AND WRAP-AROUND
MOISTURE WILL IMPACT THE AREA THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT. DURING THIS
TIME...SNOW LEVELS WILL FALL TO BETWEEN 1800 FT AND 3500 FT. DAYTIME
TEMPERATURES WILL STILL BE SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL ON MONDAY AND
TUESDAY WITH HIGHS IN THE 40S TO NEAR 50 DEGREES. COBB
&&
.AVIATION...00Z TAFS...VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL OVER THE NEXT 24
HOURS AT ALL TAF SITES. A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM IS MOVING THROUGH
THE REGION AND IS BRINGING VERY STRONG WESTERLY WINDS TO THE AREA
THROUGH TONIGHT. MOST TAF SITES CAN EXPECT WIND SPEEDS BETWEEN 25 TO
40 KTS WITH EVEN A FEW GUSTS UP TO 45-50 KTS POSSIBLE AT TIMES INTO
THE EVENING HOURS. WINDS SHOULD BEGIN TO DECREASE SOME AFTER 18/09-
12Z BUT WILL STILL REMAIN BREEZY BETWEEN 10 TO 25 KTS THROUGH THE
END OF THE TAF PERIOD. A BKN TO OVC CIG BETWEEN 035 TO 070 WILL
LIKELY PERSIST ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS...THEN
SCATTER OUT AT MOST TERMINALS LATER TONIGHT AND INTO WEDNESDAY.
THERE WILL ALSO BE A PERIOD OF LIGHT RAIN...MAINLY BETWEEN 18/00-09Z
AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES QUICKLY SOUTH THROUGH THE AREA...EXPECT A
WIND SHIFT...AND BRIEF VERY GUSTY/ERRATIC WINDS BEHIND THIS FROPA.
MURPHY
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 41 49 35 46 / 50 10 30 90
ALW 41 51 40 50 / 50 10 30 70
PSC 40 51 36 48 / 10 10 20 60
YKM 30 51 32 47 / 20 10 30 50
HRI 42 52 37 49 / 20 10 30 80
ELN 35 47 32 41 / 60 10 20 40
RDM 33 47 32 50 / 30 10 50 80
LGD 38 40 34 40 / 70 20 40 80
GCD 36 45 33 46 / 70 30 40 80
DLS 43 53 38 49 / 40 10 50 80
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR ORZ044-050-502-
507>511.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR ORZ041-049.
WA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR WAZ027>030-520-
521.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR WAZ024-026.
BLOWING DUST ADVISORY UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR WAZ028.
&&
FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON
90/77/82/77PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
305 PM PST TUE NOV 17 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0252 PM NON-TSTM WND GST E GOODNOE HILLS 45.75N 120.47W
11/17/2015 M65 MPH KLICKITAT WA MESONET
WEST WINDS 44G65 MPH
&&
MMURPHYPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
307 PM PST TUE NOV 17 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0250 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG HARRAH 46.40N 120.54W
11/17/2015 YAKIMA WA TRAINED SPOTTER
MEASURED GUSTS OF 65-70 MPH. WINDS BLEW HIS 100-FOOT
AMATEUR RADIO TOWER OVER ONTO HIS ROOF. YA-541
0255 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 15 WNW RICHLAND 46.38N 119.58W
11/17/2015 BENTON WA NEWSPAPER
SEMI-TRUCK BLEW OVER ON HIGHWAY 240.
&&
MWISTERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
319 PM PST TUE NOV 17 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0256 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 13 WNW BICKLETON 46.08N 120.54W
11/17/2015 M72 MPH YAKIMA WA MESONET
SSW 41G72 MPH AT HIGHBRIDGE RAWS SITE
&&
MWISTERPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
347 PM PST TUE NOV 17 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1246 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 E MISSION 45.67N 118.59W
11/17/2015 M58.00 MPH UMATILLA OR MESONET
&&
JASPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
357 PM PST TUE NOV 17 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0314 PM TSTM WND GST RICHLAND 46.29N 119.29W
11/17/2015 M61 MPH BENTON WA AWOS
&&
JASPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
422 PM PST TUE NOV 17 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0400 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG 5 E PROSSER 46.21N 119.66W
11/17/2015 BENTON WA TRAINED SPOTTER
ROOF AND STRUCTURAL DAMAGE. PEAK WIND GUST 65 MPH.
BLOWING DUST WITH VISIBILITY OF 1/2SM.
&&
JASThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind, 1 dust storm. Local standard time, as filed.
In addition this was the zone that had a multi-car pile up with a fatality. The fatality will be logged into the dust storm report for this zone.
A multi-car pile up from a dust storm on I-84 resulted in some injuries and a fatality.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dust Storm, Lower Columbia Basin | 2015-11-17 | 47 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, November 2015
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: 603460, 603454, 603458, 603457, 603461, 603455, 603456, 603459.