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; 5 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 72 MPH. In addition some areas reported sustained winds over several hours ranging 40-50 MPH. Several reports of trees down or structural damage occurred as well.
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, 4:35 AM PST, 5 hours 25 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
435 AM PST TUE NOV 17 2015
UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION
.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY...THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE
VERY ACTIVE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS. A STRONG SHORT WAVE TROUGH AND
A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE CWA TODAY AND THIS EVENING. THIS
SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG WINDS TO MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA EXCEPT
FOR THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS...THE JOHN DAY BASIN AND THE JOHN
DAY HIGHLANDS. ELSEWHERE EITHER A HIGH WIND WARNING OR A WIND
ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT...ENDING EARLY WEDNESDAY
MORNING. A STRONG LOW LEVEL JET WITH MIXING AHEAD OF AND WITH THE
COLD FRONT WILL ALLOW STRONG WINDS ALOFT TO MIX DOWN TO THE SURFACE.
THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE FROM ABOUT 21Z THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
06Z THIS EVENING. THE AREA OF RAIN THAT MOVED ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA LAST EVENING WITH A WARM FRONT HAS MOVED TO THE EAST. HOWEVER
THERE IS STILL AN ABUNDANCE OF OROGRAPHIC LIFTING IN THE EASTERN
MOUNTAINS AS WELL AS OVER THE CASCADES WHICH IS CAUSING RAIN AND
HIGHER MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS TO CONTINUE THIS MORNING. HOWEVER...
SNOW LEVELS ARE RISING AND THE SNOW IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS HAS EITHER
ENDED OR IS CHANGING OVER TO RAIN. LITTLE OR NO ADDITIONAL SNOW
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. THEREFORE THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY
WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE AT 4 AM. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO RISE
TODAY TO AROUND 6000-7000 FEET BY THIS AFTERNOON RESULTING IN ALL
REMAINING SNOW CHANGING TO RAIN BEFORE COLDER AIR MOVES BACK INTO
THE REGION BEHIND THE COLD FRONT TONIGHT.
THERE WILL BE A SHORT BREAK ON WEDNESDAY. HOWEVER IT WILL BE A COOL
DAY WITH A NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT. MORE RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW IS THEN
EXPECTED AGAIN WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY AS ANOTHER WEATHER
SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE REGION. SNOW LEVELS WILL RISE AGAIN WITH A
WARM FRONT ON THURSDAY BEFORE THE SYSTEM'S ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT
MOVES IN DURING THE EARLY EXTENDED PERIOD. 88
.LONG TERM...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...UPPER SHORT WAVE AND
FRONTAL BAND EXITS FORECAST AREA LATE THURSDAY NIGHT WITH BRIEF
INTERLUDE BETWEEN SYSTEMS DURING THE DAY ON FRIDAY. NEXT SYSTEM
BRINGS WARM FRONT OVERRUNNING PRECIPITATION INTO CENTRAL OREGON
FRIDAY NIGHT.
SATURDAY THE AFOREMENTIONED SYSTEM CLIPS CENTRAL OREGON FOR A CHANCE
OF RAIN SHOWERS AND MOUNTAIN SNOW SHOWERS. THE DISTURBANCE
EXITS CENTRAL OREGON SATURDAY NIGHT AS HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN
OVER FORECAST AREA AREA FROM THE WEST ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY FOR
DRY CONDITIONS. POLAN
&&
.AVIATION...12Z TAFS...LIGHT RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH A WARM FRONT WILL
CONTINUE EARLY THIS MORNING IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS AND WILL THEN BE
TAPERING OFF BY LATE THIS MORNING. CEILINGS 040-080 TODAY.
SIGNIFICANT WINDS FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS. SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WINDS 10-
20KTS GUSTS TO 30KT EARLY THIS MORNING VEERING TO WEST-SOUTHWEST 20-
40 KTS GUSTS TO 40-50 KTS BY AROUND MIDDAY AND CONTINUING
INTO THIS EVENING. POLAN
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 64 38 49 35 / 20 50 10 30
ALW 64 42 51 38 / 40 60 10 30
PSC 64 41 51 37 / 10 10 10 20
YKM 65 35 51 34 / 10 20 10 20
HRI 64 40 52 38 / 10 20 10 30
ELN 59 35 44 32 / 30 40 10 20
RDM 55 34 47 31 / 20 30 10 30
LGD 48 38 41 35 / 70 70 20 30
GCD 56 37 45 33 / 50 60 30 30
DLS 60 42 53 40 / 20 40 10 50
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR ORZ509>511.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR
ORZ041-049.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY
FOR ORZ050.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY
FOR ORZ044-502-507-508.
WA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR WAZ027-520-521.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR
WAZ024-026.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM PST WEDNESDAY
FOR WAZ028>030.
&&
FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON
88/99/99PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
955 AM PST TUE NOV 17 2015
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0940 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 NE RICHLAND 46.31N 119.28W
11/17/2015 BENTON WA BROADCAST MEDIA
STRONG WIND FELL A POWER LINE ON A HOUSE.
&&
RCOBBThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, 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: 603465, 603462, 603464, 603463, 603466, 603467.