Local strong wind and gusts along the Blue Mountain Foothills in Oregon. Most locations were in the advisory category.
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.
Local strong wind and gusts along the Blue Mountain Foothills in Oregon. Most locations were in the advisory category. Wind advisory was in effect.
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 24, 4:08 AM PST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
408 AM PST Thu Nov 24 2016
Updated Aviation Discussion
.SHORT TERM...Today through Saturday...A deep and broad trough
will remain offshore through Saturday. A frontal systems is moving
onshore this morning. Widespread precipitation has developed west of
the Cascades. Multiple waves will move along the frontal boundary
today through Saturday with each wave enhancing precipitation along
the front. Since the jetstream and supporting trough will remain
offshore the front will shift back and forth across the area as
these waves move across the area.
Spotty precipitation is developing in eastern OR and WA as a warm
front lifts north and east across the area today. Higher pops and
QPF will be in SE WA as the front moves north. A wave will move
along the front tonight and enhance precipitation...particularly in
the northern half of Washington tonight. Surrounding offices have
issued Winter Storm Warnings for snow along the Washington Cascades.
For the East Slopes of the Southern WA Cascades warnings or
advisories are only issued for areas up to 3000 feet. Snow levels
will rise above 3000 feet this afternoon then drop to around 2500
feet tonight. There may be enough snow accumulation between 2500-
3000 feet to warrant an advisory...particularly with holiday travel.
Pressure gradients will tighten across eastern OR ahead of this
system. A tight pressure gradient and a strong temperature gradient
between the Grande Ronde Valley and Baker Valley will funnel very
windy conditions there through Thursday night. For the Blue Mountain
Foothills and the East Slopes of the Oregon Cascades in Deschutes
County...the main concern will be mountain waves that could
accelerate on the lee side of the mountain ranges. South to
southwest winds have already increased in central OR. Gusts up to 60
mph are possible as mountain waves mix higher winds aloft
sporadically to the surface in Central Oregon. A High Wind Warning
has been issued for the East Slopes of the Oregon Cascades and
Central Oregon through Friday morning. Along the Blue Mountain
Foothills downsloping winds will mix higher winds to the surface
near the base of the Blue Mountains. A Wind Advisory has been issued
for the this area as well.
Friday the front will move southeast across the CWA and then stall
out along the Blue Mountains during the afternoon. Early Saturday
another wave will move the front north again. There are differences
among the models over the position of the fronts but the front will
keep precipitation over the area. Snow levels will be mainly between
2500 and 400 feet. Coonfield
.LONG TERM...Saturday night through Wednesday...An upper trough will
continue to swing across the western U.S. Saturday night and Sunday.
The strongest energy looks to swing south of the Pacific Northwest,
through California, but there should be some showers over the region
during this period. Best chances should be Saturday night. Snow
levels will lower Saturday night into Sunday, running between 2000
and 3000 ft MSL. Overall, conditions look to be seasonally cool with
continued active weather Monday through Wednesday. There is some
confidence that a weaker system will move through the region from
the northwest on Monday. There is the potential for another system
on Wednesday, but at this time confidence of the strength and timing
is quite low. Thus will continue the current forecast of isolated to
scattered showers, favoring the mountains on Wednesday. 90
&&
.AVIATION...12Z TAFs...A Pacific storm system will push plenty of
mid level cloudiness, with bases between 5K-10K feet AGL, over the
region during this period. KYKM may see brief periods of MVFR
conditions this afternoon with passing showers. Am not confident
enough to go beyond a SCT mention at this time. The other TAF sites
will most likely only see vicinity showers, if any precip at all.
Winds at KPDT, KALW, KBDN, KRDM and possibly KYKM could be a problem
today into the evening. Downslope winds off the Cascades and the
Blue Mountains could result in gusts of 25-40 kts at times. There is
also the potential at KRDM, KYKM and possibly KBDN for the
development of rotor action. This rotor action can cause the wind
over an airfield to become temporarily lighter and from a direction
opposite to the main surface winds. This change in winds can result
in increased low level mechanical turbulence. Timing of such
conditions is not easy, but they will be included in TEMPO groups
with amendments when noticed. 90
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 56 38 53 38 / 20 30 40 40
ALW 58 41 54 40 / 30 30 50 70
PSC 54 41 53 40 / 40 30 30 30
YKM 50 36 49 35 / 50 50 20 30
HRI 56 39 54 36 / 30 40 50 40
ELN 45 32 46 32 / 70 60 20 40
RDM 52 34 47 33 / 20 50 60 30
LGD 46 37 46 36 / 20 30 50 40
GCD 45 33 45 36 / 20 20 60 50
DLS 52 40 50 39 / 60 60 40 50
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Friday for
ORZ507-508.
Wind Advisory until 4 AM PST Friday for ORZ049.
High Wind Warning until 4 AM PST Friday for ORZ509-511.
WA...Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Friday for
WAZ029.
Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST Friday for WAZ520.
&&
76/90/90The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Location 4 west of Adams had a peak gust of 67 mph at 7:37 pm local standard time. Same location had a gust of 58 mph (5:52 pm).
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, November 2016
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: 661644.