Two to three inches of rain fell along the west slopes of the Blue Mountains from February 1st through 4th. The increased runoff caused high water levels and minor flooding along the Umatilla and Walla Walla Rivers.
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The episode as NWS PDT wrote it up.
Two to three inches of rain fell along the west slopes of the Blue Mountains from February 1st through 4th. The increased runoff caused high water levels and minor flooding along the Umatilla and Walla Walla Rivers.
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 Feb 4, 9:25 AM PST, 35 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pendleton OR 925 AM PST Sun Feb 4 2018 Updated Aviation and Hydrology Discussions .UPDATE...The area remains in a nw flow that is allowing weather disturbances to pass across portions of the cwa today. The bulk of the pcpn will center along the blue mountains and most of the pcpn will remain liquid with snow levels well above 6k feet. In addition pressure gradients will remain tight and breezy to windy conditions are likely across a number of locations. Afternoon high temps will remain above normal climbing into the 50s and low 60s especially over the lower columbia basin. && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 540 AM PST Sun Feb 4 2018/ SHORT TERM...Today through Tuesday...A series of weather disturbances will be moving across the CWA through the short term forecast period. One system is moving through at the present time with an area of mainly rain over the northeast mountains, and some spill over of rain over the Washington Cascade crest. Due to the frequent weather systems timing of each system will be difficult and can expect a chance of rain (and higher mountain snow) each day through the period. Snow levels will be fairly high to start out with, but will gradually fall during the latter part of the short term forecast period. Before the snow levels drop, they will range from mainly 5500-6500 feet MSL. The west to northwest flow which will persist through the short term period will prevent major changes from day to day, and therefore there will be periods of rain though Tuesday. Snow levels will drop by Tuesday late afternoon to around 4000 ft MSL. This will allow cooler air to move into the CWA, changing mountain rain to snow. However, it will not be an arctic air mass due to its origin of being over water. In any case can expect breezy to windy conditions each day except for the last period. Temperatures will be above normal each day of the short term forecast period. 88 LONG TERM...Tuesday Night through Saturday...Medium range models in good agreement through Friday, with mid/upper level ridging across the eastern Pacific and a trough of low pressure across the Great Plains resulting in mainly dry NW flow across the interior Pacific Northwest. GFS/ECMWF continue to show a weak impulse riding over the top of the ridge across the region Thursday, although weaker than in previous model cycles. Will keep most areas dry through Friday, with small chances of showers across the northeast mountains and the immediate east slopes of the Cascades. Models diverge some on Saturday, with the ECMWF showing a flattening of the eastern Pacific ridge, while the GFS keeps a more amplified ridge/continued dry NW flow. Will keep precip chances below seasonal averages, with slight chance PoPs for the mountains and mainly dry elsewhere. Temperatures around 10 degrees above normal will continue for midweek, cooling to slightly above normal for the first half of the weekend. AVIATION...18z TAFs...Northwest flow with gusty winds will continue across the region today with showers banked up along the Blue Mountains with periods of showers at KPDT and KALW through mid afternoon. Showers will continue over the mountains overnight by cloud will be decreasing with mid and high level clouds overnight. Winds will increase to 12-18 KT with gusts to 25-30 KT this afternoon, decreasing to around 10 kts by late evening, but will increase again on Monday by midday. 93 HYDROLOGY...Rises on rivers and streams continue in the Blue Mountains and Foothills as well as along the Washington Cascade east slopes due to heavy rain and melting snow. The Umatilla River near Gibbon will rise above flood stage to near 8 feet by late today and then fall back below flood stage on Monday. 93 && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... PDT 60 44 54 36 / 50 40 20 10 ALW 61 46 56 38 / 70 50 20 20 PSC 62 46 59 37 / 30 10 10 10 YKM 60 43 58 31 / 20 10 10 0 HRI 62 46 57 37 / 30 10 10 10 ELN 56 42 57 34 / 30 20 10 10 RDM 58 41 58 28 / 20 10 10 0 LGD 56 45 52 33 / 70 50 40 30 GCD 58 45 55 33 / 30 20 10 10 DLS 59 50 60 39 / 20 20 10 10 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None. WA...None. && 97/93
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Umatilla near Gibbon - Flood stage 7.0 feet. River went above flood stage at 1000 PST on the 4th, cresting at 7.5 feet at 1845 PST on the 4th, then went below flood stage at 230 PST on the 5th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, February 2018
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: 734152.