A wildfire near Umatilla driven by strong winds temporarily closed interstate 82.
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.
A wildfire near Umatilla driven by strong winds temporarily closed interstate 82.
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 Sep 7, 2:48 PM PST, 1 hour 27 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
348 PM PDT Mon Sep 7 2020
.AVIATION...00z TAFS...IFR conditions currently in place with
multiple aviation concerns now through early tonight. Latest
satellite imagery depicts blowing dust across much of south
central WA south to central and northeast OR. Latest surface obs
show north to northeast winds with gusts 35 to 50 mph across much
of south central WA and the Columbia Basin into the Gorge,
elsewhere gusts commonly 25 to 35 mph. IFR conditions across much
of south central WA into the Columbia Basin attributable to the
visibilities and/or smoke plume layer and low clouds aloft.
Visibilities are being reduced down to a mile at times by dust or
a combination of dust and smoke. This is an improvement from early
this afternoon where spots were as low as a quarter mile.
As winds lessen this evening, visibilities are expected to
improve area-wide through the evening hours though haze will be
possible across Basin, Gorge, and south central WA tonight and
tomorrow. Winds lessen tonight to north/northeast 10-15 with
gusts to 20 mph possible along and near the Cascades. Breezy
conditions pick up tomorrow, mainly in and near the east slopes of
the Cascades with northwest/west winds and gusts up to 30 mph in
spots. Potential for smoke to impact visibilities at KYKM and
KPSC terminals again tomorrow from area fires and any new fires,
however, confidence is low at this time.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 216 PM PDT Mon Sep 7 2020/
SHORT TERM...Tonight through Wednesday night. Cold front moving
south across the region today. Strong northeast winds of 20-40 mph
with local gusts to 50 mph will continue into the evening then
diminish. Widespread dust and smoke with limited visibility across
the forecast area. This will continue into the evening then
gradually improve overnight. Satellite showing many fires now in
northeastern Washington. With northeast winds overnight into Tue
expect smoke will continue to spread into the forecast area.
Otherwise for tonight partly cloudy conditions with the frontal
boundary. Upper ridge builds in Tue and Wed with clear skies and
cooler temperatures. Highs in the 70s to mid 80s. Lows in the 30s
and 40s. A freeze is likely in some locations Tue night. 94
LONG TERM...Thursday through Monday...Models in good agreement
that an upper level ridge of high pressure will persist over the
region through the extended period. Ridge axis will be offshore
Thursday, and slowly move east onshore and across the forecast
area through Sunday. An impulse riding over the top of the ridge
Friday will produce locally breezy conditions in the afternoon.
Models indicate that a closed low over the eastern Pacific will
open up into a trough and push onshore as ridge exits to the east
on Monday. Monday being day 8 in the forecast, models are fairly
widespread in chance of precip across the region, so have decided
go with the drier solution of the NBM, which reflects the GFS and
Canadian models. Otherwise, expect clear skies and dry conditions
each day starting Thursday with afternoon temperatures well above
normal, generally upper 80s to mid 90s. Lawhorn/82
AVIATION...18Z TAFs. IFR conditions likely through evening with
smoke and dust. Today, winds will increase ahead and behind a
cold front that is currently crossing eastern WA right now. Winds
will increase to 20-30kts at all sites, with gusts up to 35kts
possible. Strong winds will also produce areas of BLDU across
portions of our CWA, mainly PSC/PDT. Smoke from regional fires
upstream may also impact vsby at times, and create few-bkn layers
5kft to 10kft AGL. Winds will lighten overnight to 10-15kts.
Lawhorn/82
FIRE WEATHER...Red flag warnings remain in effect for strong
winds and low humidity. Period of strongest winds will be this
afternoon and evening. Direction will be northeast. Dew points
falling into the 20s to mid 30s next few days.
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 41 72 38 80 / 0 0 0 0
ALW 44 74 42 82 / 0 0 0 0
PSC 43 76 39 84 / 0 0 0 0
YKM 43 74 41 84 / 0 0 0 0
HRI 42 76 37 84 / 0 0 0 0
ELN 43 71 41 83 / 0 0 0 0
RDM 35 74 31 81 / 0 0 0 0
LGD 36 68 34 77 / 0 0 0 0
GCD 35 71 37 79 / 0 0 0 0
DLS 48 77 43 86 / 0 0 0 0
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Blowing Dust Advisory until 8 PM PDT this evening for ORZ044-507-
508-510.
Red Flag Warning until 11 PM PDT Tuesday for ORZ610-611-639.
Red Flag Warning until 11 PM PDT this evening for ORZ640>642.
Wind Advisory until 8 PM PDT this evening for ORZ044.
WA...Blowing Dust Advisory until 8 PM PDT this evening for WAZ026>029.
Red Flag Warning until 11 PM PDT Tuesday for WAZ639-681.
Red Flag Warning until 11 PM PDT this evening for WAZ641-675.
Wind Advisory until 8 PM PDT this evening for WAZ026>028.
&&
SHORT TERM...99
LONG TERM....99
AVIATION...80
UPDATE...
FIRE WEATHER...PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
200 PM PDT MON SEP 7 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0138 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 8 SSE GOLDENDALE 45.73N 120.73W
09/07/2020 M59 MPH KLICKITAT WA MESONET
MESONET STATION AV493 MARYHILL.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
439 PM PDT MON SEP 7 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1249 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 NNE PASCO 46.27N 119.12W
09/07/2020 M45 MPH FRANKLIN WA ASOS
ASOS STATION KPSC TRI CITIES AIRPORT.
&&
ETPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
440 PM PDT MON SEP 7 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0223 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 1 W SOUTH BROADWAY 46.57N 120.53W
09/07/2020 M51 MPH YAKIMA WA ASOS
ASOS STATION KYKM YAKIMA.
&&
ETPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
441 PM PDT MON SEP 7 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0128 PM NON-TSTM WND GST 4 E SELAH 46.67N 120.45W
09/07/2020 M52 MPH YAKIMA WA AWOS
AWOS STATION K1YT YAGABOND AAF.
&&
ETPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
451 PM PDT MON SEP 7 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1253 PM DUST STORM 1 NNE PASCO 46.27N 119.12W
09/07/2020 FRANKLIN WA ASOS
ASOS STATION KPSC TRI CITIES AIRPORT. 1/4
MILE VISIBILITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO BLOWING DUST
AND SMOKE. VISIBILITY LESS THAN A 1/2 MILE
OR WORSE AT TRI-CITIES AIRPORT FROM APPROX
1250 TO 1420 LST.
&&
ETPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
454 PM PDT MON SEP 7 2020
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1143 AM DUST STORM 2 NNW PENDLETON 45.70N 118.83W
09/07/2020 UMATILLA OR ASOS
ASOS STATION KPDT PENDLETON, OR (AIRPORT).
LESS THAN 1/4 MILE VISIBILITY ATTRIBUTABLE
TO BLOWING DUST AND SMOKE. VISIBILITY LESS
THAN A 1/4 MILE OR WORSE AT EASTERN OREGON
REGIONAL AIRPORT FROM APPROX 1130 TO 1210
LST.
&&
ETThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Wildfire occurred near Umatilla River Bridge near Umatilla, in the Power City area. Interstate 82 was closed for a period of time between MP1 and MP10.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, September 2020
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: 909179.