NOUS46 KPDT 112252 PNSPDT PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OREGON 252 PM PDT MON FEB 11 2008 ...MONTH IN REVIEW FOR NORTHEAST OREGON AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON FOR THE MONTH OF JANUARY 2008... I. TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION OVERVIEW JANUARY 2008 AVERAGE TEMPERATURES WERE BELOW NORMAL ACROSS THE REGION, WITH SOME PLACES IN CENTRAL OREGON BEING UP TO 6 DEGREES BELOW NORMAL. TOTAL PRECIPITATION WAS NEAR TO BELOW NORMAL FOR THE EAST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES AND NEAR TO ABOVE NORMAL ELSEWHERE. JANUARY NORMALS FOR SELECTED CITIES: MAX T MIN T AVE. TEMP PRECIP YAKIMA 37.7 20.5 29.1 1.17 KENNEWICK 40.4 28.0 34.2 1.05 WALLA WALLA 40.6 28.8 34.7 2.25 THE DALLES 41.4 29.6 35.5 2.64 REDMOND 43.1 23.4 33.3 0.97 PENDLETON AIRPORT 40.1 27.4 33.8 1.45 LA GRANDE 37.3 23.1 30.2 1.83 JANUARY 2008 DATA FOR SELECTED CITIES: MAX T MIN T AVE. TEMP PRECIP YAKIMA 35.6 18.6 27.1 0.81 KENNEWICK 39.7 25.9 32.8 1.03 WALLA WALLA 41.3 27.5 34.4 2.02 THE DALLES 40.8 26.4 33.6 2.94 REDMOND 40.0 17.6 28.8 ---- PENDLETON AIRPORT 39.6 23.4 31.5 1.82 LA GRANDE 32.7 19.4 26.1 1.53 II. SELECTED RECORDS AN ARCTIC COLD FRONT MOVED THROUGH THE AREA DURING THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY, BRINGING THE COLDEST TEMPERATURES OF THIS WINTER SEASON. WITH MOSTLY CLEAR SKIES, OVERNIGHT TEMPERATURES DROPPED WELL BELOW NORMAL FOR MANY AREAS. SOME OF THESE LOCATIONS BROKE THEIR RECORD LOW DAILY TEMPERATURE. ON JANUARY 21ST, MEACHAM, OREGON REPORTED A LOW TEMPERATURE OF -19 DEGREES, BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF -12 SET IN 1962. THE FOLLOWING DAY, ON JANUARY 22ND, MEACHAM DROPPED DOWN TO -23 DEGREES, BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF -6 DEGREES SET IN 1962. ON JANUARY 23RD, THE CITY OF LA GRANDE IN OREGON DROPPED TO -4 DEGREES, BREAKING THE PREVIOUS RECORD OF 0 DEGREES SET IN 1979. MADRAS, OREGON ALSO BROKE THEIR RECORD OF 10 DEGREES SET IN 1979 WITH 4 DEGREES REPORTED ON THE 23RD. THEN, ON JANUARY 24TH, MADRAS AGAIN BROKE A DAILY LOW TEMPERATURE RECORD OF 5 DEGREES SET IN 1957 WITH A RECORDED LOW TEMPERATURE OF 4 DEGREES. FURTHER SOUTH, REDMOND, OREGON BROKE THEIR RECORD LOW TEMPERATURE OF 0 DEGREES SET IN 1969 WITH -1 DEGREE REPORTED ON THE 24TH. THEN, ON JANUARY 25TH, WHITMAN MISSION, WASHINGTON BROKE THEIR PREVIOUS LOW TEMPERATURE RECORD OF 8 DEGREES SET IN 1969 WITH 4 DEGREES. SEVERAL WEATHER DISTURBANCES MOVED ACROSS THE REGION AT THE END OF JANUARY, BRINGING SNOW TO MANY AREAS OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL DAYS. A COLD FRONT MOVED INTO THE REGION ON JANUARY 27TH AND THEN STALLED, BRINGING A LONG PERIOD OF SNOW OVER EASTERN OREGON AND EASTERN WASHINGTON. THE PENDLETON AIRPORT BROKE THEIR 24-HOUR SNOWFALL RECORD WITH 9.3 INCHES OF SNOW FALLING. THE PREVIOUS RECORD WAS 8.7 INCHES IN 1950. THIS RECORD WAS ALSO THE 5TH HIGHEST 24-HOUR SNOWFALL TOTAL ON RECORD FOR THE STATION. THE HIGHEST 24-HOUR SNOWFALL TOTAL WAS 16.1 INCHES OF SNOW THAT FELL ON FEBRUARY 24TH OF 1994. THE SNOW THEN CONTINUED FOR MOST OF THE DAY AND INTO THE EVENING WITH SEVERAL OTHER LOCATIONS BREAKING 24-HOUR SNOWFALL TOTALS FROM JANUARY 27 INTO JANUARY 28TH. THE FOLLOWING TABLE SHOWS THE RECORD 24-HOUR SNOWFALL TOTAL IN INCHES FOR EACH STATION. CITY PREVIOUS RECORD NEW RECORD CONDON, OR 4.0 IN 1950 10.0 HEPPNER, OR 3.0 IN 1907 7.0 CITY OF HERMISTON, OR 4.0 IN 1996 6.0 CITY OF JOHN DAY, OR 2.0 IN 1959 6.0 JOSEPH, OR 4.0 IN 1917 12.0 CITY OF LA GRANDE, OR 1.0 IN 1968 1.5 LONG CREEK, OR 2.0 IN 1991 7.0 MADRAS, OR 5.0 IN 1981 5.0 (TIED) MORO, OR 2.5 IN 1981 2.5 (TIED) MITCHELL, OR 7.0 IN 1968 9.0 PELTON DAM, OR 0.7 IN 1963 3.0 PENDLETON EXP ST, OR 5.5 IN 1996 9.0 PRINEVILLE, OR 3.0 IN 1932 3.0 (TIED) BICKLETON, WA 4.1 IN 2006 8.0 KENNEWICK, WA 2.0 IN 1950 7.0 SATUS PASS, WA 2.2 IN 1982 4.0 WHITMAN MISSION, WA 6.5 IN 1996 6.8 III. SIGNIFICANT WEATHER THE NEW YEAR STARTED WITH A VERY ACTIVE MONTH OF JANUARY, WITH HIGH WINDS AT THE START OF THE MONTH, COLD TEMPERATURES AND ICY CONDITIONS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH, AND HEAVY SNOW EVENTS THROUGHOUT THE MONTH. A VERY STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST INCREASED PRESSURE GRADIENTS ACROSS THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY AND WALLOWA VALLEY STARTING ON JANUARY 1ST. THE STRONGEST WIND GUSTS WERE 59 MPH IN LA GRANDE AND 53 MPH IN UNION. AS THE LOW TRACKED CLOSER, WINDS CONTINUED TO BE STRONG ON JANUARY 2ND, WITH THE STRONGEST WIND GUSTS OF 58 MPH IN UNION AND 65 MPH IN LA GRANDE. ON JANUARY 3RD, ENTERPRISE, OREGON RECORDED A WIND GUST TO 85 MPH AND JOSEPH REPORTED A WIND GUST TO 60 MPH. THEN, ON JANUARY 4TH, A VERY STRONG LOW-LEVEL JET MOVED INTO EASTERN OREGON WITH A COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE NOW VERY STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM APPROACHING THE COAST. DOWNSLOPING WINDS AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT BECAME VERY STRONG THE MORNING OF JANUARY 4TH, WITH POWER OUTAGES, STRUCTURAL DAMAGE AND NUMEROUS FALLEN TREES REPORTED FROM THE JOHN DAY AND OCHOCO MOUNTAIN AREA NORTH AND EAST TO THE WALLA WALLA VALLEY AND THE WALLOWA VALLEY. THE GREATEST CONCENTRATION OF DAMAGE OCCURRED ALONG THE FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS FROM ADAMS, OREGON, NORTHWARD TO WALLA WALLA, WASHINGTON. THE WALLA WALLA AIRPORT REPORTED SUSTAINED WINDS FROM 45 TO 55 MPH WITH GUSTS FROM 70 TO 78 MPH FROM 940 AM UNTIL 1000 AM WHEN THE SYSTEM STOPPED REPORTING. THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS THE HIGHEST WIND REPORTS AROUND THE AREA AND THE TIME FRAME IT OCCURRED IN. TIME LOCATION WIND REPORT 630 AM FOX, OR 68 MPH WIND GUST 650 AM RICHMOND, OR 50-55 MPH WIND GUSTS, POWER OUTAGES 710 AM JOHN DAY, OR 70 MPH WIND GUST 814 AM MITCHELL, OR 66 MPH WIND GUST 815 AM UKIAH, OR 50 MPH ESTIMATED WIND GUSTS, POWER OUTAGES 821 AM HELIX, OR 73 MPH WIND GUST 825 AM IMBLER, OR 61 MPH PEAK WIND GUST 830 AM PENDLETON, OR 53 MPH WIND GUST AT THE AIRPORT, INTERSTATE 84 CLOSED DUE TO WIND AND BLOWING DUST 830 AM MISSION, OR 58 TO 60 MPH WIND GUSTS 855 AM LA GRANDE, OR SUSTAINED 43 MPH WINDS WITH GUST TO 61 MPH 900 AM JOSEPH, OR 67 MPH WIND GUST 910 AM ADAMS, OR GRAIN ELEVATOR COLLAPSES FROM STRONG GUSTS 919 AM NEAR TOLLGATE, OR 80 MPH WIND GUST 925 AM HEPPNER, OR ESTIMATED 70 MPH WIND GUST 950 AM COLLEGE PLACE, WA 50 MPH PEAK WIND GUST FOLLOWED BY POWER OUTAGE AND NUMEROUS TREES DOWN 1000 AM WALLA WALLA, WA PEAK 78 MPH WIND GUST 1010 AM ENTERPRISE, OR 83 MPH PEAK WIND GUST, POWER OUTAGES, PHONE LINES DOWN BETWEEN JOSEPH AND IMNAHA 1017 AM WALLA WALLA, WA ESTIMATED 70 MPH WIND GUSTS, 12-INCH DIAMETER TREES DOWN 1043 AM PILOT ROCK, OR 58 MPH WIND GUST 1100 AM JOHN DAY, OR 71 MPH WIND GUST 1130 AM PAULINA, OR 66 MPH WIND GUST A STRONG, MOIST WEATHER SYSTEM MOVED INTO OREGON AND WASHINGTON ON JANUARY 26TH. WARMER AIR ALOFT MOVED OVER COLD AIR TRAPPED IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS IN THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE AND COLUMBIA BASIN. PRECIPITATION FELL AS FREEZING RAIN STARTING THE AFTERNOON OF THE 26TH FOR THESE AREAS. THE DALLES, BOARDMAN, UMATILLA IN OREGON AS WELL AS KENNEWICK AND WISHRAM IN WASHINGTON REPORTED A QUARTER INCH OF FREEZING RAIN BY THAT EVENING. ARLINGTON, OREGON AND ELTOPIA WASHINGTON BOTH REPORTED FREEZING RAIN AMOUNTS OF ONE-HALF INCH OR MORE. INTERSTATE 82 BETWEEN UMATILLA AND KENNEWICK WAS CLOSED THAT EVENING DUE TO ICY CONDITIONS AND SEVERAL AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS. FREEZING RAIN CONTINUED OVERNIGHT AND SPREAD INTO THE FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. ADDITIONAL REPORTS OF ONE-QUARTER INCH OCCURRED IN WALLA WALLA, AND PROSSER WASHINGTON, AS WELL AS CHENOWETH, OREGON. COLLEGE PLACE, WASHINGTON REPORTED ONE-HALF INCH OF FREEZING RAIN OVERNIGHT. FREEZING RAIN THEN TURNED TO SNOW FOR THE REGION ON JANUARY 27TH, WITH SNOW CONTINUING TO FALL IN THE HIGHER TERRAIN AS THE COLD FRONT STALLED OVER THE REGION. THE FOLLOWING TABLE LISTS SELECTED 24-HOUR SNOWFALL TOTALS COLLECTED FROM AROUND THE AREA (STATIONS THAT BROKE THEIR 24-HOUR SNOWFALL RECORD FOR JANUARY 27TH THROUGH JANUARY 28TH ARE LISTED ABOVE AND NOT INCLUDED HERE). CITY SNOWFALL ATHENA, OR 7 INCHES BEND, OR 7.5 INCHES BINGHAM SPRINGS, OR 13 INCHES BOARDMAN, OR 6 INCHES COVE, OR 8 INCHES ENTERPRISE, OR 10-12 INCHES FOSSIL, OR 9.5 INCHES HEPPNER, OR 9 INCHES IRRIGON, OR 8 INCHES LYLE, OR 6 INCHES MEACHAM, OR 14 INCHES PRAIRIE CITY, OR 7 INCHES COLLEGE PLACE, WA 8 INCHES PROSSER, WA 7 INCHES SKI BLUEWOOD, WA 10 INCHES WEST RICHLAND, WA 8 INCHES SEVERAL WEATHER SYSTEMS BROUGHT SNOW ACROSS THE REGION THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JANUARY. SNOWFALL TOTALS FOR THE MONTH WERE THE HIGHEST IN THE LAST FEW YEARS FOR SOME LOCATIONS, BUT ONLY A HANDFUL OF STATIONS REPORTED SNOWFALL TOTALS FOR THE MONTH WITHIN THEIR TOP 10 SNOWIEST JANUARIES ON RECORD. THE FOLLOWING LISTS CITIES AND THEIR REPORTED MONTHLY SNOWFALL TOTALS FOR JANUARY 2008. CITY JANUARY SNOWFALL TOTAL CONDON, OR 17.6 INCHES HEPPNER, OR 8.6 INCHES CITY OF JOHN DAY, OR 14.9 INCHES (RANKED #3. RECORD STARTS 1954) JOSEPH, OR 29.8 INCHES CITY OF HERMISTON, OR 6.0 INCHES CITY OF LA GRANDE, OR 8.8 INCHES LONG CREEK, OR 20.6 INCHES MADRAS, OR 7.5 INCHES MEACHAM, OR 55.8 INCHES MORO, OR 8.3 INCHES MITCHELL, OR 18.2 INCHES PENDLETON AIRPORT, OR 10.7 INCHES PENDLETON EXP ST, OR 11.2 INCHES PENDLETON DOWNTOWN, OR 7.1 INCHES PRINEVILLE, OR 6.2 INCHES SUNRIVER, OR 26.8 INCHES UNION EXP ST, OR 10.8 INCHES BICKLETON, WA 23.9 INCHES (RANKED #6. RECORD STARTS 1927) EASTON, WA 52.0 INCHES GOLDENDALE, WA 19.2 INCHES KENNEWICK, WA 7.1 INCHES MILL CREEK DAM, WA 8.5 INCHES MT. ADAMS RANGER ST, WA 60.3 INCHES SELAH, WA 7.2 INCHES SATUS PASS, WA 38.5 INCHES SUNNYSIDE, WA 8.8 INCHES WHITMAN MISSION, WA 7.1 INCHES (RANKED #9. RECORD STARTS 1962) CITY OF YAKIMA, WA 7.5 INCHES