THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER
CAMP SPRINGS, MD
STORM SUMMARY MESSAGE
STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 3 FOR WESTERN U.S. WINTER STORM
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
100 PM PST WED JAN 18 2012
...A MAJOR WINTER STORM AFFECTING THE NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES
WITH HEAVY SNOW...HEAVY RAINS AND VERY STRONG WINDS...
WINTER STORM WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES ARE CURRENTLY IN EFFECT FOR A
LARGE PORTION OF THE NORTHWESTERN U.S. FROM NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA...THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST...THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND INTO
THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN. FLOOD WARNINGS ARE CURRENTLY IN EFFECT
FROM COASTAL NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA INTO COASTAL OREGON. HIGH
WIND WARNINGS AND WIND ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT ACROSS WESTERN
OREGON. AVALANCHE WARNINGS AND WATCHES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE
WASHINGTON AND OREGON CASCADES.
IN ADDITION TO THE WARNING AND ADVISORIES AFFECTING LAND
AREAS...HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING ARE IN EFFECT ACROSS THE
OFFSHORE WATERS OR OREGON.
FOR A DETAILED GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THE LATEST
WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES...PLEASE SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV
AT 100 PM PST...THE LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADARS
INDICATED AN LARGE REGION OF PRECIPITATION FALLING ACROSS MOST OF
WASHINGTON STATE...OREGON...NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...NORTHERN NEVADA
AND SOUTHERN IDAHO. HEAVY RAINS ARE CURRENTLY CONFINED TO COASTAL
SECTIONS OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND WESTERN OREGON. AN ARCTIC
FRONTAL BOUNDARY DRAPED ALONG THE COLUMBIA RIVER VALLEY INTO THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES IS KEEPING TEMPERATURES MUCH BELOW AVERAGE TO THE
NORTH OF THE FRONT...SUPPORTING SNOWFALL AT LOWER ELEVATIONS ALONG
THE WASHINGTON OREGON BORDER NORTHWARD INTO ALL OF WASHINGTON
STATE...INCLUDING SEATTLE AND QUILLAYUTE WASHINGTON AND THE DALLES
OREGON. SNOW THAT HAD BEEN FALLING IN PORTLAND OREGON HAS CHANGED
TO RAIN EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. FARTHER EAST...SNOW IS FALLING FROM
THE OREGON WASHINGTON CASCADES EASTWARD INTO EASTERN
WASHINGTON...EASTERN OREGON AND SOUTHERN IDAHO. AT THE
SURFACE...A 993 MB...29.32 INCHES OF MERCURY...LOW PRESSURE AREA
WAS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 40 MILES OFF THE WASHINGTON COAST.
EXTENDING FROM THIS AREA OF LOW PRESSURE IS AN ARCTIC FRONTAL
BOUNDARY STRETCHING EASTWARD THROUGH THE COLUMBIA RIVER VALLEY AND
INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. PRECIPITATION AFFECTING THE
NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES HAS BEEN A RESULT OF A WELL DEFINED
PLUME OF SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE THAT STRETCHES FROM OVER
HAWAII...NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST.
...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 200 PM PST MON JAN
16 THROUGH 100 PM PST WED JAN 18...
...IDAHO...
MULLAN 15.0 ESTIMATED
NW WASCO 14.0
WALLACE 14.0 ESTIMATED
OSBURN 13.5
PRICHARD 12.0 ESTIMATED
MISSOULA 10 N 11.0
ELK CITY 9.6
CLARK FORK SSE 9.0
MCCALL 9 SSE 8.0
BOISE 7 SW 6.0
MOSCOW 5 NNE 6.0 ESTIMATED
SANDPOINT 6.0
MISSOULA 6 E 5.5
...MONTANA...
HERON 2 NW 15.3
SALTESE 6 NW 12.0
BABB 11 WSW 10.0
TROY 6.0 ESTIMATED
...OREGON...
MOUNT HOOD MEADOWS 28.0
SILVERTON 9.1 SE 27.0
TIMBERLINE 26.0 ESTIMATED
LITTLE MEADOW SNOTEL 19.0
DETROIT 1 ESE 18.0
RED HILL SNOTEL 18.0
BEAR GRASS SNOTEL 16.0
BENNETT PASS 16.0
BLAZED ALDER SNOTEL 16.0
DALY LAKE SNOTEL 16.0
WHITE RIVER 16.0
WHITE RIVER SNOW PARK 16.0
CITY OF THE DALLE 10.0
CORVALLIS 3 NW 4.0
DOWNTOWN PORTLAND 1.0 ESTIMATED
...WASHINGTON...
OLYMPIA 6.5 SW 21.7
JUNE LAKE SNOTEL 20.0
SHEEP CANYON SNOTEL 17.0
SURPRISE LAKE SNOTEL 17.0
TROUT LAKE 1 W 17.0
CHEHALIS 2 SSE 16.0
SPENCER MEADOW SNOTEL 15.0
SWIFT CREEK SNOTEL 15.0
VAIL 4 ENE 14.0
OSBURN 13.5
LACEY 5 S 13.0 ESTIMATED
PEPPER CREEK SNOTEL 13.0
PLAIN 1 NW 12.7
PORT ANGELES 8.1 SSW 10.3
ARLINGTON 2 NNE 10.0
CAMAS 10.0
OLYMPIA 6 WNW 10.0
WHITE SALMON 4 ENE 10.0
BELLINGHAM 1.5 SW 9.0
HURRICANE RIDGE 6 NW 8.0
SEATTLE 4.0
YAKIMA 1 SSW 4.0
...SELECTED PEAK WIND GUSTS IN MILES PER HOUR EARLIER IN THE
EVENT...
...OREGON...
OTTER ROCK 1 NE 110
YACHATS 2 NNE 109
NEWPORT 95
PACIFIC CITY 78
FLORENCE COAST GUARD TOWER 77
GARIBALDI 69
WILLAMETTE 66
SUMMER LAKE 9 SSE 64
TILLAMOOK AIRPORT 58
...WASHINGTON...
HEBO 5 ESE 73
MEGLER 1 NNW 53
NASELLE 4 NNE 48
THIS WILL BE A MULTI-DAY HEAVY PRECIPITATION EVENT FOR LARGE
PORTIONS OF THE NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES FROM NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA...THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST OF WASHINGTON AND
OREGON AND INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES ACROSS NORTHWESTERN
MONTANA...ALL OF IDAHO...WESTERN WYOMING...NORTHEASTERN NEVADA AND
INTO THE NORTHERN WASATCH AND UINTA RANGES OF UTAH. A SERIES OF
STORM SYSTEMS WILL BE MOVING OFF THE NORTHEASTERN PACIFIC OCEAN
AND INTO THE NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES THROUGH THE END OF THIS
WEEK AND INTO A LARGE PORTION OF NEXT WEEK. WHILE THERE WILL BE
BREAKS IN THE HEAVY PRECIPITATION BETWEEN THE STORM SYSTEMS
AFFECTING THE NORTHWESTERN UNITED STATES...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND
SNOWFALL AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY. RAINFALL TOTALS WILL RANGE FROM 10-20
INCHES ALONG THE OREGON COAST AND INTO THE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
COAST...WHILE SNOWFALL TOTALS OF 4 TO 6 FEET ARE LIKELY THROUGH
THE CASCADES OF WASHINGTON/OREGON...THE SHASTA/SISKIYOU/NORTHERN
SIERRA RANGES OF CALIFORNIA...THROUGH THE NORTHERN WASATCH AND
UINTA RANGES OF UTAH AND ACROSS THE NORTHERN ROCKIES FROM FAR
EASTERN IDAHO/WESTERN WYOMING...THROUGH CENTRAL TO NORTHERN
IDAHO...NORTHWESTERN MONTANA AND NORTHEASTERN OREGON. IN ADDITION
TO THE HEAVY PRECIPITATION...VERY STRONG WINDS WILL ACCOMPANY EACH
STORM SYSTEM AS THEY MOVE ASHORE THROUGH THE REMAINDER OF THIS
WEEK INTO NEXT WEEK ALONG COASTAL SECTIONS FROM NORTHWESTERN
CALIFORNIA INTO OREGON AND WASHINGTON.
THE NEXT STORM SUMMARY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
PREDICTION CENTER AT 700 PM PST. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS
EVENT.
ORAVEC
Last Updated: 403 PM EST WED JAN 18 2012