[willamette-fcst] Forecast - Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
Willamette Valley Ag/Burning Forecast
willamette-fcst at listsmart.osl.state.or.us
Tue Feb 24 09:02:59 PST 2009
Daily Smoke Management Forecast
Oregon Department of Agriculture
Smoke Management Program
Weather Outlook and Field Burning Advisory for Willamette Valley Growers and Fire Districts.
Issued:
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 at 9:00am.
Burn Advisory:
Agricultural burning is allowed. Suggested burn times are from now until 4:00pm.
Straw stack burning is allowed from now until 4:00pm.
Weather Discussion:
A Pacific cold front moved across western Oregon Monday
afternoon and was followed by a secondary cold front
overnight. The combination of storms dropped from about
one-half to one-and-a-quarter inches of rain across mot of
western Oregon. It was a little drier over extreme
southwestern Oregon, but heavier rain fell there over the
weekend. The bottom line is that all of western Oregon
fianlly got a good soaking rain, after a quite dry January
and first half of February.
In addition, a fairly intense low-pressure area moved to
near the northern Washington coast early this
morning...producing fairly strong southerly winds from the
central Washington Coast south along the Oregon Coast.
Hoquiam, Washington had a peak gust early this morning of 46
mph with gusts to near 50 mph along the extreme northern
Oregon Coast, at Clapsop Spit. Garibaldi had a peak gust of
47 mph, and capre Mears (1421 feet near Tillamook) had a
gust of 64 mph. Blustery winds and bursts of heavy rain
swept across the Willamette Valley overnight. The Salem
Airport had a peak gust of 46 mph.
The mid-morning ODA surface analysis showed southerly
pressure gradients beginning to relax a bit across western
Washington and Oregon, with a weakening low-pressure center
just off the northern Washington Coast. South winds were
still gusting to 35 mph along the northern Oregon Coast, at
Astoria, and to near 20 mph in the Willamette Valley. The
rainy and windy conditions kept overnight temperatures above
40 degrees along the coast and across the Willamette Valley.
Mid-morning readings were in the mid to upper 40s.
Satellite imagery showed generally cloudy skies across
Washington and most of western Oregon. There were some
breaks in the clouds across central and eastern Oregon.
Doppler radar continued to show a few showers moving across
northwestern Oregon, in a strong southewesterly flow aloft.
The air aloft cooler overnight with the snow level dropping
to about 3500 feet early this morning. Snow was falling
over the Cascade passes this morning with 4 inches of new
snow at Government Camp, on Mt. Hood. The higher elevations
on Mt. Hood picked up heavy snow overnight, with Timberline
Lodge getting 15 inches of new snow.
The flow aloft is forecast to turn more westerly this
afternoon, which should enhance snow shower activity over
the Cascades. Snow advisories are in effect there for up to
12 inches of new snow above 3500 feet by Wednesday morning.
The coast and western valleys will continue to see scattered
rain showers today and tonight with slowly decreasing winds.
Valley highs will be in the low to mid 50s. Lows tonight
should, once again, remain above 40 degrees.
Surface Winds:
S 10-20 G30 this morning, SW 10-20 G25 this afternoon.
Transport Winds:
SW 30 this morning, SW 25 this afternoon.
Atmospheric Ventilation Conditions:
Maximum mixing height today will be near 4000 feet. Ventilation index 120.
High Temperature:
Salem\'s high temperature today will be near 53.
Humidities:
Minimum relative humidity will be near 69%.
Sunrise/Sunset:
Salem sunset tonight: 5:53pm; sunrise tomorrow: 6:56am.
Extended Outlook:
A cold upper-level low-pressure system is forecast to drop
southward, from southern British Columbia, to just off the
Washington Coast Wednesday. That will increase the
precipitation and winds across the region with snow levels
lowering to near 3000 feet by Wednesday night. Another foot
of snow could fall in the Cascades late Wednesday into
Thursday, as snow levels drop to 1000 feet or lower. The
coastal range passes may also see sticking snow Thursday, as
the very cold upper-level low-pressure system swings
onshore. Some wet snow is also possible in the higher hills
around the Willamette Valley on Thursday.
The upper-level low-pressure system is forecast to move east
of the Cascades Thursday night with showers tapering off and
skies clearing. That will allow for much colder overnight
temperatures. Valley minimums will likely drop to near or
below freezing. A transitory ridge of high pressure may
bring a mostly dry day Friday, with a touch of sunshine.
The next weather system is forecast to develop further
offshore, with increasing southwesterly flow aloft briefly
lifting snow levels to near or above the Cascade passes
Saturday afternoon. That system is forecast to move onshore
with rain and blustery winds Saturday night and Sunday, with
snow returning to the mountains. Showers will continue
Monday and Tuesday with low snow levels.
Tomorrow (25 Feb): Showers Increasing in the Afternoon. Snow Level 3500 Feet. 42/52
Thu (26 Feb): Showers. Snow Level 1000 Feet or Lower. 37/47
Fri (27 Feb): Partly Sunny and Cool. Slight Chance of a Shower. 31/52
Sat (28 Feb): Increasing Clouds. Chance of PM Rain. Snow Level 5000 Feet. 38/53
Sun (01 Mar): Rain. Snow Level Dropping to 3000 Feet. 40/52
Mon (02 Mar): Showers. Snow Level Near 3000 Feet. 39/50
Tue (03 Mar): Showers. Snow Level near 2000 Feet. 37/50
ODA Meteorologist
weather at oda.state.or.us
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