STORM SUMMARY NUMBER 2 FOR WESTERN U.S. WINTER STORM
NWS HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL PREDICTION CENTER CAMP SPRINGS MD
700 AM PST WED JAN 18 2012
 
...THE ONSLAUGHT OF SUBTROPICAL PACIFIC MOISTURE IS SPREADING
MODERATE RAIN AND SNOW TO PORTIONS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST...
 
A LARGE PORTION OF THE NORTHWESTERN U.S. HAS WINTER STORM WARNINGS
IN PLACE. THIS REGION SPANS AS FAR SOUTH AS EXTREME NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA AND AS FAR EAST AS SOUTH-CENTRAL MONTANA. EMBEDDED
WITHIN THIS EXPANSIVE AREA OF WARNINGS ARE WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORIES WHICH INCLUDES THE ENTIRE SIERRA NEVADA MOUNTAIN CHAIN.
 
IN ADDITION TO THE SNOW RELATED WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES...COASTAL
OREGON HAS A HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING IN PLACE IN ITS OFFSHORE
WATERS.
 
FOR A DETAILED GRAPHICAL DEPICTION OF THE LATEST
WATCHES...WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES...PLEASE SEE WWW.WEATHER.GOV

AT 600 AM PST...THE LATEST NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADARS
INDICATED AN EXPANSIVE AREA OF RAIN AND SNOW FALLING ALONG THE
WASHINGTON/OREGON BORDER. MODIFIED ARCTIC AIR ADVANCING INTO THE
REGION HAS ALLOWED TEMPERATURES TO APPROACH THE FREEZING MARK OVER
THE REGION. AS A RESULT...LOWER ELEVATIONS ARE CURRENTLY
EXPERIENCING LIGHT TO MODERATE SNOW INCLUDING THE CITY OF
PORTLAND. FURTHER EAST...THERE IS A LULL IN THE PRECIPITATION
ACROSS THE LOWER ELEVATIONS WHILE LIGHT SNOW WAS FALLING OVER THE
BLUE MOUNTAINS OF NORTHEASTERN OREGON. TO THE SOUTH...A SEPARATE
BATCH OF MODERATE RAIN WAS FALLING ALONG THE OREGON COAST AND IS
CROSSING INTO EXTREME NORTHWESTERN CALIFORNIA.  AT THE
SURFACE...THERE IS A 992 MB...29.29 INCHES...LOW PRESSURE AREA
ABOUT 300 MILES OFF THE OREGON COAST. EXTENDING FROM THIS AREA OF
LOW PRESSURE IS A WARM FRONT MOVING NORTH ALONG THE OREGON COAST.
THIS IS ALLOWING FOR MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE WESTERN
PORTIONS OF OREGON.  TO THE NORTH...AN ARCTIC RIDGE OF HIGH
PRESSURE DROPPING SOUTHWARD HAS ALLOWED A CHANGEOVER TO SNOW OVER
SOME OF THE LOWEST ELEVATIONS OF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. FALLING
PRECIPITATION HAS BEEN A RESULT OF THE ACTIVE PLUME OF SUBTROPICAL
MOISTURE STREAMING IN COMBINED WITH MID-LEVEL ENERGY TRACKING
TOWARD THE COAST.

...SELECTED STORM TOTAL SNOWFALL IN INCHES FROM 200 PM PST MON JAN
16 THROUGH 600 AM PST WED JAN 18...

...IDAHO...
MULLAN                               15.0 ESTIMATED           
WALLACE                              14.0 ESTIMATED           
OSBURN                               13.5                     
PRICHARD                             12.0 ESTIMATED           
CLARK FORK SSE                        9.0                     
MOSCOW 5 NNE                          6.0 ESTIMATED           
SANDPOINT                             6.0                     

...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                     
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                     
CORVALLIS 3 NW                        4.0                     
DOWNTOWN PORTLAND                     1.0 ESTIMATED           

...WASHINGTON...
JUNE LAKE SNOTEL                     20.0                     
SHEEP CANYON SNOTEL                  17.0                     
SURPRISE LAKE SNOTEL                 17.0                     
TROUT LAKE 1 W                       17.0                     
SPENCER MEADOW SNOTEL                15.0                     
SWIFT CREEK SNOTEL                   15.0                     
PEPPER CREEK SNOTEL                  13.0                     
PLAIN 1 NW                           12.7                     
ARLINGTON 2 NNE                      10.0                     
CAMAS                                10.0                     
WHITE SALMON 4 ENE                   10.0                     
HURRICANE RIDGE 6 NW                  8.0                     

...SELECTED PEAK WIND GUSTS IN MILES PER HOUR EARLIER IN THE
EVENT...

...OREGON...
SUMMER LAKE 9 SSE                     64                     


THIS WILL BE A MULTI-DAY EVENT AS A SERIES OF MID-LEVEL
DISTURBANCES TRACK ACROSS THE EASTERN PACIFIC AND INTO THE WEST
COAST. DURING THIS PERIOD OF TIME...RAINFALL TOTALS WILL RANGE
FROM 10-15 INCHES ALONG THE OREGON COAST AND INTO THE NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA COAST. MOST OF THE RAINFALL WILL OCCUR NEAR THE
OREGON/CALIFORNIA BORDER.  FARTHER EAST...SNOWFALL TOTALS UP TO 4
FEET WILL OCCUR ALONG THE CASCADES.  PORTIONS OF THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS IN WEST CENTRAL IDAHO WILL RECEIVE UP TO 5 FEET OF
SNOW.  IN ADDITION TO THE HEAVY PRECIPITATION...HOWLING WINDS ARE
EXPECTED WITH HURRICANE FORCE GUSTS POSSIBLE ALONG THE COAST OF
OREGON.    

THE NEXT STORM SUMMARY WILL BE ISSUED BY THE HYDROMETEOROLOGICAL
PREDICTION CENTER AT 100 PM PST. PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LOCAL
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THIS
EVENT.

FANNING