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About The nugget. (Sisters, Or.) 1994-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 2017)
Wednesday, December 27, 2017 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon Top weather events of 2017 Staff from the National Weather Service in Pendleton, Oregon, have voted on the top local weather events of 2017. 1. Severe Winter: It was a top-five cold January for many locations, such as Hermiston (1), Pasco (1), Dayville (1), Sisters (2), Long Creek (2), Pelton Dam (2), La Grande (2), Meacham (4), and Walla Walla (5). The Winter Severity Index, tracks snow and temperatures, and compared to previous winters at selected locations showed the winter of 2016-17 to be extreme at all points in the Inland Northwest. 2. Smoke: Wildfires in and around the Inland Northwest produced long durations of poor visibility and unhealthy air quality. Beginning in early August, smoke poured into the region from fires in British Columbia. At the end of August and early September, smoke from fires in the Cascades and Columbia Gorge enveloped the region. Stagnant air conditions and a light easterly flow even allowed smoke from Idaho and western Montana to drift into the region. 3. Solar Eclipse: What made the eclipse “weather- worthy” was that the sky con- ditions were nearly perfect for viewing. On the previous day, there was a weak disturbance that produced clouds and then, the day after the eclipse, the smoke from regional fires returned to many areas. 4. June 26 Flash Flood and Severe Thunderstorms: The largest severe weather outbreak in nearly four years produced eight severe thun- derstorms which pounded central and northeast Oregon and southeast Washington. Large hail up to golf-ball sized was observed near Warm Springs and Clarno. The Pendleton airport received its largest one-hour rainfall on record with 0.97 inch. Flash flooding was reported near the airport and also in Kennewick and Richland, Washington. Winds gusted 60 to 65 mph at Pendleton and also Richland and Kahlotus, Washington. 5. Wet Water Year: Pendleton, Yakima and the Tri Cities, Washington each earned top-10 ranking for wet water years ending September 30. Nearly all of this moisture came in the October-through- June period. 6. Bye-Bye Drought: In early March, the drought mon- itor showed all of Washington and Oregon drought-free for the first time since October 2011, a period just short of 5-1/2 years. At the end of March, mountain snowpack was 100 to 140 percent of nor- mal in the Cascades, Blues, Ochocos, and Wallowas. 7. Central Oregon Hail Storm: On May 4, a late- evening severe thunderstorm traveled through northern Deschutes and Jefferson coun- ties and produced large hail between one and two inches in diameter northwest of Bend and Terrebonne, before WOOD-FIRED FRESH HOT PIES Boone Dog Pizza Cart Eurosports Food Cart Garden Open Friday thru Monday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Take-out available, call ahead to preorder, 303-746-3609 Corner of Hood & Fir CHOPS Bistro LIVE MUSIC Happy Hou r Specials Fridays & Saturdays, 6 to 8 p. m. 4 to 6 p.m. Bill Keale, Sundays 5 to 8 p. m. ialty Join us for amazing food and spec a i l ls in our lounge or dining room. c k t tai c coo ck 370 E Cascade Ave. | 541-549-6015 Lounge open daily 4 p.m. to close | Dining Room daily 5 p.m. to close moving into the Madras area. 8. Hot Dry Summer: Many locations recorded the average temperatures in the top 5 for warmest on record for June through August. The Long Creek, Oregon average summer temperature of 66.5 degrees barely beat the pre- vious record hottest by 0.1 degree set in 2015. Most loca- tions only received 25 to 75 percent of normal precipita- tion, with the Pendleton area being the exception at 131 percent of normal. It was dry for 54 consecutive days in Easton, Washington and for 61 days in Redmond, Oregon. Hermiston and Yakima had the driest July on record. It was the hottest August on record at Ellensburg, Hermiston, Bend, Easton, Yakima, Pelton Dam, Long Creek, and Condon. 9. Union County Blizzards: On January 7 and January 18, the La Grande, Oregon, airport reported vis- ibility less than “mile due to blowing snow creating bliz- zard conditions. On January 7, all roads in Union County, including I-84, were closed as winds gusted to over 60 mph. 10. Damaging Winds: On April 7, a strong low-pres- sure system created a tight gradient and produced wind gusts in the 60-to-70-mph range at Walla Walla and Ellensburg, Washington and also at Shaniko, Heppner, La Grande, and Pendleton, Oregon. Snapped trees and power outages were reported in the Bend area. 5 Sheriff’s office seeks ATM theft suspect The Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office is seeking anyone with information, or that can assist in identifying the suspect in an attempted theft from an ATM in early December. The incident occurred dur- ing the early morning hours of December 6, at the U.S. Bank in Sisters. Vi d e o s u r v e i l l a n c e received by DCSO on December 21 shows an apparent adult mail at the ATM from 1:41 until 2:20 a.m. on December 6. The suspect is seen with a large screwdriver during this time attempting to gain access into the interior of the ATM. The ATM was damaged during the attempted theft, but no money was taken. The suspect is described as an adult white male, wear- ing all black clothing, black sunglasses, and a black bala- clava over his head. DCSO has released still images of the suspect in the hopes a member of the community PHOTO PROVIDED DCSO is seeking information about this man who attempted to break into the U.S. Bank ATM in Sisters. can assist us with this investigation. Anyone with informa- tion is asked to contact the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office through non-emer- gency dispatch at 541- 693-6911; reference case 17-375379. Veterans’ Services Serving those who’ve served. 541-585-VETS (8387) | www.deschutes.org/vets
