It’s time for one last blast before winter

Just when folks here have switched gears into winter weather mode, others were having to deal with the clean-up from a different type of severe weather.

A brief tornado touched down the night of Nov 6 on the Oregon coast town of Lincoln City. High surf and hail also battered the area. The tornado had winds estimated between 65 and 85 mph, and though the damage path was a mere 150 yards long by 80 yards wide, it damaged 11 homes and three cars. Fortunately, because the area had many summer rental homes, those homes were vacant and there were no reported fatalities or injuries. Tornadoes are rare across the Northwest, and even rarer this time of year, but it just goes to show that these types of events can occur any time of year as long as the right ingredients are present.

Of course across the Inland Northwest, Mother Nature has been throwing together the ingredients for some wintry weather. It won’t be long before our TV screens are lit up with maps showing all kinds of watches, warnings, and advisories.

A few changes were made last year to the types of winter weather products issued by the National Weather Service (NWS), for the purpose of consolidating some terms and simplifying things, so let me explain what you might encounter this year. For clarification, the term “mountains” refers to elevations above 3,000 feet.

When NWS meteorologists see the potential for a significant winter storm anywhere from one to three days out, a winter storm watch may be issued. The key word with regards to a “watch” is potential, not certainty. It is issued to give people a heads-up so they won’t be caught unprepared in the event the big storm does materialize.

Like severe thunderstorm or tornado watches in the Midwest, there are times when the set-up looks potentially good for a large scale weather event, but in the end a key ingredient comes up short and we are left with a “bust” – a big storm which turns out to be a no show. When you hear the word “watch” in any type of weather bulletin, it is time to be on the alert, but not batten down the hatches just yet.

A warning, on the other hand, is issued when a particular weather event is imminent.