PENDLETON, Ore. – Winds are already whistling through wheat fields across Umatilla County this morning, bending trees and carrying the scent of rain on the air. Gusts are expected to intensify by midday, part of a potent Pacific system sweeping across the Columbia Basin.
According to the National Weather Service in Pendleton, a Wind Advisory remains in effect from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, with southwest winds of 28 to 30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph. The strongest winds will hit open stretches of I-84, the Blue Mountain foothills, and exposed ridges between Hermiston, Pendleton, and Walla Walla.
Residents are urged to secure outdoor items and use extra caution on the roads — especially drivers of high-profile vehicles or those hauling trailers. Loose branches and power flickers are possible through late evening.
Rain will accompany the gusts, though accumulation should stay light — mostly a few tenths of an inch. The system exits by Sunday morning, leaving behind cooler, calmer air and clearing skies. Highs Sunday will hover in the upper 50s, an ideal reset for outdoor plans after a blustery start to the weekend.
By Monday, another disturbance may bring showers back to northeast Oregon and southeast Washington, keeping the region under a moist, early-November pattern.
To be fair, this kind of storm marks the classic seasonal handoff — harvest dust finally washed clean, leaves scattering across wet streets, and winter’s edge just starting to show along the mountain crests.
Five-Day Forecast for Pendleton, OR:
Sat: 73/41 – Breezy; rain late; gusts up to 50 mph.
Sun: 57/33 – Sunny, calm; cooler air settles in.
Mon: 52/35 – Cloudy; chance of rain late.
Tue: 59/41 – Partly sunny; scattered light rain.
Wed: 58/43 – Cloudy; more showers possible.
