The Nugget Newspaper - News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon

The year 2020 blew into Sisters like a freight train. A heavy windstorm broke trees, tore up roofs, knocked over signs and buffeted houses throughout the afternoon on January 1.

Sisters Eagle Airport recorded sustained winds at 31 mph at 1:55 p.m. with gusts hitting 59 mph. Winds were sustained at 35 mph with a gust at 60 mph at 3:55 p.m.

Winds were sustained in the high 20 mph range with gusts to just under 40 mph for about three-and-a-half hours from 1 to 4:30 p.m.

The windstorm followed moderate rain on New Year’s Eve.

According to preliminary data from NOAA’s National Weather Service in Pendleton, temperatures at Sisters averaged near normal during the month of December.

The average temperature was 29.7 degrees, which was 0.4 degrees below normal. High temperatures averaged 39.4 degrees, which was 0.5 degrees above normal. The highest was 56 degrees on December 23. Low temperatures averaged 19.9 degrees, which was 1.3 degrees below normal. The lowest was -7 degrees, on December 2.

There were 29 days with the low temperature below 32 degrees. There were three days when the high temperature stayed below 32 degrees.

Precipitation totaled 1.80 inches during December, which was 0.17 inches below normal. Measurable precipitation — at least .01 inch — was received on 10 days with the heaviest, 0.90 inches, reported on December 13.

Precipitation in 2019 totaled 14.86 inches, which is 1.33 inches above normal. Since October, the water-year precipitation at Sisters has been 3.71 inches, which is 1.17 inches below normal.

Snowfall totaled 1.5 inches with at least one inch of snow reported on 1 day. The heaviest snowfall was 1.5 inches reported on December 1.

The outlook for January from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center calls for below-normal temperatures and near-normal precipitation. Normal highs for Sisters during January are 40.6 degrees and normal lows are 22.8 degrees. The 30-year normal precipitation is 1.89 inches.