Readiness
Active Weather
A strong fall storm is hitting western Alaska, and the first hard freeze of the season is reaching western Oregon.
In Alaska, the Fairbanks office has blizzard warnings through Saturday for the Seward Peninsula, the Bering Strait coast including Shishmaref, Kivalina, the lower Kobuk Valley, and the western Arctic coast. A coastal flood warning is in effect through Sunday evening for the Yukon Delta coast, with coastal flood advisories for the Bering Strait coast and the Kuskokwim Delta. High wind warnings cover the Yukon Delta, St. Lawrence Island, the Kuskokwim Delta, and the Aleutians East Borough. Winter storm warnings cover the Brooks Range and the upper Kobuk and Noatak valleys.
In Oregon, the Portland office has a freeze warning this morning for the Coast Range lowlands and Benton, Linn, and Lane county lowlands, with a freeze watch for tonight and frost advisories across the Willamette Valley and Portland metro. The Pendleton office has freeze watches tonight for the Columbia Basin, the Yakima Valley, and the Blue Mountain foothills in both Oregon and Washington. Wind advisories cover the eastern Columbia River Gorge, the Kittitas Valley, and the upper Columbia Basin and Okanogan in Washington.
In Idaho, flash flood watches cover the Boise Mountains and the Sawtooth and Stanley basin until noon, and the upper Snake River Plain and Wood River foothills until 6 PM.
Infrastructure
The Austin and Grasshopper fires on the Mt. Hood National Forest are each 98 percent contained. The Sisi fire northwest of Stehekin, Washington is 34 percent contained at 4,743 acres, with residences threatened and area closures in effect.
Public Health
No public health advisories found for the Northwest.
Food recalls posted by the Food and Drug Administration this week include Gelatelli coffee and vanilla gelato sold at Lidl for possible Listeria, Starfish Seafood cold smoked salmon for possible Listeria, and Family Farmstead raw mild cheddar cheese for possible E. coli. The full list, with lot codes, is at fda.gov/recalls.
Two sources we check could not be read this morning: the CDC Health Alert Network, for national health advisories, and AirNow, for air quality readings. Check emergency.cdc.gov/han and airnow.gov directly.
Watch Item
The Weather Prediction Center expects an upper low to swing into the Northwest early next week with rain and mountain snow. After two freeze nights in the Willamette Valley, now is the time to drain and cover outdoor faucets and backflow devices before the next cold spell.
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 5.0 earthquake south of Sand Point, Alaska on October 20 and a 4.5 south of False Pass on October 21. No tsunami messages were issued.
Oregon State University Extension says September through November is the best window to plant garlic in Oregon, before the ground gets cold.
Living Ready
Alaska Heating Assistance is open through April 30
Alaska's Heating Assistance Program accepts applications from October 1 through April 30, with one benefit per household per season. Crisis Assistance applications are accepted September 1 through June 30. Apply through the Alaska Connect portal, in person or by mail at a Public Assistance office, or by fax or email.
Alaska · Source: Alaska Department of Health, Division of Public Assistance, program page, current season
Idaho heating assistance opens to all households in November
Idaho households with children under six, or with elderly or disabled members, have been able to apply for LIHEAP since October. All other eligible households can apply starting in November. Funding is limited and first come, first served, so contact your local community action agency early in the month. Crisis heating help is available all year.
Idaho · Source: Idaho Department of Health and Welfare, program page, current season
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