Strength of C.O. windstorm proves surprising

The NewsChannel 21 Local Alert Weather Team expected high winds Friday, but their sheer force across the High Desert was still shocking.

“This is the most powerful storm we’ve seen move through the region this winter,” said Chief Meteorologist Bob Shaw.

It was a power-packed storm that snapped some trees in half. Others were not so lucky.

“Many of them just tip over and you see that whole root ball just pull up out of the ground,” Shaw said.

Shaw said their roots cannot get deep enough for a strong grip because of the bedrock, making for a shallow root base.

It all made for some dramatic images and a lengthy clean-up, but will this storm have a have a positive effect on the snowpack?

“A lot of this water will get down to the water table,” Shaw said. “We need a lot of the water to stay in the snowpack, and there’s not going to be much out of it.”

We’ll have to have another storm with colder air to bring significant snow, as Oregon once again faces record low snowpack numbers.