The time variation of the electron temperature profile in the ionosphere following turn-on of a powerful 1-s HF pulse is determined numerically from the energy balance equation. Using this and the equations of motion and continuity for a plasma, the effect of heating and the pondermotive force of a powerful HF wave on the electron density and electric field distributions are determined by numerical simulation. The temperature variation and ponderomotive force modify the density distribution, and this new density distribution, in turn, modifies the electric field distribution of the HF wave. The density deviations grow for a few hundred milliseconds after HF turn-on and then begin to fluctuate in time. At all heights the wave number of the density deviations is approximately twice the wave number of the HF wave. For electric fields near reflection of about 6.0 V/m, the electric field distribution becomes complicated, apparently depending on Bragg scattering of the HF wave from the density deviations. Density impulses propagate away (up and down) from electric field maxima, at the ion thermal velocity, at both turn-on and turn-off of the HF wave.