Oregon, 1996

Heavy Snow in Oregon, November 18 to 19, 1996

November 18 to 19, 1996 · NWS PQR · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A strong Pacific storm system dumped snow in the North Oregon Cascades with 11 inches of accumulation at Santiam Pass, 31 inches at Mount Hood Meadows and Bennett Pass with 12 inches at Government Camp. Timberline received 20 inches of snow.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS PQR wrote it up.

A strong Pacific storm system dumped snow in the North Oregon Cascades with 11 inches of accumulation at Santiam Pass, 31 inches at Mount Hood Meadows and Bennett Pass with 12 inches at Government Camp. Timberline received 20 inches of snow. The storm also brought snow to the Coast Range with 6 inches at Sunset and Dilly, and 5 inches at Wilson River. the Northern and Central Willamette Valley saw snow at higher elevations and in the Portland metropolitan area with 3-5 inches of accumulation. In Dallas a church roof collapsed and in Clatskanie a snow laden tree fell on a pickup truck. In the Columbia Gorge, 14 inches fell at Upper Hood River and 8 inches at Parkdale. As warm air moved over the region, snow changed to heavy rain at lower elevations of Northwest Oregon. Two day rain totals ranged from 3 to over 5 inches at many locations.

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Northern Oregon Cascades

When
November 18, 10:00 AM PST to November 19, 12:00 PM PST
Where
Northern Oregon Cascades forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Western Columbia River Gorge

When
November 18, 6:00 PM PST to November 19, 6:00 PM PST
Where
Western Columbia River Gorge forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Lower Columbia

When
November 18, 6:00 PM PST to November 19, 12:00 PM PST
Where
Lower Columbia forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Central Coast Range of W Oregon

When
November 18, 7:00 PM PST to November 19, 6:00 PM PST
Where
Central Coast Range of W Oregon forecast zone

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oregon in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, November 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5578389, 5578391, 5578392, 5578390.