Oregon, 1998

Ice Storm and Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 23 to 24, 1998

December 23 to 24, 1998 · NWS PQR · 6 events in 5 counties and zones

A Pacific storm on Christmas Eve produced sustained 44 mph winds with gusts to 57 mph at Newport, and sustained winds of 52 mph at Siuslaw, 44 mph at Sea Lion Caves, and 40 mph at Tillamook. The storm also dumped snow on much of Northwest Oregon.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
6

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 Pacific storm on Christmas Eve produced sustained 44 mph winds with gusts to 57 mph at Newport, and sustained winds of 52 mph at Siuslaw, 44 mph at Sea Lion Caves, and 40 mph at Tillamook. The storm also dumped snow on much of Northwest Oregon. In the North Coast Range, Wilson River Highway Summit and Sunset Summit reported 4 inches of new snow, while in the Cascades Tombstone reported 12 inches of new snow, Timberline Lodge and Mt Hood Meadows 10 inches, and Santiam Pass 8 inches. The Northern Willamette valley reported amounts of 2 to 5 inches, which melted by early afternoon as temperatures warmed up. Astoria reported some freezing rain in the morning, which turned to rain as temperatures warmed mid morning.

Event by event

3 heavy snow, 2 high wind, 1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Se Multnomah/C & S Hood River/E Clakamas/E Marion/E Linn/E Lane

When
December 23, 9:00 PM PST to December 24, 6:00 PM PST
Where
Se Multnomah/C & S Hood River/E Clakamas/E Marion/E Linn/E Lane forecast zone
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

High Wind, Northern Coast

When
December 24, 12:00 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where
Northern Coast forecast zone
Measured
35 kt (40 mph)
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

High Wind, Central Coast

When
December 24, 12:00 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where
Central Coast forecast zone
Measured
50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by
OTHER FEDERAL AGENCY

Heavy Snow, Columbia/C & W Multnomah/Washington/Nw Clackamas

When
December 24, 12:00 AM PST to 12:00 PM PST
Where
Columbia/C & W Multnomah/Washington/Nw Clackamas forecast zone
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

Heavy Snow, Clatsop/Tillamook

When
December 24, 12:00 AM PST to 6:00 PM PST
Where
Clatsop/Tillamook forecast zone
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

Ice Storm, Clatsop/Tillamook

When
December 24, 3:00 AM PST to 10:00 AM PST
Where
Clatsop/Tillamook forecast zone
Reported by
DEPT OF HIGHWAYS

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Ice Storm
Freezing rain accumulating a quarter inch or more of ice, or less where it caused significant damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oregon in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, December 1998

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5677694, 5677691, 5677692, 5677693, 5677695, 5677696.