Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 14 to 15, 1999

Name: Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 14 to 15, 1999
Start: 1999-12-14T06:00
End: 1999-12-15T11:00
Location: Oregon

December 14 to 15, 1999 · NWS PDT · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Widespread heavy snow fell in the Blue Mountains, Ochoco Mountains, and the Grande Ronde valley. Kamela and Tollgate, both in the Blue Mountains, received 12 inches.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 PDT wrote it up.

Widespread heavy snow fell in the Blue Mountains, Ochoco Mountains, and the Grande Ronde valley. Kamela and Tollgate, both in the Blue Mountains, received 12 inches. Austin, located in Grant Co. at an elevation of 4500 feet, received 8 inches overnight. This contributed to a power outage early on the 15th. La Grande, located at 2700 feet, received 5 inches. The storm caused many accidents in Ladd Canyon, closing Interstate-84 throughout much of the morning hours on the 15th.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Blue Mountains

When: December 14, 6:00 AM PST to December 15, 11:00 AM PST
Where: Blue Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

Heavy Snow, Grand Ronde Valley

When: December 14, 6:00 AM PST to December 15, 11:00 AM PST
Where: Grand Ronde Valley forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 45.310, -118.009 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ochoco-John Day Highlands

When: December 14, 6:00 AM PST to December 15, 11:00 AM PST
Where: Ochoco-John Day Highlands forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

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

Every storm in Oregon in 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Oregon, December 1999

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: 5724009, 5724010, 5724011.