Oregon, 2010

Heavy Snow in Oregon, November 21 to 23, 2010

November 21 to 23, 2010 · NWS PQR · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A strong low pressure system dropped south out of British Columbia bringing cold air and heavy snow to the north Oregon Cascades and foothills, the Cascades in Lane County and the North Oregon Coast Range.

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 low pressure system dropped south out of British Columbia bringing cold air and heavy snow to the north Oregon Cascades and foothills, the Cascades in Lane County and the North Oregon Coast Range.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Portland, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 21, 8:50 AM PST, 3 hours 10 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 21, 8:50 AM PST, 3 hours 10 minutes before
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Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, North Oregon Cascades Foothills

When
November 21, 12:00 PM PST to November 22, 10:00 PM PST
Where
North Oregon Cascades Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL

The Marion Forks SNOTEL site measured 23 inches of new snow between 15:00 PST on November 21st and 22:00 PST on November 22nd. The South Fork Bull Run SNOTEL site measured 20 inches of new snow between 12:00 PST on November 21st and 17:00 PST on November 22nd.

Heavy Snow, North Oregon Cascades

When
November 21, 2:00 PM PST to November 23, 12:00 AM PST
Where
North Oregon Cascades forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways

The Tombstone ODOT site measured 37 inches of new snow between 15:00 PST on November 21st and 22:00 PST on November 22nd. Other reports of heavy snow were 33 inches at the Santiam Pass ODOT site, 31 inches at the Blue Box Pass ODOT site, 28 inches at the Red Hill SNOTEL, 26 inches at the Mt. Hood Meadows Avalanche site, 25 inches at Little Meadows SNOTEL, 24 inches at the Jumpoff Joe SNOTEL, 23 inches at Government Camp and the Clackamas Lake SNOTEL sites, 22 inches at the Peavine Ridge SNOTEL and 21 inches at the Daly Lake SNOTEL.

Heavy Snow, Cascades in Lane County

When
November 21, 2:00 PM PST to November 23, 4:00 AM PST
Where
Cascades in Lane County forecast zone
Reported by
SNOTEL

The McKenzie SNOTEL site measured 33 inches of new snow between 14:00 PST on November 21st and 00:00 PST on November 23rd. Other reports of heavy snow were 33 inches at the Roaring River SNOTEL, 32 inches at the Cascade Summit SNOTEL, 26 inches at the Holland Meadows SNOTEL and 21 inches at the Summit Lake SNOTEL.

Heavy Snow, Coast Range of Nw Oregon

When
November 21, 2:00 PM PST to November 23, 4:00 AM PST
Where
Coast Range of Nw Oregon forecast zone
Reported by
Department of Highways

The Sunset Summit ODOT site measured 10 inches of new snow between 14:00 PST on November 21st and 04:00 PST on November 23rd.

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 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, November 2010

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: 268510, 268508, 268514, 268515.