Modified arctic air moved into the region followed by a series of moderate to strong upper level storm systems riding on a moist subtropical jet stream. The result was widespread heavy snow and local high winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 17 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS PDT wrote it up.
Modified arctic air moved into the region followed by a series of moderate to strong upper level storm systems riding on a moist subtropical jet stream. The result was widespread heavy snow and local high winds. Freezing rain accumulated to between 1/4 and 1/2 inch over the lower elevations of northern Oregon.
Snowfall amounts for January 17-18 in inches include Lostine (5), 9 miles northeast of Service Creek (8), 5 miles north northwest of Service Creek (10), Lake Creek SnoTel (5), Ochoco Meadows SnoTel (5), 2 miles north northeast of Ione (4), 5 miles north of LaGrande (12), Ukiah (7), 9 miles north of Ione (4), Bend (7.7), The Dalles (10), 2 miles west northwest of Bend (7.5), Wasco (14), 1 mile southeast of Flora (15), 5 miles north northwest of LaPine (6), 15 miles south southeast of Flora (21), Camp Sherman (16), 10 miles south southeast of Maupin (10), LaGrande (7), 3 miles east of Mosier (24), 10 miles north-northeast of Ukiah (8), 6 miles southwest of Kamela (8), 9 miles north of Elgin (13.1), 2 miles north of Meacham (10), High Ridge SnoTel (15), Weston (4), 1 mile east northeast of Cayuse (4), 5 miles south southwest of Chenoweth (10.2), Condon (15.4), Heppner (4), Athena (4), Milk Shakes SnoTel (12), 2 miles south southwest of Camp Sherman (14), Dufur (11.7), Granite (16), and 1 mile south of Black Butte Ranch (9), 12 miles southwest of Lexington (4), Moro (7.5), 4 miles south southwest of Bend (7.7), 2 miles north northeast of Condon (9), 1 mile north northeast of Three Rivers (6.5), 12 miles southeast of Joseph (22), Joseph (5), 2 miles east of Pendleton (4), 21 miles south of Imnaha (8.2), 2 miles east of Bend 6), 4-6 miles north of LaPine (12), 4 miles south southwest of Bend (9), 1 mile east of LaGrande (7), Union (5), 1 mile east southeast of The Dalles (7.5), 5 miles northwest of The Dalles (9.5), and Granite (16).
Wind gusts reported on January 18 in miles per hour include Colgate RAWS (80), North Pole Ridge RAWS (66), and Tepee Draw RAWS (58).
On January 19-20, another surge of subtropical Pacific moisture moved over the cold air with widespread mixture of precipitation. The lower elevations received freezing rain mixed at times with sleet and snow. The higher elevations received heavy snowfall. The storm caused numerous vehicle accidents with injuries, downed tree branches, power outages, and closed roads, including Interstate 84, and also closed schools.
Ice accumulations reported in inches included Echo (.5), Ione (.25), 7 miles north northeast of Mikkalo (.38), Rufus (.25), Pendleton airport (.25), Umatilla (.25), Pendleton (.38), Athena (.25), 2 miles southeast of Mosier (.5), and Lexington (.38).
Snow accumulations reported in inches included High Ridge SnoTel (8), Seneca (6), Lake Creek SnoTel (6), Rock Springs SnoTel (6), and Starr Ridge SnoTel (6).
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 Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 16, 9:30 PM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
930 PM PST MON JAN 16 2012
UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION
.UPDATE...EVERY ZONE IN THE FORECAST AREA IS CURRENTLY UNDER A
WINTER STORM WARNING OR A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. WINTER STORM
WATCHES WERE UPGRADED TO WARNINGS FOR THE LOWER COLUMBIA
BASIN...THE BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS...AND WALLOWA COUNTY. THE
WINTER STORM WATCH FOR THE JOHN DAY BASIN AND OCHOCO-JOHN DAY
HIGHLANDS WAS CHANGED TO A WINTER WX ADVISORY. A MOIST WESTERLY
FLOW IS BRINGING NUMEROUS SHOWERS OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON AND NW
OREGON...AND PRECIPITATION IS NOW STARTING TO SPILL OVER TO THE
EAST SLOPES. LATE TONIGHT AND ON TUESDAY...THE FORECAST AREA WILL
BE UNDER A MOIST W-NW FLOW ALOFT AND HEAVY SNOW IS LIKELY ALONG
THE CASCADE EAST SLOPES AND WILL DEVELOP OVER THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
ON TUESDAY. MEANWHILE...A STRONG OCCLUDED FRONT WILL DEVELOP OFF
THE OREGON COAST. THIS IS THE VIGOROUS SYSTEM THAT WILL BRING
WIDESPREAD SNOW AS IT MOVES ONSHORE WEDNESDAY MORNING. STRONG LOW
LEVEL UPSLOPE WITH A NE SURFACE GRADIENT WILL CONTINUE TO BRING
HEAVY SNOW TO THE CASCADE EAST SLOPES. THE EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER
GORGE AND THE KITTITAS AND YAKIMA VALLEYS WILL LIKELY GET SLAMMED
WITH HEAVY SNOW AS WELL. ALTHOUGH THE COLUMBIA BASIN AND BLUE MTN
FOOTHILLS HAVE A VERY GOOD CHANCE OF MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW...THE
ACCUMULATIONS WERE LOWERED SOME FROM THE PREVIOUS FORECAST.
BELIEVE THE WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT MAY LIMIT SIGNIFICANT
ACCUMULATIONS OF SNOW...AND MODEL QPF WOULD INDICATE THAT AMOUNTS
MAY BE CLOSER TO BORDERLINE WARNING AMOUNTS. HOWEVER...THE WATER-
TO-SNOW RATIO MAY BE AROUND 1:15 SO WILL INCLUDE THESE ZONES IN
THE WINTER STORM WARNING.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES WERE ISSUED FOR THE JOHN DAY BASIN AND
THE JOHN-DAY OCHOCO HIGHLANDS. QPF AMOUNTS LOOK SIGNIFICANT FOR
THESE TWO ZONES...BUT SNOW LEVELS INCREASING TO AROUND 4500-5000
FEET WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON WILL RESULT IN PRECIPITATION CHANGING TO
ALL RAIN OR A RAIN/SNOW MIX. WISTER
&&
.AVIATION...06Z TAFS. PREDOMINANT VFR CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
THROUGH 00Z/18TH...BUT CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE AFTERWARDS AS
SNOW SPREADS EAST OF THE CASCADES. CONFIDENCE IS HIGH THAT KDLS AND
KBDN WILL SEE MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW TUESDAY NIGHT. KBDN MAY ALSO
SEE BLOWING SNOW AS WINDS COULD GUST TO 25-35 KNOTS. WINDS WILL
GENERALLY REMAIN 10-20 KNOTS FOR THE NEXT 24 HOURS BUT GUSTS TO
30-35 KNOTS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY. WISTER
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 400 PM PST MON JAN 16 2012/
LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...A VERY MOIST FRONTAL
SYSTEM WILL BE SENDING A FRONT THROUGH THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT
WITH ABUNDANT PRECIPITATION OF UP TO A QUARTER INCH IN MOST
LOCATIONS THOUGH LESS THAN A TENTH IS EXPECTED IN THE COLUMBIA
BASIN. SNOW LEVELS IN CENTRAL OREGON WILL BE AT OR ABOVE 5000 FEET
AND SOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER AT 2500 TO 5000 FEET, SO ALL RAIN
IS EXPECTED THERE. FURTHER NORTH COLD AIR WILL STILL BE LOW IN THE
EVENING SO A WINTERY MIX OF SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN WILL BE
POSSIBLE IN THE LOWER ELEVATIONS OF WASHINGTON UNTIL AROUND
MIDNIGHT WHEN IT WILL SWITCH OVER TO ALL RAIN. THURSDAY WILL SEE
ANOTHER SHOT OF MOISTURE ARRIVING WITH RAIN EXPECTED EVERYWHERE
EXCEPT THE HIGHEST MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS. SOUTHWEST WINDS OF 15 TO 25
MPH WILL BE OVER THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY AND
DOWNSLOPING WINDS WILL HELP GIVE MOST OF OREGON LOW TEMPERATURES
WEDNESDAY NIGHT ABOVE FREEZING AND TEMPERATURES IN WASHINGTON WILL
REMAIN MAINLY IN THE 20S. ON THURSDAY THE WINDS WILL WARM CENTRAL
OREGON AND THE COLUMBIA BASIN INTO THE 40S. SHOWERY CONDITIONS ARE
EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING BEFORE ANOTHER SYSTEM
ARRIVES THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY NIGHT. A BRIEF BREAK IS
EXPECTED FRIDAY BEFORE ANOTHER SYSTEM ARRIVES FRIDAY NIGHT AND
SATURDAY. MODELS BEGIN TO DIVERGE AT THIS POINT BUT CONTINUED
SHOWERY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH MONDAY. TEMPERATURES
FRIDAY WILL BE SIMILAR TO THURSDAY BUT THEN WILL COOL TO THE LOWER
30S TO LOWER 40S SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY. FREQUENT BREEZY WINDS
ARE EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. PERRY
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 26 43 29 38 / 30 40 90 100
ALW 29 44 30 37 / 30 50 90 100
PSC 28 44 28 33 / 20 30 80 100
YKM 18 38 23 27 / 30 60 90 100
HRI 26 45 28 35 / 20 30 90 100
ELN 19 35 22 25 / 40 70 90 100
RDM 18 39 30 47 / 30 50 80 100
LGD 22 35 27 38 / 50 50 90 100
GCD 21 38 25 40 / 20 50 70 100
DLS 28 40 28 33 / 40 60 90 100
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 PM TUESDAY TO 4 PM PST WEDNESDAY
ORZ050.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 10 AM TUESDAY TO 4 PM PST WEDNESDAY
ORZ502-503.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 4 PM TUESDAY TO 4 PM PST WEDNESDAY
ORZ505-506.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 AM TUESDAY TO 7 PM PST WEDNESDAY
ORZ042.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL NOON PST WEDNESDAY ORZ509.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 PM TUESDAY TO 7 PM PST WEDNESDAY
ORZ044-507.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 AM TUESDAY TO 7 PM PST WEDNESDAY
ORZ041.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 PM TUESDAY TO 4 PM PST WEDNESDAY
ORZ049.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 PM TUESDAY TO 7 PM PST WEDNESDAY
ORZ508.
WA...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 10 AM TUESDAY TO 4 PM PST WEDNESDAY
WAZ030.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 PM TUESDAY TO 7 PM PST WEDNESDAY
WAZ028-029.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 4 AM TUESDAY TO 7 PM PST WEDNESDAY
WAZ024-026-027-521.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 7 PM PST WEDNESDAY WAZ520.
&&
THREAT INDEX
TUESDAY : YELLOW
WEDNESDAY : RED
THURSDAY : YELLOW
GREEN: NONE OR LIMITED NEED FOR WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES.
YELLOW: A FEW WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES POSSIBLE OR IN EFFECT.
RED: NUMEROUS WATCHES, WARNINGS, OR ADVISORIES POSSIBLE OR IN EFFECT.
FOR ADDITIONAL WEATHER INFORMATION, CHECK OUR WEB SITE AT...
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PENDLETON
85HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
940 PM PST MON JAN 16 2012
CORRECTED TYPO IN DISCUSSION FOR DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN
ORZ041-042-044-049-050-502-503-505>509-WAZ024-026>030-520-521-
171430-
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON-NORTH CENTRAL OREGON-
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON-GRANDE RONDE VALLEY-WALLOWA COUNTY-
NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-JOHN DAY BASIN-OCHOCO-
JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS-
FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE OREGON CASCADES-
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON-KITTITAS VALLEY-
YAKIMA VALLEY-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON-
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES-SIMCOE HIGHLANDS-
940 PM PST MON JAN 16 2012
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.
.DAY ONE...REST OF TONIGHT
SNOW
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES, SIMCOE HIGHLANDS,
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, KITTITAS VALLEY,
YAKIMA VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS
OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS
OF WASHINGTON, EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON, NORTH
CENTRAL OREGON, EAST SLOPES OF THE OREGON CASCADES, LOWER
COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON, GRANDE RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY,
FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, NORTHERN
BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON,
FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, JOHN DAY
BASIN, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS
A MOIST WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING SNOW TO THE
WASHINGTON AND OREGON CASCADES...AND PRECIPITATION WILL SPILL OVER
TO THE EAST SLOPES. THE EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON AND NORTHERN
OREGON CASCADES ARE UNDER A WINTER STORM WARNING FOR HEAVY SNOW
BEGINNING AT 10 PM PST THIS EVENING. FOR DETAILS...REFER TO THE
NWS PRODUCT PDXWSWPDT.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
SNOW TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY
EAST SLOPES OF THE WASHINGTON CASCADES, SIMCOE HIGHLANDS,
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF WASHINGTON, KITTITAS VALLEY,
YAKIMA VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN OF WASHINGTON, FOOTHILLS
OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS OF WASHINGTON, NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS
OF WASHINGTON, EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE OF OREGON, NORTH
CENTRAL OREGON, EAST SLOPES OF THE OREGON CASCADES, LOWER
COLUMBIA BASIN OF OREGON, GRANDE RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY,
FOOTHILLS OF THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, NORTHERN
BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON,
FOOTHILLS OF THE SOUTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF OREGON, JOHN DAY
BASIN, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS
EVERY ZONE IN THE FORECAST AREA IS UNDER A WINTER STORM WARNING OR
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. DETAILS ON THIS UPCOMING WINTER STORM
CAN BE FOUND IN THE NWS PRODUCT PDXWSWPDT. THE SYSTEM WILL BRING
WIDESPREAD SNOW BUT WILL ALSO BRING AREAS OF LIGHT FREEZING RAIN
TO SOME OF THE LOWER ELEVATIONS ON WEDNESDAY.
AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK
AND ADDITIONAL WINTER HIGHLIGHTS MAY BE NEEDED.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY TUESDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
GRAPHICAL FORECASTS OF WEATHER HAZARDS OUT TO SEVEN DAYS
ARE DISPLAYED ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT:
WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/PDT/CURRENTHAZARDS/HWO.HTML
ALL LETTERS IN THE ABOVE URL ARE LOWER CASE.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
955 PM PST MON JAN 16 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0951 PM HEAVY SNOW 7 NNW EASTON 47.32N 121.25W
01/16/2012 M7.0 INCH KITTITAS WA TRAINED SPOTTER
7 INCHES NEW SNOW IN LAST 4.5 HOURS. 11 INCHES SNOW FOR
THE DAY. SPOTTER REPORTS NEW SNOW IS VERY LIGHT POWDER
SNOW.
&&
MLOHMANNThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
13 heavy snow, 4 winter storm, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, January 2012
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: 354480, 354492, 354488, 354494, 354496, 354489, 354482, 354483, 354481, 354486, 354485, 357896, 357897, 355023, 355025, 355024, 355026, 355022.