A cold snap hit the Pacific Northwest before moist Pacific air moved in and resulted in one of the earliest snow, sleet, and freezing rain events in southwest Washington. Sleet and freezing rain in particular created hazardous commutes for the Vancouver Metro Area.
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 PQR wrote it up.
A cold snap hit the Pacific Northwest before moist Pacific air moved in and resulted in one of the earliest snow, sleet, and freezing rain events in southwest Washington. Sleet and freezing rain in particular created hazardous commutes for the Vancouver Metro Area. Some snow fell, but accumulations were primarily restricted to the Cascade valleys and the central Columbia River Gorge.
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 13, 7:40 AM PST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
740 AM PST THU NOV 13 2014
.SYNOPSIS...A LOW PRES SYSTEM COMING IN FROM THE SW OFF THE PACIFIC
WILL CONTINUE TO OVERRUN A COLD AIR MASS ALREADY IN PLACE TODAY AND
TONIGHT. EAST WINDS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE GORGE THROUGH TONIGHT
MAINTAINING THE SUPPLY OF COLD AIR IN THE N PART OF THE FORECAST
AREA. TONIGHT THE FRONT WILL STALL NEAR THE COLUMBIA RIVER...THEN
MOVE SOUTH AGAIN FRI AND INTO SOUTHERN OREGON FRI NIGHT.
COLD HIGH PRES WILL REASSERT ITSELF OVER THE INTERIOR PACIFIC NW OVER
THE WEEKEND BRINGING A RETURN TO DRY COOL CONDITIONS.
&&
.SHORT TERM UPDATED...SEVERAL CHANGES TO CURRENT HIGHLIGHTS BASED ON
LATEST OBSERVATIONS AND NEW GUIDANCE. TEMPERATURES HAVE RISEN TO JUST
ABOVE FREEZING IN THE CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY WITH WET BULB TEMPS
AT FREEZING. LITTLE IF ANY SNOW OCCURRING AS OF 15Z SO WILL MAINTAIN
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY THERE BUT MORE FOR FREEZING PRECIP. WILL
END THE WIND ADVISORY FOR THE PORTLAND/VANCOUVER METRO AREA AS WIND
GUSTS ARE GENERALLY IN THE 30-40 MPH RANGE. WILL CONVERT THE WINTER
STORM WARNING FOR THE N WILLAMETTE VALLEY TO A WINTER WEATHER
ADVISORY EMPHASIZING FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET. A VARIETY OF PRECIP
TYPES OCCURRING IN THE N WILLAMETTE VALLEY THIS MORNING...BUT MOSTLY
FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET. WITH A WARM LAYER ALOFT AS SHOWN ON KRTX
DOPPLER RADAR AND EVIDENCE OF IT ON THE 12Z KSLE SOUNDING WIDESPREAD
SNOW ACCUMULATIONS LOOKING MUCH LESS LIKELY. BIGGEST CHANGE WILL BE
AT THE WEST END OF THE COLUMBIA GORGE. WILL SWITCH TO A WINTER STORM
WARNING WITH MORE FREEZING RAIN THAN SNOW. REMAINDER OF THE
HIGHLIGHTS REMAIN UNCHANGED FOR NOW. LATEST MODEL RUNS SEEM TO KEEP
THE MAIN BAROCLINIC BAND A LITTLE FURTHER SOUTH THAN PREVIOUS RUNS.
WEISHAAR
REMAINDER OF THE SHORT TERM DISCUSSION UNCHANGED...A LOW CONFIDENCE
FORECAST CONTINUES THIS MORNING. COLD DRY AIR CONTINUES TO POUR OUT
OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE INTO THE NORTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY. IN
THESE WINDIER LOCATIONS TEMPERATURES CONTINUE TO HOVER AROUND 37F TO
38F...BUT WITH DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW TEENS...WET BULB TEMPERATURES
CONTINUE IN THE 30F TO 32F RANGE. AS A RESULT...AS PRECIPITATION
MOVES NORTHWARD INTO THE PORTLAND METRO...TEMPERATURES WILL COOL TO
ALLOW A MIX OF PRECIP TO FALL INITIALLY. SO FAR...ACCUMULATIONS HAVE
BEEN RATHER MINOR AROUND AURORA AND MCMINNVILLE. FURTHER
SOUTH...TEMPERATURES HAVE COOLED CLOSER TO THE WET BULB TEMPERATURE
WITH TEMPERATURES HOVERING BETWEEN 32F AND 33F ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND
SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY. THIS HAS RESULTED IN A MIX OF
SLEET...FREEZING RAIN AND RAIN BEING REPORTED IN THIS AREA...WITH THE
MOST SIGNIFICANT ICE BEING REPORTED AROUND EUGENE. EVEN THEN ONLY A
LIGHT COATING HAS BEEN REPORTED WITH ROAD SURFACES REMAINING WET.
RAW MODEL GUIDANCE HAS BEEN TOO WARM WITH THEIR SURFACE TEMPERATURES
OVERNIGHT. WET BULB TEMPERATURES SHOULD ALLOW SURFACE TEMPERATURES TO
COOL TO AROUND FREEZING ONCE PRECIPITATION BEGINS. DUAL POL RADAR
INDICATES A MELTING LAYER BETWEEN 3000 FT AND 5000 FT IS MOVING
NORTHWARD INTO THE PORTLAND METRO. THERE IS A CHANCE THIS LAYER WILL
RESULT IN A WET SNOW FALLING ACROSS THE PORTLAND METRO...BUT
UNCERTAINTY IN THIS SCENARIO IS HIGH. MORE THAN LIKELY...ONCE
PRECIPITATION SWITCHES OVER TO THE LIQUID FORM...IT LIKELY WILL NOT
GO BACK TO SNOW. WILL KEEP ALL WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES GOING FOR
NOW...BUT SNOW TOTALS COULD BE ON THE HIGH SIDE FOR THE WILLAMETTE
VALLEY BASED ON DUAL POL RADAR DATA TRENDS.
.LONG TERM...MODELS AGREE ON AN UPPER RIDGE DEVELOPING ALONG THE
WEST COAST DURING THE EXTENDED PERIOD SAT NIGHT AND SUN...WITH THE
STUBBORN BAROCLINIC ZONE LIKELY TO PUSH S BY SAT NIGHT. GFS TRIES TO
LIFT A WARM FRONT TYPE FEATURE N THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA SUN
THROUGH MON NIGHT FOR A THREAT OF RAIN...BUT GIVEN THE DRY ECMWF AND
GEM SOLUTIONS WHICH ARE IN GOOD AGREEMENT WITH EACH OTHER AND THE
STRENGTH OF THE RIDGE IN ALL MODELS...PREFER TO GO WITH A DRY
FORECAST SUN THROUGH MON NIGHT. DEPICTED AIR MASS COMING FROM THE E
IN AN OFFSHORE FLOW DOES NOT LOOK QUITE AS COLD AS THE PREVIOUS COLD
AIR MASS. TUE AND WED MODELS GENERALLY BREAKING DOWN THE RIDGE TO
ALLOW SOME SORT OF SYSTEM PUSHING THROUGH...SO WILL TREND BACK MORE
TOWARDS CLIMATOLOGY POPS BY MID WEEK.
&&
.AVIATION...LOW PRESSURE NEARING THE OREGON COAST IS SPREADING
MIXED SNOW...FREEZING RAIN AND RAIN NORTHEAST ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA THIS MORNING. HOWEVER CIGS/VSBYS REMAIN PRIMARILY VFR ASIDE
FROM AREAS OF MVFR IN SNOW NEAR THE PDX METRO AREA. AS THE MORNING
PROGRESSES IT APPEARS SNOW WILL DOMINATE THE PDX METRO AREA WHILE
RAIN OR FREEZING RAIN TAKE OVER SOUTH OF KMMV-KUAO. EXPECT IFR IN
SNOW NEAR PORTLAND AND MVFR IN RAIN/FZRA ELSEWHERE. COAST TERMINALS
SHOULD SEE MAINLY RAIN FROM THIS EVENT...WITH MVFR CIGS DEVELOPING
AS THE DAY PROGRESSES. SNOW IS EXPECTED TO GRADUALLY CHANGE TO
FZRA OR RAIN IN THE PDX METRO AREA AROUND MIDDAY TODAY...THOUGH
THERE STILL REMAINS QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY ON TIMING.
ALSO...EXPECT GUSTY EAST WINDS TO CONTINUE INTO THU MORNING FOR
MUCH OF THE REGION. WINDS WILL BECOME INCREASINGLY CONFINED TO
NEAR AND JUST WEST OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE TODAY PROGRESSES.
WEAGLE/PYLE
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH TONIGHT WITH BLUSTERY
EAST WINDS WITH GUSTS TO 40 KTS. EXPECT SNOW TO DEVELOP BY SUNRISE
AS A FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE REGION. CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY
DETERIORATE TOWARDS IFR IN SNOW BY 16Z. SNOW WILL LIKELY TRANSITION
TO FREEZING RAIN IN THE AFTERNOON...THEN EVENTUALLY TO ALL RAIN
LATER IN THE AFTERNOON OR EVENING. STILL REMAINS CONSIDERABLE
UNCERTAINTY AS TO HOW MUCH ACCUMULATION WILL OCCUR...BUT KPDX IS
EXPECTED TO PICK UP AT LEAST A COUPLE INCHES OF SNOW FROM THIS
EVENT. WEAGLE/PYLE
&&
.MARINE...HIGH PRESSURE WILL REMAIN ANCHORED ACROSS THE INLAND
NORTHWEST FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS...MAINTAINING PRIMARILY
OFFSHORE FLOW ACROSS THE WATERS. HOWEVER LOW PRESSURE IS MOVING
INTO THE OREGON WATERS THIS MORNING...AND IS EXPECTED TO BRING A
SHIFT TO MORE SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS TODAY TO THE SOUTHERN WATERS.
MEANWHILE EAST WINDS GUSTING TO GALE FORCE IN THE NORTHERN WATERS
ARE EXPECTED TO EASE SOME TODAY...WITH PRIMARILY WIND DRIVEN SEAS
6 TO 8 FT EARLY SUBSIDING AS WIND EASES. WEAGLE
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY FOR CENTRAL COLUMBIA
RIVER GORGE-UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY.
BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST FRIDAY FOR WESTERN COLUMBIA
RIVER GORGE.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR COAST
RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON-GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-
NORTHERN OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST FRIDAY FOR NORTHERN OREGON
CASCADES.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING FOR GREATER PORTLAND
METRO AREA.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR LOWER
COLUMBIA.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 1 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
WA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST FRIDAY FOR CENTRAL
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE.
BLIZZARD WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST FRIDAY FOR WESTERN COLUMBIA
RIVER GORGE.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR GREATER
VANCOUVER AREA.
WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST FRIDAY FOR SOUTH WASHINGTON
CASCADE FOOTHILLS-SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING FOR GREATER VANCOUVER
AREA.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR I-5
CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY.
PZ...GALE WARNING UNTIL 6 AM PST EARLY THIS MORNING FOR COASTAL
WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR OUT 60 NM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR
COASTAL WATERS FROM CASCADE HEAD OR TO FLORENCE OR OUT 60 NM.
&&
INTERACT WITH US VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSPORTLAND
WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSPORTLAND
THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON
FROM THE CASCADE CREST TO 60 NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE. THE AREA IS
COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE FORECAST AREA.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
821 AM PST THU NOV 13 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0610 AM FREEZING RAIN 5 S PORTLAND AIRPORT 45.52N 122.60W
11/13/2014 E0.10 INCH MULTNOMAH OR TRAINED SPOTTER
0630 AM FREEZING RAIN EUGENE 44.05N 123.11W
11/13/2014 E0.25 INCH LANE OR BROADCAST MEDIA
0725 AM FREEZING RAIN DALLAS 44.92N 123.31W
11/13/2014 E0.10 INCH POLK OR TRAINED SPOTTER
0740 AM FREEZING RAIN DALLAS 44.92N 123.31W
11/13/2014 E0.25 INCH POLK OR PUBLIC
0755 AM FREEZING RAIN FOREST GROVE 45.52N 123.10W
11/13/2014 E0.25 INCH WASHINGTON OR PUBLIC
0810 AM FREEZING RAIN SALEM 44.92N 123.02W
11/13/2014 E0.10 INCH MARION OR PUBLIC
&&
TWPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
851 AM PST THU NOV 13 2014
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0843 AM FREEZING RAIN NEWBERG 45.30N 122.97W
11/13/2014 M0.10 INCH YAMHILL OR BROADCAST MEDIA
0845 AM FREEZING RAIN 1 NW SUMMIT 44.64N 123.58W
11/13/2014 M0.25 INCH BENTON OR TRAINED SPOTTER
ACCUMULATING ON TREES AND GRASS
0845 AM FREEZING RAIN 4 NNE CORVALLIS 44.62N 123.25W
11/13/2014 M0.10 INCH BENTON OR TRAINED SPOTTER
OVER LAST 6 HRS
&&
LMCCOY1 winter storm, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
There were several reports of 5 to 8 inches of snow in the Western Columbia River Gorge in less than 12 hours. This snow was followed with a quarter of an inch of ice in many locations.
There were numerous reports of 5 to 8 inches of snow for the Central Columbia River Gorge.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, November 2014
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: 548513, 548512.