East winds through the Columbia River Gorge maintained below freezing temperatures for the gorge and surrounding areas as a precipitating front moved over the region. There was a mix of rain, freezing rain, and ice in these areas.
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.
East winds through the Columbia River Gorge maintained below freezing temperatures for the gorge and surrounding areas as a precipitating front moved over the region. There was a mix of rain, freezing rain, and ice in these areas.
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 Dec 2, 9:55 PM PST, 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
947 PM PST WED DEC 2 2015
CORRECTED HEADLINES TO ICE STORM WARNING.
.SYNOPSIS...A WARM FRONT WILL PUSH INTO THE REGION TONIGHT...WITH
FREEZING RAIN AGAIN EXPECTED IN THE COLUMBIA GORGE AND HOOD RIVER
VALLEY. A TRAILING COLD FRONT ARRIVES THU...WHICH WILL SCOUR THE COLD
AIR OUT OF THE GORGE AND BRING TEMPERATURES BACK TO
NORMAL. A MILD BUT ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL DEVELOP THIS WEEKEND
AND CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEK...WITH PERIODS OF RAIN...AND SNOW IN THE
CASCADES.
&&
.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY...NEXT FRONT OFFSHORE WILL
AFFECT THE AREA TONIGHT AND THURSDAY. A WARM FRONT WILL BRING RAIN
ACROSS THE AREA...WITH HEAVIEST AMOUNT OVER THE NORTH COAST ZONES.
THE MAIN IMPACTS WILL BE FREEZING RAIN AND SLEET IN AND NEAR THE
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE...UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY AND THE SOUTH
WASHINGTON CASCADE FOOTHILLS TONIGHT THROUGH THU MORNING...POSSIBILY
THROUGH EARLY THU AFTERNOON. KTTD-KDLS GRADIENT HAS BEEN SLOWLY
CLIMING ALL THAT AND NOW STANDS AT -10.2 MB AT 8 PM. THIS EASTERLY
GRADIENT WILL CONTINUE TO PULL COLD DRY AIR THROUGH THE GORGE.
TEMPERATURES IN THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN ARE SLIGHTLY WARMER THAN 24H
AGO BUT NOT ENOUGH TO KEEP GORGE TEMPERATURES ABOVE FREEZING. SO
EXPECT ICE ACCUMULATIONS AROUND A QUARTER TO HALF OF AN INCH. SLEET
WILL BE PART OF THE WINTRY MIX TONIGHT AND EARLY THU MORNING BUT TURN
TO ALL FREEZING RAIN AS THE SUB FREEZING AIR MASS SHALLOWS WITH THE
INCREASE IN SOUTHWESTERLY LOW AND MID LEVEL WINDS. BY LATE THU
AFTERNOON THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH TO SCOUR THE COLD AIR.
THE OTHER IMPACT WITH THIS SYSTEM IS STRONG WINDS AT THE COAST. HIGH
WINDS STILL LOOK GOOD FOR THE OREGON COAST. A MORE MARGINAL CASE FOR
HIGH WINDS FOR THE SOUTH WA COAST THOUGH AS THE GRADIENTS REMAIN
EASTERLY THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY. BUT THERE WILL BE A PERIOD OF
SOUTHERLY WINDS AS DEPICTED BY THE UW WRF & MM5. SO WITH THAT NEW
INFORMATION WILL CONVER THE HIGH WIND WATCH TO A WARNING FOR THE
SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST. THE CATCH IS IF THE LOW TRACKS A LITTLE
FURTHER OFFSHORE THEN HIGH WINDS WILL NOT MATERIALIZE. /MH
THE LOW MOVING ONSHORE WILL SWING THE COLD FRONT THROUGH THE REGION
THU AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IT APPEARS THAT THIS WILL FINALLY SCOUR
OUT THE COLD AIR FROM THE GORGE AND TURN THE FLOW THROUGH THE GORGE
WESTERLY BY THU EVENING. THIS SHOULD END THE THREAT FOR FREEZING
RAIN. EXPECT ANOTHER BATCH OF PRECIPITATION TO MOVE THROUGH THE
REGION WITH THE COLD FRONT LATE THU...WITH SNOW LEVELS FALLING
RAPIDLY DOWN TO THE CASCADE PASSES. PLENTY OF POST FRONTAL SHOWERS
REMAIN THU NIGHT AND FRI...ESPECIALLY OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN. THE
CASCADES WILL LIKELY PICK UP SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW DURING THIS
TIME...WITH ACCUMULATING SNOW LIKELY AT THE PASSES.
HOWEVER...CURRENTLY EXPECT SNOW TOTALS WILL REMAIN JUST BELOW
ADVISORY LEVELS. PYLE
.LONG TERM...SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY...ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN
CONTINUES THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...WITH A NEW
SYSTEM APPROXIMATELY EVERY 24 HRS. SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL EXPECTED TO
ACCUMULATE OVER THE WEEKEND INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...ESPECIALLY ALONG
THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND FAR NORTH OREGON COAST. FLOODING SEEMS
LIKELY TO BE A CONCERN AT LEAST ALONG THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND FAR
NORTH OREGON COAST DUE TO LITTLE DOWN TIME BETWEEN THESE SYSTEMS AND
THE HIGHEST ACCUMULATIONS CONTINUING TO BE OVER THIS SAME AREA.
SATURDAY'S SYSTEM TAPS INTO TROPICAL MOISTURE...BUT THE BULK OF THE
PRECIPITATION RIGHT NOW IS AIMED TO OUR NORTH...WITH HIGHEST
ACCUMULATIONS IN OUR AREA STAYING ALONG THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND FAR
NORTH OREGON COAST AND COAST RANGE...AND MAYBE THE SOUTH WASHINGTON
CASCADES AS WELL. CONFIDENCE IS MODERATE IN THIS TRACK DUE TO GOOD
MODEL AGREEMENT...BUT THERE IS STILL A CHANCE THIS TRACK COULD SHIFT
SOUTHWARD AS THE SYSTEM MOVES CLOSER. WINDY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED
ALONG THE COAST WITH THIS SYSTEM AS WELL...MAINLY MIDDAY SATURDAY
AHEAD OF THE FRONT MOVING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY NIGHT. SUNDAY SHOULD
BE A BIT DRIER WITH A FEW POST-FRONTAL SHOWERS STILL LINGERING
AROUND THE AREA THROUGH THE DAY. SNOW LEVELS COME DOWN FOR SUNDAY
WHICH COULD BRING SOME SNOW TO THE PASSES. OUR NEXT SYSTEM BRINGS
SNOW LEVELS BACK UP ABOVE THE PASSES EARLY MONDAY WITH RAIN ALL DAY.
MODELS START TO DIVERGE ON TIMING WITH THESE SYSTEMS EARLY NEXT
WEEK...BUT PATTERN OF A NEW SYSTEM EVERY 24 HOURS SEEMS LIKELY TO
CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST MIDWEEK. -MCCOY
&&
.AVIATION...GENERALLY VFR CONDITIONS THIS EVENING ACROSS NW OREGON
AND SW WA...BUT WITH POCKETS OF LIFR PERSISTING. THE LIFR CONDITIONS
DUE MAINLY TO CIGS ARE MOST LIKELY TO REMAIN IN THE VICINITY OF KSLE
KEUG AND KHIO THROUGH 15Z. OTHERWISE MVFR CONDITIONS BECOME MORE
LIKELY AFTER 07Z AS THE RESULT OF RAIN SPREADING IN. HOWEVER WILL
INCREASE AFTER 07Z TONIGHT. S WINDS WILL PICK UP THU MORNING AS A
LOW MOVES UP JUST OFF THE COAST WHICH WILL HELP TO SCOUR OUT THE LOW
CLOUDS LEAVING MAINLY MVFR TO VFR CONDITIONS AFTER 16Z.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR CONDITIONS EARLY TONIGHT...BUT CHANCES FOR
MVFR VSBYS OR CIGS INCREASE AFTER 08Z TONIGHT AS RAIN MOVES IN.
EXPECT GUSTY E WINDS TO RAMP UP WITH GUSTS TO 30 KT AFTER 12Z THU.
&&
.MARINE...SOUTH WINDS ARE INCREASING THIS AFTERNOON...AND ARE ON
TRACK FOR WIDESPREAD GALES THIS EVENING. A 995 MB SURFACE LOW
MOVING ALONG THE FRONT WILL BRING THE STRONGEST BURST OF WINDS
LATE TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING WHERE WATERS SOUTH OF
CASCADE HEAD CAN EXPECT GUSTS AROUND 50 KT. THERE IS SOME
UNCERTAINTY ON HOW THIS LOW WILL TRACK...AND A SLIGHT POSSIBILITY
THAT THE WATERS NORTH OF CASCADE HEAD MAY ALSO SEE A BRIEF PERIOD
OF STORM FORCE GUSTS THURSDAY AFTERNOON. WE WILL KEEP A CLOSE EYE
AS THIS LOW DEVELOPS AND UPDATE THE FORECAST AS NECESSARY.
OFFSHORE BUOYS SHOW A NW LONG PERIOD SWELL MOVING TOWARDS THE
WASHINGTON AND OREGON WATERS. A SIMPLE YET RELIABLE SWELL DECAY
MODEL SUGGESTS THAT THE SWELL WILL BE A FOOT HIGHER WHEN IT
REACHES THE WATERS THAN ENP SUGGESTS AND HAVE ADJUSTED THE
FORECAST A FOOT HIGHER. THIS SWELL IS BUILDING IN THE WATERS THIS
AFTERNOON AND WILL PEAK AROUND 12 FT (15 SEC) LATE TONIGHT AS
LARGE AND STEEP WIND WAVES DEVELOP. WIND WAVES AROUND 14 FT ARE
POSSIBLE TONIGHT. THE COMBINATION OF DISTANT-SOURCED SWELL...FRESH
SWELL...AND WIND WAVES WILL PUT THE OVERALL SEA HEIGHT OVER 20
FEET SOUTH OF CANNON BEACH BY SUNRISE THURSDAY. AREAS NORTH OF
CANNON BEACH SHOULD BE JUST UNDER 20 FT.
A SERIES OF STORMS WILL MAINTAIN HAZARDOUS SEAS THROUGH AT LEAST
MONDAY. TJ
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH THURSDAY
AFTERNOON FOR CENTRAL OREGON COAST-NORTH OREGON COAST.
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON PST
THURSDAY FOR CENTRAL COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE-UPPER HOOD RIVER
VALLEY-WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE.
ICE STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM PST THURSDAY BELOW
2000 FEET FOR UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY...CENTRAL AND WESTERN
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE.
WA...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM NOON THROUGH THURSDAY
AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST.
ICE STORM WARNING IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM PST THURSDAY BELOW
2000 FEET FOR CENTRAL AND WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE.
FREEZING RAIN ADVISORY FROM 6 PM THIS EVENING TO NOON PST
THURSDAY FOR CENTRAL COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE-SOUTH WASHINGTON
CASCADES-WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA RIVER BAR UNTIL 4 PM PST
THURSDAY.
GALE WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST THURSDAY FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM
CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR OUT 60 NM.
STORM WARNING FROM 2 AM TO 11 AM PST THURSDAY FOR COASTAL
WATERS FROM CASCADE HEAD OR TO FLORENCE OR OUT 60 NM.
GALE WARNING UNTIL 2 AM PST THURSDAY 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.1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
A quarter of an inch of ice was observed in areas of the Central Columbia River Gorge.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, December 2015
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: 612570.