An upper wave and a strong upper level jet drove into the Pacific Northwest producing heavy snow in the mountains of Northeast Oregon.
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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 BOI wrote it up.
An upper wave and a strong upper level jet drove into the Pacific Northwest producing heavy snow in the mountains of Northeast Oregon.
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 Boise, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 27, 2:50 AM MST, 6 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boise ID
250 AM MST Tue Dec 27 2016
.SHORT TERM...Today through Wednesday...A moist west-northwest
flow aloft was directed at the Pacific Northwest this morning. The
leading edge of the snow reached SE Oregon, with light snow
reported at Baker City and Burns. The snow will spread into SW
Idaho through this morning. The bulk of the snow will occur in the
northern mountains due to orographic effects (upslope) from the
stronger mid-level winds. Gusty southeast winds in the Baker
Valley was likely resulting in blowing/drifting snow. The snow
will continue mainly in the mountains through tonight. A drier
northwest flow will follow on Wednesday as an upper ridge builds
along the west coast.
A Winter Weather Advisory for snow and blowing snow will remain
in effect today for Baker County. A Winter Weather Advisory for
snow will remain in effect for the northern mtn zones of SW Idaho,
which includes the Upper Weiser, Boise Mountains, West Central
Mountains, and Camas Prairie through tonight. Blowing snow is not
expected to be an issue in the lower elevations, although gusty
winds to 30 mph are expected in the mountains above 6000 feet. For
the Treasure Valley, most of the snow is expected this morning,
with amounts of up to an inch in the Upper Treasure Valley
(including Boise) and 1-2 inches in the Lower Treasure Valley.
Additional light accumulations are possible this afternoon and
evening. Total amounts of up to an inch are expected in the
Western Magic Valley, except 1-2 inches north of Jerome. There is
also a slight chance for freezing rain tonight in the Treasure
Valley near the base of the Owyhees, although precip amounts in
this area will be light.
.LONG TERM...Wednesday night through Tuesday...Broad upper ridge
will bring drier wx with warming at higher elevations Thursday.
Valleys will stay cold resulting in temporary inversion
conditions. Cold front and upper trough from the north will bring
snow showers Friday afternoon and evening. Little if any cooling
expected behind the front as flow aloft quickly becomes westerly
Saturday ahead of another...much stronger...cold front and upper
trough moving south through BC. Snow or snow showers will expand
over the entire nwrn US Sunday through Tuesday as the trough
presses south. After that there is the growing possibility of an
arctic surge. Models are coming into better agreement on strong
northerly flow aloft into our area and the potential for extremely
cold wx after next Tuesday.
&&
.AVIATION...Light snow and lowering ceilings from the northwest
early this morning. By 12Z-15Z conditions will become generally
IFR with mountain obscuration north of KBNO-KONO-KBOI-KSUN. MVFR
expected as far south as KREO-KTWF by 18Z...with VFR south of
there. Heaviest precipitation will be on southern Idaho mountains.
Winds aloft at 10KFT MSL: WSW 15-25kt through 12Z becoming
Westerly 40kt by 15Z. Surface winds: generally SW-SE 5-15KT.
&&
.BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory until 5 AM MST Wednesday IDZ011-033.
Winter Weather Advisory until 5 AM MST Wednesday IDZ013-028.
OR...Winter Weather Advisory until 4 PM PST this afternoon ORZ062.
&&
www.weather.gov/Boise
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SHORT TERM...BW
LONG TERM....LC
AVIATION.....LCThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The COOP observer at Halfway reported 13 inches of new snow while Baker City reported 7 inches, Carson had 10 and Cornucopia 14 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, December 2016
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: 672292.