A strong low pressure system generated frequent and persistent snow showers over the northern and central Oregon Cascades.
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 strong low pressure system generated frequent and persistent snow showers over the northern and central Oregon Cascades.
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 Mar 13, 8:15 AM PST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
915 AM PDT SUN MAR 13 2016
.SYNOPSIS...STRONG LOW PRES WILL MOVE N JUST OFFSHORE...AND INTO NW
WASHINGTON LATE TODAY. THIS WILL BRING RAIN...AND WINDY CONDITIONS
ACROSS THE REGION. WINDS WILL EASE THIS EVENING... BUT COOLER
UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL MAINTAIN SHOWERS TONIGHT THROUGH
MONDAY...WITH SNOW ABOVE 2500 FT. SHOWERS DECREASING ON TUE AND
WED...THEN HIGH PRES BUILDS WITH DRY AND MILD WEATHER.
&&
.SHORT TERM...SURFACE ANALYSIS AT 15Z SHOWED A 982MB LOW ABOUT 130NM
W OF KTMK...LIFTING NNE TOWARDS THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA. DRYING
SIGNATURE IN WV PICS SUGGESTED LOW WILL LIKELY DEEPEN A LITTLE MORE
BEFORE IT MOVES INLAND DURING THE AFTERNOON. COLD FRONT A LITTLE
FASTER THAN EARLIER MODEL RUNS...APPEARS ON TRACK TO REACH THE
CENTRAL OREGON COAST THIS MORNING...AND TO KAST BY MIDDAY...WHICH
SHOULD BRING THE PERIOD OF STRONGEST WIND GUSTS TO THE COAST.
STRONGEST INLAND WINDS LIKELY WITH THE COLD FRONT DURING THE EARLY
AFTERNOON. OVERALL CURRENT WIND HEADLINES LOOK ON TRACK SO EXPECTED
TO MAKE LITTLE CHANGE. SHOULD SEE A QUICKER CHANGE OVER TO
CONVECTIVE SHOWERS THOUGH...AND MODEL SOUNDINGS ALSO SUGGEST SOME
POTENTIAL FOR THUNDER THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY FROM THE COAST RANGE
WESTWARD.
REMAINDER OF SHORT TERM DISCUSSION UNCHANGED...OTHER CHALLENGE FOR
TODAY WILL BE THE SNOW FORECAST FOR THE CASCADES. STILL HAVE SNOW
ADVISORY UP FOR THIS AM...WHERE MAY SEE ANOTHER 2 TO 6 INCHES OF
SNOW THIS AM. SNOW LEVELS WILL RISE A TAD THIS AM...BUT ONLY UP TO
ROUGHLY 4000 FT. ONCE COLDER AIR ARRIVES THIS AFTERNOON...SNOW
LEVELS WILL LOWER AGAIN...AND SIT AT 2500 TO 3000 FT TONIGHT THROUGH
MON. AS FLOW TURNS MORE PRO-OROGRAPHIC LATER TODAY AND THIS
EVENING... SHOULD SEE SNOW PRODUCTION BECOMING MORE EFFICIENT OVER
THE CASCADES. STILL THINK WILL SEE 10 TO 18 INCHES OF SNOW DURING
THAT TIME FRAME. WILL UPGRADE THE WINTER STORM WATCH TO A WINTER
STORM WARNING.
SHOWERS CONTINUE ON MONDAY...AND INTO TUE AS BROAD UPPER LOW OVER
GULF OF ALASKA MAINTAINS A COOL WESTERLY FLOW INTO PAC NW. WITH SNOW
LEVELS BETWEEN 2500 AND 3000 FEET...SHOULD SEE MORE SNOW IN THE
CASCADES...BUT MAY BE MORE HIT AND MISS AS TO BIGGER ACCUMULATIONS.
THAT SAID...STILL SEE ANOTHER 6 TO 12 INCHES OF SNOW FOR LATE MON
THROUGH TUE. ROCKEY.
.LONG TERM...NO CHANGES. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS...TUESDAY NIGHT
THROUGH SATURDAY. PATTERN CHANGE IN STORE MIDWEEK...BRINGING DRY AND
SUNNY WEATHER TO OUR AREA. SHOWERS TO GRADUALLY TAPER OFF TUESDAY
NIGHT INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY AS UPPER-RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE EASTERN
PACIFIC. CLEARING SKIES WEDNESDAY WITH LIGHT OFFSHORE WINDS WILL
ALLOW AT LEAST PATCHY FOG TO DEVELOP THURSDAY MORNING IN INLAND
VALLEYS. OFFSHORE GRADIENT STRENGTHENS ON THURSDAY WITH THE
DEVELOPMENT OF A THERMAL TROUGH OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CAL AND
SOUTHERN OREGON...WHICH WILL INCREASE EASTERLY WINDS AND RAPIDLY
CLEAR OUT ANY FOG LATE THURSDAY MORNING. CLEAR SUNNY SKIES AND MILD
WEATHER IS IN STORE FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY ACROSS OUR AREA. FRIDAY
LOOKS TO BE THE WARMEST DAY...AS THE OFFSHORE GRADIENT RELAXES
WEAKENING THE EASTERLY FLOW ACROSS OUR AREA. I SUSPECT THE MODELS ARE
BREAKING DOWN THE RIDGE TOO EARLY...AS THEY TEND TO DO FURTHER OUT IN
THE EXTENDED...BUT RIGHT NOW THEY BRING RAIN BACK TO OUR AREA ON
SATURDAY. THEREFORE HAVE LOW POPS IN THE FORECAST FOR SATURDAY...BUT
COULD VERY WELL BE ANOTHER DRY MILD DAY ON SATURDAY. -MCCOY
&&
.AVIATION...A DEVELOPING SURFACE LOW PRESSURE IS CURRENTLY OFF THE
NORTH OREGON COAST AND WILL MOVE NORTHEASTWARD...MAKING LANDFALL
ALONG THE WASHINGTON COAST MIDDAY. ASSOCIATED STRONG SOUTHERLY
WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 55 KT WILL LIKELY DEVELOP BETWEEN 16Z AND 17Z
AT KONP AND AROUND 18Z AT KAST. SOUTHERLY WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 45
KT WILL BE POSSIBLE AT INTERIOR TAF SITES...BEGINNING AROUND 17Z
AT KEUG AND KSLE AND BETWEEN 18Z AND 19Z FOR THE PORTLAND METRO
TAF SITES.
IN THE MEANTIME...EXPECT CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE IN THE
IMMEDIATE SHORT TERM AS RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT PUSHES
INTO THE REGION. ONCE THE COLD FRONT PASSES...CONDITIONS SHOULD
TREND VFR QUICKLY. A SHOWERY UNSTABLE AND WINDY AIRMASS SHOULD
THEN PRODUCE PREDOMINANTLY VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH 18Z
MONDAY...WITH ONLY OCCASIONAL MVFR CONDITIONS NEAR AND UNDER
HEAVIER SHOWERS. /NEUMAN
.KPDX AND APPROACHES...CONDITIONS SHOULD DETERIORATE TO MVFR IN
THE SHORT TERM AS STEADY RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH A COLD FRONT PUSHES
OVER THE TERMINAL...THROUGH APPROXIMATELY 18Z TO 20Z SUNDAY.
CONDITIONS SHOULD THEN TREND PREDOMINANTLY VFR THROUGH 18Z MONDAY
AS A SHOWERY UNSTABLE AIRMASS MOVES INTO THE REGION. STRONG
SOUTHERLY WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 45 KT WILL LIKELY PUSH INTO THE
TERMINAL BETWEEN 18Z AND 19Z SUNDAY...AND LINGER THROUGH
APPROXIMATELY 21Z TO 23Z SUNDAY. /NEUMAN
&&
.MARINE...A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE IS CURRENTLY DEEPENING ABOUT 100
MILES OFF THE NORTH OREGON COAST. THIS SYSTEM HAS PRODUCED GALE
FORCE WIND GUSTS OF 45 KT AND SEAS NEAR 20 FT THIS MORNING.
EXPECT CONDITIONS TO DETERIORATE FURTHER WITH STORM FORCE WIND
GUSTS OF 50 KT LIKELY INTO THIS AFTERNOON AND SEAS CLIMBING INTO
THE 20 TO 25 FT RANGE. HIGH SURF ADVISORY CONDITIONS SHOULD BE MET
FOR A COUPLE HOURS LATER TODAY SO THE CURRENT ADVISORY LOOKS ON
TRACK. ANYWAY...WINDS SHOULD BEGIN TO RELAX BY MID TO LATE
AFTERNOON ACROSS ALL THE WATERS...WITH PRIMARILY JUST 20 TO 30 KT
WIND GUSTS ACROSS THE WATERS BY THIS EVENING. THIS SHOULD ALLOW
SEAS TO DROP BELOW 20 FT DURING THIS TIME.
PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED THROUGH MONDAY SO EXPECT
20 TO 30 KT WIND GUSTS TO CONTINUE THROUGH THAT TIME AND SEAS TO
ONLY SLOWLY SUBSIDE INTO THE LOW TO MID TEENS BY THE END OF
MONDAY. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE SHIFTING OVER THE WATERS MONDAY NIGHT
AND TUESDAY WILL HELP LOWER WINDS AND SEAS FURTHER. A WEAK
SURFACE LOW PRESSURE MAY PUSH INTO THE WATERS LATE TUESDAY AND/OR
EARLY WEDNESDAY...BUT IT APPEARS IT WILL REMAIN QUITE WEAK AND NOT
PARTICULARLY RELEVANT. OTHERWISE...OFFSHORE FLOW SHOULD THEN
DEVELOP FOR THE SECOND HALF OF NEXT WEEK AND PRODUCE GUSTY EAST
WINDS OF 20 TO 25 KT...PRIMARILY NEAR COASTAL GAPS.
THERE IS A CHANCE WE WILL NEED ANOTHER COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY FOR
TIDAL OVERFLOW DURING HIGH TIDE EARLY MONDAY MORNING. WILL EXAMINE
WITH THE AFTERNOON FORECAST PACKAGE. /NEUMAN
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON PDT TODAY FOR CASCADES IN
LANE COUNTY-NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO NOON PDT MONDAY FOR
CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY-NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES.
WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR
CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY-GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-LOWER
COLUMBIA-SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR CENTRAL COAST
RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-CENTRAL OREGON COAST-COAST RANGE OF
NORTHWEST OREGON-NORTH OREGON COAST.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR CENTRAL
OREGON COAST-NORTH OREGON COAST.
WA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL NOON PDT TODAY FOR SOUTH
WASHINGTON CASCADES.
WINTER STORM WARNING FROM NOON TODAY TO NOON PDT MONDAY FOR
SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES.
WIND ADVISORY FROM NOON TODAY TO 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR
GREATER VANCOUVER AREA-I-5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR SOUTH
WASHINGTON COAST.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 6 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR SOUTH
WASHINGTON COAST-WILLAPA HILLS.
PZ...STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM
CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR OUT 60 NM.
STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM
CASCADE HEAD OR TO FLORENCE OR OUT 60 NM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA RIVER BAR UNTIL 5 PM PDT
MONDAY.
&&
&&
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.2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Several SNOTEL stations measured 16 to 24 inches of snow over a 24 to 30 hour period above 3500 feet.
There was 10 to 18 inches of snow measured above 4000 feet.
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, March 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: 625685, 625687.