A local band of snow fell across portions of southeast Washington on the morning of December 12.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A local band of snow fell across portions of southeast Washington on the morning of December 12.
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 Dec 12, 4:00 AM PST, 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
400 AM PST Mon Dec 12 2016
Updated aviation discussion
.SHORT TERM...Today through Wednesday...A weather system in a
west to northwest flow aloft is currently moving across the eastern
portions of the forecast area. This is producing precipitation
mostly in the form of rain due to a warm layer between about 1200-
3200 feet MSL. However dew point temperatures are quite low in this
layer and it is likely that the temperature and dew point will wet
bulb out to near to below freezing and cause the rain to change to
snow. There will likely eventually be about 1-3 inches of snow in
the Oregon Blue Mountain Foothills, especially south of KPDT, and 2
to 4 inches in the southern Blue Mountains, the Grande Ronde Valley
and in Wallowa County. Therefore a Winter Weather Advisory is in
effect for these areas until 10 AM this morning for snow. Also a
Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the Oregon Cascade east
slopes where 2 to 4 inches of snow is also expected this morning.
Colder and drier air will move into the forecast area from the north
later today and tonight as modified arctic air spills southward with
a surface high pressure system. This will bring very cold
temperatures for the rest of the week. There will be a break on
Tuesday with perhaps just a few snow showers in the mountains and
then on Wednesday a large and wet Pacific storm will push moisture
up and over this cold air. This will likely result in significant
snow to begin by late morning Wednesday or early afternoon in
southern areas of the CWA and then the rest of the CWA during the
late afternoon and evening. This may be a significant snow producing
storm for mid week which will be discussed more in the extended
portion. Winds during the short term for the most part will be
light. Fog in the Lower Columbia Basin this morning will lift and
dissipate as clouds move in and precipitation falls with the current
weather system. 88
.LONG TERM...Wednesday night through Monday...Models are in
reasonable agreement in having cold and unsettled weather through
the long term period. Initially, an offshore trough will be sending
a surge of moisture through the area as a warm front moves from
south to north Wednesday night and is followed by a cold front on
Thursday. Temperatures will remain in the teens and 20s Wednesday
night and in the 20s and lower 30s Thursday and most of the area
will see a couple of inches of snow. The snow will continue Friday
and then taper off Friday evening. There will be a chance of snow
mainly in the mountains Friday and a slight chance Friday night.
After that, a northwest flow will be over the area Saturday through
Saturday through Monday that will keep a slight chance of light snow
showers in the mountains. Models indicate another system arriving
along the Cascade Crest Monday afternoon, so have a chance of snow
there on Monday. Temperatures will remain cold with highs mainly in
the 20s and the lows generally 5 to 15 above zero. Perry
&&
.AVIATION...12Z TAFs...A system is moving through the area this
morning with snow showers affecting most taf sites. Periods of
MVFR/IFR/LIFR conditions accompany the showers with MVFR/VFR other
times. The snow showers should taper off by 18Z. After the system
departs, am expecting low stratus and low visibilities to develop at
KYKM, KPSC and KALW with IFR and lower visibilities continuing
through 12Z tomorrow morning. A few snow showers could develop after
06Z tonight though the chances were to0 low to merit inclusion in
the TAFs except for VCSH at KDLS. Winds will remain under 10 kts for
the next 24 hours. Perry
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 31 17 21 10 / 70 10 10 10
ALW 32 21 23 14 / 70 10 10 10
PSC 34 21 24 12 / 30 10 10 10
YKM 30 16 24 10 / 20 10 10 10
HRI 32 19 24 12 / 50 10 10 10
ELN 28 13 21 6 / 20 10 10 10
RDM 32 11 23 7 / 20 10 10 10
LGD 31 19 24 12 / 80 30 10 10
GCD 31 16 28 12 / 50 20 10 10
DLS 37 25 28 18 / 20 10 10 10
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM PST this morning for ORZ049-
050-503-507-509.
WA...None.
&&
88/83/83The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured heavy snow of 5.5 inches at the Walla Walla airport. Also an estimated 5 inches at Waitsburg.
Estimated heavy snow of 5 inches in East Richland. Also an estimated 4.8 inches of snow in Finley.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, 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: 664812, 664813.