A strong Pacific system moved through the area and over modified Arctic air. This resulted in widespread snow.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 strong Pacific system moved through the area and over modified Arctic air. This resulted in widespread snow.
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 14, 9:33 AM PST, 2 hours 27 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Update
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
933 AM PST Wed Dec 14 2016
Updated Aviation Discussion
.SHORT TERM...surface low approaching the Oregon coast from the
southwest this morning. Strong surface high pressure to the north.
This will create a good overrunning precipitation event across the
region today into early tonight. Radar and observations indicate
snow falling over central Oregon into the John Day highlands with
several inches accumulation. This snow will gradually spread
northward during the morning into the afternoon. Expect many
locations especially in Oregon closer to the low center to have a
period of moderate to heavy snow. The forecast looks good with
only minor changes for the morning update. 94
&&
.AVIATION 18z TAFS...Moderate snow already falling across central OR
bringing LIFR CIGS/VIS here. Moderate to occasionally heavy snow
expected to continue through the afternoon and evening hours here.
Snow spreads north to KDLS and KPDT around 14/19-20z becoming steady
for the late afternoon and evening hours...expect IFR/LIFR conditions
here mainly from 14/21 - 15/06-08z. Light snow develops across
southern Washington,including KALW...KPSC and KYKM between 14/21-23z
becoming steady and moderate around 15/00-02z. IFR/LIFR conditions
are expected here between 15/00z and 15/06-09z. After about 15/09z
the steady snow is forecast to taper off to snow showers with mostly
MVFR or perhaps local IFR conditions. Some sleet or even light
freezing rain could mix in this evening at KBDN and perhaps KRDM.
Winds are expected to be light through the period...AOB 15 kts at
all terminals. Although winds will be light, the snow density will
also be light...so local blsn cannot be ruled out. 77
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 330 AM PST Wed Dec 14 2016/
SHORT TERM...Today through Thursday Night...A major winter storm is
moving into the area today and snow is already falling as far north
as Bend and Redmond. An offshore low is pulling a substantial
moisture plume in to feed the system and significant snow is
expected through tonight. Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather
Advisories cover nearly the entire area through tonight. Snow should
reach the Oregon Washington Border by midday and across the entire
forecast area by late afternoon and evening. In the overnight hours,
the system will be moving off to the east and snow will begin
tapering off in the western half of the area while snow will be
likely from the eastern Columbia Basin and the Blue Mountains
eastward. QPF amounts in the models are in fairly close agreement
and will yield impressive snow amounts. Central and North Central
Oregon will see the brunt of the system with 12-20 inches of snow.
Further north the mountains will see 6 to 11 inches of snow and the
Columbia Basin and Blue Mountain Foothills 4-7 inches. The Yakima
Valley is a tricky forecast as it appears it will come up just short
of warning amounts of snow (4 inches). The south end of the Yakima
Valley around White Swan and Toppenish may see 4-5 inches. Have kept
that area under a Winter Weather Advisory but would not be surprised
to see an upgrade to a Warning there as the storm progresses.
Further north, the Kittitas Valley will see 1-3 inches of snow.
Thursday and Thursday night behind the system, a westerly to
southwesterly flow will develop and there will continue to be a
chance of upslope snow showers into the mountains and a slight
chance in the Blue Mountain Foothills while the rest of the area
dries out. Snow amounts will be light and generally less than an
inch during that 24 hour period. Temperatures will remain cold with
highs in the upper teens to mid 20s, perhaps around 30 in the
extreme southern parts of the area. Lows will be in the mid teens to
mid 20s tonight and with partially clearing skies Thursday night,
lows will be 5 to 15 above. Perry
LONG TERM...Friday through Tuesday...Models agree that a northerly
flow will be ushering in some very cold arctic air into the region
from western Canada Friday and through the weekend and then
temperatures begin to slowly warm up through the first of the week.
Models don't agree on the timing of weather systems from Sunday
onward thus providing low confidence in the forecast. Have opted to
follow more the GFS model which begins to bring some precipitation
back into the forecast area from Sunday onward which is 24-36 hours
faster than the ECMWF. Precipitation type will primarily be snow but
could begin to see a wintry mix of precipitation Monday and Tuesday
depending on whether these system can mix out the cold air
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 22 14 23 11 / 70 90 30 20
ALW 22 19 22 12 / 60 90 40 20
PSC 23 20 24 11 / 50 90 20 10
YKM 22 16 25 9 / 40 80 10 10
HRI 24 17 23 12 / 70 100 20 10
ELN 19 14 24 9 / 10 60 10 10
RDM 23 12 28 6 / 100 90 10 20
LGD 26 21 31 14 / 90 100 30 30
GCD 26 26 32 15 / 90 90 40 30
DLS 27 19 30 13 / 90 90 20 10
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Thursday for ORZ509.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Thursday for ORZ044-049-050-
503-507.
Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST Thursday for ORZ502.
Winter Storm Warning until 11 PM PST this evening for ORZ505-506-
510-511.
Winter Storm Warning until 11 PM PST this evening for ORZ041-508.
WA...Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST Thursday for WAZ030-520.
Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 11 PM PST
this evening for WAZ027.
Winter Storm Warning from 1 PM this afternoon to 4 AM PST
Thursday for WAZ028-029.
Winter Storm Warning until 11 PM PST this evening for WAZ024-521.
&&
94/77The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured heavy snow accumulation of 4.5 inches at Lyle in Klickitat county.
Estimated heavy snow accumulation of 7 inches since 4 pm on the 14th, 5 miles north-northwest of Centerville in Klickitat county.
Measured heavy snow accumulation of 4 inches, 8 miles northeast of Dayton.
Measured heavy snow accumulation of 4.5 inches in Kennewick.
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: 665630, 665651, 665654, 665652.