A strong Pacific storm system brought snow, sleet and freezing rain to many areas of the Interior Northwest February 7th through 9th.
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 storm system brought snow, sleet and freezing rain to many areas of the Interior Northwest February 7th through 9th.
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 Feb 7, 3:40 AM PST, 20 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
340 AM PST Tue Feb 7 2017
Updated Aviation Discussion
.SHORT TERM...Today through Wednesday night. A winter storm system
will work its way north across the region and bring significant snow
to our southern zones that includes Central Oregon to the John day
highlands. This area of snow will move slowly north toward the state
line during the day. As much as half a foot of snow is possible over
central Oregon eastward with higher amounts in the area mountains
and winter storm warnings are in effect. Further north winter
weather advisories are in effect into this evening and this includes
north central oregon toward ukiah. An inch or two of snow is likely
north of this area into south central Washington. As this system
weakens tonight and drifts north...another storm system will take
aim on the two state area on Wednesday. The challenge will be with
the extent of the warm air advection. At the moment the warm air is
expected to move rapidly into our southern zones with a south
downslope wind along the foothills of the blues. Meanwhile colder
air should persist north of the state line in Washington and winter
storm watches were hoisted for Wed aftn/night. Depending on the
arrival of the warmer temps...snow and freezing rain could become
significant and widespread across the east slopes of the washington
cascades and ykm/kittitas valley and the adjacent areas. Elsewhere
any frozen pcpn should turn to mostly liquid Wednesday night.
.LONG TERM...Thursday through Monday. A moist southwest flow
will bring widespread rain on Thursday...but there will be shallow
cold air Thursday morning in areas west and northwest of the Tri-
Cities and Prosser to the East Slopes of the WA Cascades where
freezing rain is likely. By Thursday afternoon the wind and warmer
air aloft will scour out the cold air. It will be very windy over
portions of central and northeast Oregon...namely the Grande Ronde
Valley...Joseph area...and along the base of the Blue Mtn Foothills.
These areas may meet wind advisory criteria. Areas near Bend,
Redmond, and Prineville may also experience brief gusts to 45-55 mph
Thursday morning. This moist system will bring rainfall amounts of
0.5-1.0 inch along the Blue Mtns and the WA/OR Cascades and this
could pose hydrological concerns. The main frontal band will exit
the region Thursday night...and most of the forecast area will have
a break in precipitation with any precipitation after midnight
Friday confined to the Cascade Range and the eastern mountains. An
upper level trough offshore will traverse eastward on Friday and
Friday night... lowering snow levels down to 3500-4500 feet Friday
and 2500-4000 feet Friday night. Snow is likely in the mountains
with a chance of rain and snow elsewhere. Any additional snow melt
runoff on Friday will be limited due to the lowering snow levels.
Models continue to advertise a building ridge over the weekend and
on Monday. Temperatures will be closer to seasonal norms...but no
major warming trend is expected. A moist boundary layer from recent
snow and rain will likely result in fog in the lower elevations
during this time. Wister
&&
.AVIATION...12Z TAFs. At this time...CIGS and VSBY are VFR at all
TAF sites (occasional MVFR CIGS at KDLS) but will deteriorate as the
day progresses. Snow will be developing in the next hour or two at
KBDN and KRDM where IFR/LIFR conditions will continue through 21Z
then gradually improve to MVFR then will be VFR overnight. Light
snow will develop at KDLS around 16Z...then 18Z at KPDT and KALW
with IFR/LIFR expected in these areas as well. Conditions will not
be quite as bad at KPSC and KYKM when snow develops around 20Z with
periods of light snow through 03Z/8th as most of the precipitation
will be south. Winds will be less than 10 knots at all TAF sites.
Wister
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 32 23 33 34 / 70 60 50 70
ALW 34 27 35 34 / 70 60 50 80
PSC 33 23 30 31 / 50 50 50 80
YKM 32 17 31 29 / 30 30 70 80
HRI 33 24 30 31 / 60 50 50 80
ELN 31 14 27 26 / 10 20 60 90
RDM 36 24 43 36 / 100 50 60 70
LGD 33 28 36 37 / 70 50 50 70
GCD 37 30 42 37 / 90 40 60 80
DLS 35 27 32 33 / 70 50 80 90
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Weather Advisory from 6 AM this morning to 7 PM PST this
evening for ORZ503-505-508-510.
Winter Storm Warning until 3 PM PST this afternoon for ORZ506-
509-511.
WA...Winter Storm Watch from Wednesday morning through Thursday
morning for WAZ026>028-520-521.
&&
97/85/85The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heavy snow, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured snow accumulation of 10 inches, 4 miles WSW of La Pine in Deschutes county. Heaviest snow few between 400 and 630 AM.
Measured snow accumulation of 5 inches, 2 miles S of Bend in Deschutes county.
Measured snow accumulation of 6 inches at Brothers in Deschutes county.
Winter storm produced a total snow accumulation of 5.25 inches with an ice accumulation of 0.25 inches on top of the snow. Occurred 5 miles SSW of Chenoweth in Wasco county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, February 2017
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: 682820, 682821, 682822, 682823.