A storm system moving across southern Oregon produced heavy snow across portions of central and northeast Oregon. Also heavy snow fell over portions of the Columbia River Gorge in both Oregon and Washington.
Every event with a place to put it; 8 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 storm system moving across southern Oregon produced heavy snow across portions of central and northeast Oregon. Also heavy snow fell over portions of the Columbia River Gorge in both Oregon and Washington.
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 Jan 9, 10:18 PM PST, 1 hour 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
1018 PM PST Mon Jan 9 2017
.SHORT TERM...Surface low offshore pushing a warm front across
the region tonight into Tuesday morning. This will result in a
period of light snow. Temperatures tonight mainly in the teens and
20s. As this front lifts off to the north tomorrow morning a
second stronger low will then move across southern Oregon Tue into
early Wednesday. This will result in an area of moderate to heavy
snow over central Oregon into the John Day highlands. Lighter snow
further to the north. The snow will then taper off during the day
Wednesday. Total accumulations for central Oregon are significant
with snow amounts of 6-12 inches for many locations and 12-24
inches for the Oregon Cascades. Winter storm warnings and
advisories are in effect through Wed morning. Much colder air will
then move into the region Wed through Fri. 94
.AVIATION...06Z TAFS. Weak warm front tonight with a period of
light snow. Expect a break then snow developing again Tue over
central Oregon moving north in the afternoon and evening. Ceilings
will lower to bkn-ovc 010-040 in snow with visibility 1-4sm.
Otherwise some low clouds and fog in the Columbia basin overnight
with occasional lower ceilings and visibility. Winds 5-15kt. 94
PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 357 PM PST Mon Jan 9 2017/
SHORT TERM...Tonight through Wednesday...This period will see
another round of active winter weather. A weak disturbance will
swing across the region tonight into Tuesday morning. Snow will
generally be 3 inches or less with this wave, though the Oregon
Cascade east slopes should see around 4-8 inches of snow. There may
be some light freezing rain mixed with snow and low elevation rain
in the Columbia River Gorge late tonight into Tuesday morning. A
stronger and rather moist system will into southern Oregon and
northern California Tuesday afternoon. This system will cause
significant snowfall over central, east-central and north-central
Oregon. Will upgrade the watches in central and east-central Oregon
to warnings for tonight's snow plus the more significant snow
Tuesday afternoon and night. Have also issued advisories for zones
in north-central Oregon, including the Gorge. Snow amounts of 1 to 3
inches may be possible Tuesday through Wednesday across the Columbia
Basin. At this time there remains enough uncertainty as to how much
snow and how far north the better snows will get to issue any
advisories for these areas. Elsewhere, snow amounts look to remain
below advisory values. Arctic air will be pulled south into the
region behind the Tuesday afternoon/night system. Thus conditions
will become increasingly cold over the area Tuesday night into
Wednesday. 90
LONG TERM...Wednesday Night through Saturday Night...Wednesday night
an upper low and trough will be over the area and moving south. This
will bring a chance of light snow in the mountains and a slight
chance of snow in the Oregon portion of the lower elevations. Snow
amounts will be generally less than an inch even in the mountains.
With cold air over the area, snow levels will be at the surface and
temperatures will zero to 10 above with mid teens in the Columbia
Gorge. As the low sinks south Thursday, a slight chance of snow will
be limited to the far southeastern mountains in the morning. Ridging
will build offshore and this will bring arctic air in a dry
northwest flow over the area that will gradually turn west by Friday
night. There are no significant disturbances moving through the area
so Thursday afternoon through Friday will be fair and dry. High
temperatures will be quite cold with lower to mid 20s in the
mountains and mid teens to lower 20s in the Columbia Basin. Friday
night the GFS brings a a front to the Cascade Crest while the ECMWF
is much slower with this system. For Friday night, have a slight
chance of snow along the Cascades with the rest of the area dry.
Have the system crossing the area Saturday and Saturday night with a
chance of snow in the mountains and a slight chance of snow in the
lower elevations. The system will help mix the air in the Columbia
Basin and temperatures will be in the 20s with some lower 30s in
Central Oregon. Low temperatures will be generally zero to 10 above
Thursday night then warm to 5 to 15 above Friday night. Saturday
night will reach 10 to 20. Perry
Sunday through Monday night...The 12Z extended model runs are
continuing the trend seen in yesterday's model runs to delay the
arrival of a mid/upper level Pacific trough for the day 6 (Sunday)
forecast. As such I decreased the PoPs for daybreak to sundown on
Sunday resulting in a mainly dry forecast for those sections of the
forecast area immediately east of the Washington and Oregon Cascades
east slopes. But I did retain a slight chance of a light rain/snow
mix for Sunday in central and north central Oregon and also in the
Kittitas and Yakima Valleys eastward across the Hanford site in
northern Benton County. I also kept a slight chance of light snow in
the eastern mountains on Sunday. The models finally bring the
mid/upper level trough into the forecast area Sunday night and
Monday. This next trough raises snow levels to 4000-6000 feet Sunday
night in central and north central Oregon as well as in the
Eastern Columbia River Gorge and the Simcoe Highlands in south
central Washington. Soon after daybreak on Monday snow levels rise to
4000-5000 in the lower Columbia Basin, along the Foothills of the
Blue Mountains of Washington and Oregon and in the southern Blue
Mountains across Grant County as far east as John Day and Prairie
City. So there is a good chance of rain during the day on Monday in
large portions of the forecast area, except that snow levels will
stubbornly remain lower, 3000-4000 feet, in the northern Blue
Mountains and in Wallowa County through Monday afternoon. The trough
exits the region Monday afternoon and is quickly followed by a warm
front Monday night, which allows snow levels to persist at 4000-5500
feet above MSL through Monday night for the Southern Blue Mountains
westward to the Cascades with snow levels in the Northern Blue
Mountains and in Wallowa County remaining at 3000-4000 feet through
Monday Night. Polan
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 27 29 13 18 / 60 60 60 60
ALW 26 30 14 19 / 50 60 50 50
PSC 19 30 13 20 / 40 60 30 30
YKM 16 30 11 21 / 60 60 20 20
HRI 19 30 15 20 / 60 60 50 40
ELN 14 28 7 18 / 30 70 20 20
RDM 26 36 13 20 / 70 90 90 70
LGD 27 35 18 24 / 60 60 70 60
GCD 27 37 18 26 / 70 90 80 60
DLS 25 35 20 24 / 70 70 60 40
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Wednesday for ORZ505-506-509-
511.
Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST Wednesday for ORZ510.
Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM PST Wednesday for ORZ503.
Winter Weather Advisory from 5 AM Tuesday to 10 AM PST Wednesday
for ORZ041.
Winter Weather Advisory from 10 AM Tuesday to 10 AM PST
Wednesday for ORZ508.
WA...Winter Weather Advisory from 5 AM Tuesday to 10 AM PST Wednesday
for WAZ024.
&&
94The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured snow fall of 20 inches, 3 miles west of La Pine in Deschutes county.
Measured snow fall of 13 inches, 3 miles northwest of Bend in Deschutes county.
Measured snow fall of 9.5 inches, 23 miles northeast of Prineville in Crook county. Elevation of 4451 feet.
Measured snow fall of 6 inches, 5 miles north-northwest of Service Creek in Wheeler county.
Measured snow fall of 7 inches at Dufur, in Wasco county.
Measured snow fall of 7 inches, 1 mile southwest of The City of The Dalles in Wasco county. Elevation of 307 feet.
Measured snow fall of 4.5 inches at Echo, in Umatilla county. Elevation 640 feet.
Measured snow fall of 7.3 inches, 2 northwest of Pendleton in Umatilla 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, January 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: 676669, 676663, 676666, 676668, 676665, 676672, 676671, 676670.