A Pacific storm system brought widespread snow to the Pacific Northwest.
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 Pacific storm system brought widespread snow to the Pacific Northwest.
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 7, 3:43 AM PST, 4 hours 17 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
343 AM PST Sat Jan 7 2017
Updated Aviation Discussion
.SHORT TERM...Today through Sunday Night. An extremely complex
pattern during the short term period has made for several forecast
challenges. The biggest challenge has been forecasting snow levels
and the precipitation type expected. Winter Storm Watches, Warnings
and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect throughout the forecast
area.
Starting today...snow will develop in Central Oregon shortly after
sunrise. KMAX radar is showing precipitation approaching Crater
Lake. By noon...snow will spread as far north as the Columbia River
Gorge and as far east as John Day. Snow will then spread over the
remainder of the forecast area during the afternoon and early
evening hours. In addition...winds in the Grande Ronde Valley will
continue to be 25-35 mph creating blowing snow where a Wind Advisory
is in effect.
For tonight...most areas will have light to moderate snow during the
evening. After 8 PM...the weak frontal band will move into
Washington and into northeast Washington by midnight...resulting in
a temporary break in precipitation. Winds in the Grande Ronde
Valley will also taper off. The increasing southwest flow aloft
will cause warmer air aloft to spread into Central Oregon where
freezing rain or sleet is likely in areas of Deschutes County. By
sunrise...snow levels in Deschutes County will rise to near 4500-
5000 feet but temperatures in the Lower Deschutes Plateau will
remain below freezing for most of the night...possibly warming into
the lower to mid 30s by sunrise.
On Sunday...precipitation will redevelop in association with a warm
frontal passage. The NAM12 continues to be the fastest model with
the warm air advection (WAA) aloft early Sunday morning. The 00Z
ECMWF is coming more in line with the NAM12. For now...will
continue with the GFS as models have a history of increasing WAA too
fast. Freezing rain is likely...and ice accumulations 0.10 to 0.25
inch are possible in some areas.
Sunday night's forecast was the most challenging time period of all.
Model guidance keeps below freezing temperatures throughout the
forecast area. I believe snow levels across eastern Oregon and
southeast Washington will be 3500-5000 feet while south central
Washington may only increase to 1000-2000 feet. The upper level
trough offshore will edge inland overnight resulting in lowering
thickness values. The upcoming forecast will keep temperatures at
or below freezing with a chance of freezing rain or sleet for a
large portion of the area but feel some areas such as Central
Oregon, the Grande Ronde Valley, and the John Day Basin could be in
the mid to upper 30s with precipitation falling as rain.
Current Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories appear
on track. I will downgrade the Winter Storm Watch to an advisory
for Wallowa County. For the Lower Columbia Basin and Blue Mountain
Foothills...I will issue a Winter Weather Advisory for snow this
afternoon and tonight and keep the Winter Storm Watch from early
Sunday morning through Monday morning for snow and freezing rain.
Wister
.LONG TERM...Monday through Friday...A very active weather
pattern will persist through the long term period. A front will move
east Monday. Southwest flow aloft from an offshore low will keep a
chance of precipitation over eastern WA and OR. Periods of lower
elevation rain and higher elevation snow will continue through the
day. Some freezing rain may linger Monday morning. Precipitation
will gradually taper off Monday...especially in the Columbia Basin
and surrounding areas as the flow turns more westerly and rain
shadowing develops. This should also help to scour out the remaining
low level cold air during the day. Another stronger system will
arrive Tuesday as a warm front moves north through OR. Snow levels
will be rather low...only 1000-2500 feet in OR during this time...so
significant snowfall will be possible above these levels.
Precipitation will persist Tuesday night and Wednesday as the front
becomes occluded and stretches out over northeast OR and southeast
WA. Snow levels in OR will increase to 1500-3500 feet Wednesday. A
mixture of snow and rain for the lower elevations and snow in the
mountains will persist Thursday. High temperatures will mainly be in
the 30s Monday through Wednesday while low temperatures will be in
the upper teens and 20s Monday night and Tuesday night. Wednesday
night will be colder with lows the teens and lower 20s. Models
diverge significantly Thursday night and Friday. The ECMWF builds an
upper level ridge near the coast. The GFS has a front in OR
spreading north through the day. Due to uncertainty I kept a chance
of snow across the CWA. Coonfield
&&
.AVIATION...12Z TAFs...Increasing clouds today with ceilings
lowering and snow developing. The snow will be moving in from the
southwest and KBDN and KRDM will see snow and MVFR/IFR conditions
by 15Z. Snow and MVFR/IFR conditions will spread to other TAF sites
from 18Z-00Z. Winds will be generally less than 10 kts for the next
24 hours. 76
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 20 17 29 31 / 70 70 90 70
ALW 23 20 30 31 / 60 70 90 70
PSC 21 17 29 26 / 60 70 90 60
YKM 22 15 28 20 / 60 70 90 60
HRI 20 17 27 26 / 70 70 80 60
ELN 21 14 28 19 / 40 70 90 60
RDM 24 15 35 29 / 90 50 90 50
LGD 21 19 35 32 / 70 70 90 70
GCD 23 23 35 30 / 100 40 90 70
DLS 23 20 28 28 / 90 80 90 60
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST Monday for ORZ509.
Winter Storm Warning from 8 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Monday
for ORZ510.
Winter Weather Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 4 AM PST
Monday for ORZ503.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Monday for ORZ506-511.
Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 AM PST
Monday for ORZ050.
Winter Weather Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 7 AM PST
Monday for ORZ502.
Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 4 AM PST
Sunday for ORZ044-507.
Winter Storm Watch from late tonight through Monday morning for
ORZ044-507.
Winter Storm Warning from 10 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Monday
for ORZ041-049-508.
Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening for ORZ049.
Winter Storm Warning from 7 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Monday
for ORZ505.
WA...Winter Weather Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 7 AM PST
Monday for WAZ030.
Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 4 AM PST
Sunday for WAZ028-029.
Winter Storm Warning from 10 AM this morning to 7 AM PST Monday
for WAZ520-521.
Winter Storm Watch from late tonight through Monday morning for
WAZ028-029.
Winter Storm Warning from 10 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Monday
for WAZ024.
Winter Storm Warning from noon today to 4 AM PST Monday for
WAZ026-027.
&&
85/76/76The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured snow fall of 10 inches, 8 miles northwest of Terrebonne in Jefferson county.
Measured snow fall of 7 inches, 10 miles northeast of Service Creek in Wheeler county.
Estimated snow fall of 4.5 inches, 6 miles west of Condon in Gilliam county. Snow has been drifting.
Measured snow fall of 20 inches, 7 miles east-northeast of Paulina in Crook county.
Measured storm total snow fall of 10 inches at Maupin, Wasco county.
Measured storm total snow fall of 9 inches at the City of The Dalles, Wasco county.
Measured snow fall of 6 inches at Imbler, in Union county. Snow drifts up to 4 feet in depth.
Measured snow fall of 10 inches, 2 miles south-southwest of Camp Sherman in Jefferson 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: 675738, 675736, 675737, 675739, 675741, 675742, 675740, 675735.