A Pacific system spread wintry precipitation across the Pacific Northwest.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 system spread wintry precipitation across 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 Feb 2, 4:00 AM PST, 1 hour earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
400 AM PST Thu Feb 2 2017
Updated Aviation Discussion
.SHORT TERM...Today through Saturday...The short term period will be
very active, with a series of winter storms affecting the entire
forecast area. Periods of light snow will impact much of our Oregon
zones through the day today...especially along and south of a line
from about Maupin to Ukiah and Enterprise. Snow accumulations of 1
to 3 inches can be expected south of this line through the
afternoon. Across the far northern tier of eastern OR expect only a
slight chance of very light snow today. For our southern Washington
zones, including Ellensburg, Yakima, The Tri-Cities and Walla Walla
today will stay dry, under partly cloudy skies. Temperatures will
remain very cold today with highs only in the 20s to around 30.
After a short break in the steadier snow this evening, another wave
of moisture will move up from the south late tonight and early
Friday morning. This will be a more significant area of
precipitation, and therefore have continued with Categorical PoPs
for snow areawide Friday morning. Warmer air aloft gradually moves
into the forecast area from the south Friday afternoon...and could
reach the Blue Mountain Foothills prior to sunset Friday. Have
adjusted snow levels up slightly to account for this warmer trend in
the latest guidance (at least aloft). Have added in a mixture of
snow and sleet into the Blue Mountain Foothills from Walla Walla
south to Pendleton and Condon Friday afternoon. For Friday evening
the warm layer continues to press north, and thicken. Have therefore
trended p-type toward more of a mixture of snow, sleet, freezing
rain and some rain across much of eastern OR during this time period.
Late Friday night the wintry mix will be affecting the entire CWA,
except for the Yakima Valley, Kittitas Valley and the WA East Slopes
where snow should remain the dominant precip type. Some locations
may begin to switch over to plain rain after midnight Friday night as
warmer air continues to surge into the area from the south. By
Saturday morning, snow levels will range from 3500-5000 feet over
our Oregon zones....with a colder wedge still present over the WA
East Slopes and the Yakima/Kittitas Valley, snow levels will be near
ground level here through Saturday morning. Continues with a slight
chance of freezing rain early Saturday morning in the Lower Columbia
Basin and Columbia Gorge. By Saturday afternoon, the lower
elevations warm up into the mid 30s to mid 40s for highs...with 30s
in the mountains. Snow levels hover near 4000-4500 feet for much of
the area...except 2500-3000 feet for the WA East Slopes of the
Cascades as additional periods of precipitation move through the
area. Have chance PoPs in the valleys/basins Saturday afternoon with
high likely in the mountains. The flow will turn westerly, so the
higher QPF amounts are expected in the mountains. Current winter
storm watches remain in effect and will be evaluated later in the
shift. 77
.LONG TERM...Saturday night through Wednesday...Weather conditions
look to continue to be unsettled through this period. There remains
plenty of uncertainty as to the exact timing of individual systems.
Thus will continue the general broad brush forecast going. Southwest
flow ahead of an upper low offshore will continue to mix out any
lingering cold air Saturday night into Sunday morning. This upper
low and it's accompanying surface low will move through southern
British Columbia Sunday night and Monday morning. This system will
lower snow levels Monday, but the air mass will be maritime in
nature and not as cold as in past weeks. For Tuesday and Wednesday,
systems will continue to move into the region from the west-
southwest. These systems will be milder with snow levels being
closer to normal for early February. 90
&&
.AVIATION...12Z TAFs...VFR conditions are expected at KDLS and KYKM
through the next 24 hours, though cigs will lower some late in the
period. KPSC should generally be VFR through this period as well,
though lower MVFR/high IFR cigs have reached this site at times
early this morning. Thus will continue to mention at least some FEW-
SCT clouds in this lower range early in this forecast period. Expect
IFR conditions to persist at KALW and KPDT through the morning with
some improvement this afternoon, especially at KPDT where increasing
mid level clouds could help break up the lower cloud deck.
Approaching snow showers late in this period should lead to lowering
cigs/vis at KPDT. Upslope northerly flow will keep conditions at
KRDM and KBDN mainly below VFR. A band of light snow over these two
sites will lift north within the next couple of hours. The end of
the snow could lead to a brief break up of the lower cigs, but
expect the upslope flow to cause the lower cigs to redevelop.
Another round of snow showers will be possible at KRDM and KBDN late
afternoon and this evening. 90
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 21 18 28 29 / 20 60 80 80
ALW 23 19 29 30 / 20 40 80 80
PSC 27 18 26 21 / 10 20 80 60
YKM 28 18 27 21 / 10 30 80 60
HRI 25 18 25 23 / 10 40 80 70
ELN 25 13 25 18 / 0 40 80 70
RDM 21 16 32 31 / 70 80 80 70
LGD 25 22 33 32 / 60 60 80 80
GCD 32 26 38 31 / 50 70 80 70
DLS 27 24 28 25 / 30 50 80 80
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Storm Watch from 10 AM PST this morning through Saturday
morning for ORZ503-508-510.
Winter Storm Watch from 7 AM PST this morning through Saturday
morning for ORZ049-050.
Winter Storm Watch from this evening through Saturday morning
for ORZ044-502-507.
Winter Storm Watch from 7 AM PST this morning through late
Friday night for ORZ506-509-511.
Winter Storm Watch from this afternoon through Saturday morning
for ORZ041.
Winter Storm Watch from 7 AM PST this morning through Saturday
morning for ORZ505.
WA...Winter Storm Watch from this evening through Saturday morning
for WAZ030-520-521.
Winter Storm Watch from this afternoon through Saturday morning
for WAZ024.
Winter Storm Watch from this evening through late Friday night
for WAZ026-027.
&&
77/90/90The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow, 1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm total snow accumulation of 15.5 inches with 12.5 inches in the past 24 hours, 1 mile NNW of Glenwood in Klickitat county.
Ice accumulation of 0.30 inches, 3 miles NE of Waitsburg in Columbia county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, 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: 682814, 682815.