A Pacific storm system brought widespread snow to the Pacific Northwest. Also significant ice accumulated in southeast Washington.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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. Also significant ice accumulated in southeast 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 7, 9:56 AM PST, 32 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...Updated
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
956 AM PST Sat Jan 7 2017
Updated aviation discussion
.SHORT TERM...Morning Update...The first in a series of Pacific
storm systems is now moving into the region. Snow associated with
this system extends form southern Wasco county in north-central
Oregon to just south of John Day in Grant county Oregon. This snow
will continue to spread north and northeast through the remainder of
the day. Overall the current forecast package covers this snow, but
did up pops 10 percent in the North Oregon Blue Mountain Foothills,
the Oregon Lower Columbia Basin and the Grande Ronde Valley for this
afternoon. Also nudged precip/snow amounts up slightly over the
North Oregon Blue Mountain Foothills. Winds continue to be locally
strong in the Grande Ronde Valley, especially across the south end.
Thus will continue the current wind advisory and the mention of
blowing snow (especially this afternoon). Other updates included
some tweaks of high temps, winds and sky cover. 90
.LONG TERM...Previous Discussion...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.
&&
.AVIATION...18Z TAFs...Overcast skies with lowering ceilings
expected this morning. Snow currently falling at KRDM and KBDN and
will begin at all other TAF sites by early afternoon. Expect
MVFR/IFR/LIFR conditions through tomorrow morning though KRDM and
KBDN will have a lull with better conditions 04Z-11Z. After 11Z,
precipitation will turn to a FZRA/SN mix at all TAF sites except
KYKM and KDLS which should remain all snow. Winds will be generally
less than 10 kts for the next 24 hours. Perry
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 16 16 29 31 / 80 70 90 70
ALW 18 18 30 31 / 70 70 90 70
PSC 18 17 29 26 / 70 70 90 60
YKM 18 15 28 20 / 60 70 90 60
HRI 17 17 27 26 / 80 70 80 60
ELN 17 14 28 19 / 50 70 90 60
RDM 20 15 35 29 / 90 50 90 50
LGD 19 19 35 32 / 80 70 90 70
GCD 23 23 35 30 / 100 40 90 70
DLS 21 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 until 4 AM PST Monday for ORZ505-506-510-
511.
Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST Monday for ORZ503.
Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 AM PST
Monday for ORZ050.
Winter Weather Advisory until 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 until 4 AM PST Monday for ORZ041-049-508.
Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening for ORZ049.
WA...Winter Weather Advisory until 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 until 7 AM PST Monday for WAZ520-521.
Winter Storm Watch from late tonight through Monday morning for
WAZ028-029.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Monday for WAZ024.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Monday for WAZ026-027.
&&
90/76/83The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 heavy snow, 1 ice storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured 6 inches of snow on the 8th for a storm total snow fall of 10 inches in Klickitat county, 1 mile north-northwest of The City of The Dalles.
Measured 8 inches of snow on the 8th for a storm total snow fall of 14 inches, 2 miles east of Cle Elum in Kittitas county.
Measured snow fall of 6 inches, 1 mile east-northeast of Goldendale in Klickitat county. Some light freezing rain occurred as the event ended.
Measured storm total snow fall of 5.5 inches, 1 miles south-southwest of Yakima in Yakima county.
Measured storm total snow fall of 5 inches, 6 miles north-northeast of Ellensburg in Kittitas county.
Ice storm producing 0.40 inches of accumulated ice, 3 miles northeast 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, 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: 676661, 676660, 676662, 676656, 676659, 676658.