A Pacific system brought rain and snow the region during the second week of January. Snow levels were relatively high for this time of year, with snow accumulating above 3800 feet in the Blue mountains.
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 brought rain and snow the region during the second week of January. Snow levels were relatively high for this time of year, with snow accumulating above 3800 feet in the Blue mountains.
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 11, 2:40 AM PST, 40 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
240 AM PST Thu Jan 11 2018
.SHORT TERM...Today through Saturday...A rather complex and active
weather pattern will take place today through Friday. A strong and
wet Pacific weather system will move into the region with a deep
southerly flow ahead of it pumping moisture northward into the
forecast area by later today and tonight. Some precipitation is
already falling over the Blue Mountains and Cascades...in the form
of rain on the lower slopes...and snow above 2500 feet in the
Washington Cascades and above about 4500 feet in the northern Blue
Mountains. In these areas a Winter Weather Advisory and a Winter
Storm Warning is in effect for elevations above 2500 ft and 4500 ft
respectively. The snow accumulations will be close to the
warning/advisory criteria, but at this time the forecast looks to be
good with snow amounts before snow levels rise. The next concern is
strong winds behind the cold front which will move across the CWA
later this morning or early this afternoon. Winds are expected to
increase to advisory speeds in many areas...especially sudden
downward momentum of gusts of wind from the stronger winds aloft
which will be the main bases for the wind advisories...even though
the sustained winds may not always be in advisory criteria. The
advisory also includes the Blue Mountain Foothills. It does not
include the Lower Columbia Basin of Washington...but only the basin
in Oregon. This will need to be monitored by the next shift in case
the advisory needs to be expanded into the Washington Basin as well.
It will be quite windy on the mountain ridge tops where 850 mb winds
will be greater than 50 mph on the ridges. However wind advisories
are not issued for rugged mountain zones and the winds do not look
to be strong enough for a high wind warning. Precipitation amounts
in the mountains will be significant, however, much of it will be
snow and will have already fallen before changing to rain. So there
is little risk of flooding. High pressure aloft will return on
Saturday pushing the moisture north of the forecast area and winds
will decrease on Saturday as well. 88
.LONG TERM...Saturday night through Wednesday. A ridge of high
pressure will be over the area Saturday night through Sunday and is
expected to allow some nighttime fog and low clouds in the fog prone
locations. More active weather will return Monday and continue to
through the week with several weather systems to move through the
Pacific Northwest. These systems bring a chance of rain to the lower
elevations with mountain snow. Snow levels will range from around 4
to 6 thousand feet on Monday, then lower to between 3 to 5 thousand
feet through the rest of the week. Some colder air is expected to
be trapped along the East Slopes of the Washington Cascades with
snow levels around 2 thousand feet. Temperatures will be above
normal through much of the period. 93
&&
.AVIATION...12z Tafs. Lowering clouds across the area this morning
with MVFR ceilings and vsby at times at all sites with light rain
showers. The rain is expected to continue, moderate at times through
the afternoon, decreasing in the evening. Southwest winds will be
increasing at KBDN, KRDM, KPDT, KALW, KPSC 15-18z to 15-25 kts with
gusts to 35kt. The wind will decrease after 00z at KBDN and
KRDM,but continue through early morning Friday at KPDT, KPSC and
KALW. 93
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 48 40 51 35 / 100 40 10 10
ALW 49 41 51 36 / 100 40 10 10
PSC 46 40 52 36 / 100 10 0 10
YKM 40 35 47 34 / 90 20 0 10
HRI 48 40 53 35 / 100 20 0 10
ELN 37 33 44 33 / 100 20 10 10
RDM 49 33 48 27 / 30 10 10 0
LGD 41 38 44 32 / 100 60 20 10
GCD 45 36 45 30 / 60 40 10 10
DLS 49 41 53 36 / 100 20 10 10
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Friday for
ORZ508-510.
Wind Advisory from noon today to 4 AM PST Friday for ORZ044-507.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Friday for ORZ502.
Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 10 PM PST this evening
for ORZ511.
WA...Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Friday for
WAZ521.
Wind Advisory from noon today to 4 AM PST Friday for WAZ029.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Friday for WAZ030.
Winter Weather Advisory until 7 PM PST this evening for WAZ520.
&&
88/93/93The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Measured snow accumulation of 10 inches at the Milk Shakes SNOTEL, 9 miles SW of Ski Bluewood in northwest Wallow county.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, January 2018
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: 734148.