A broad low pressure system that had been sitting off the coast of Washington and Oregon moved onto the coast, bringing with it plenty of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. With a cold air mass in place, heavy snow fell in the Lane County Cascades.
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 PQR wrote it up.
A broad low pressure system that had been sitting off the coast of Washington and Oregon moved onto the coast, bringing with it plenty of moisture from the Pacific Ocean. With a cold air mass in place, heavy snow fell in the Lane County Cascades.
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 Portland, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 15, 3:32 PM PST, 4 hours 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Portland OR
332 PM PST Fri Feb 15 2019
.SYNOPSIS...Cool and showery weather will persist through Saturday as
a broad upper level trough lingers over the Pac NW. High pressure and
northerly flow should allow Sunday and much of Monday to be mainly
dry, though continued cool. Wet weather looks to resume midweek and
may last through the end of the week. Snow levels will remain rather
low through the period, but they should generally remain above the
valley floors except in the Columbia Gorge and Hood River Valley.
Several more inches of snow are expected in the Lane County Cascades
and foothills above 1500-2000 feet tonight through Saturday evening.
&&
.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Monday...GOES-17 satellite imagery
shows the latest in a series of low pressure systems poised to move
onshore into Oregon this afternoon, with plenty of showers associated
with it. The stronger, heavier shower activity has generally been to
the south of our CWA, but nonetheless showers have been fairly
widespread near the coast today. The main low center appears to have
a central pressure of about 998 mb, roughly 60 miles offshore of
Newport, but the stronger forcing appears to be focusing along the
front south of the Lane/Douglas County border. Water vapor satellite
imagery shows another vort max pivoting onshore near the OR/CA coast
along with some impressive convection...further indicating the
transfer of dominance to the southern portion of this system. Gusts
ahead of the front have been respectable, with gale force gusts
reported at Buoy 46050 and a gust to 37 mph reported within the past
hour at Eugene Airport, but these should be rather short-lived with
winds expected to decrease this evening.
Debris from the convection along the southern Oregon coast will track
N-NE as the low pressure system moves onshore, likely enhancing
snowfall in the Lane County Cascades and foothills tonight. There may
or may not be a brief lull around midnight tonight, but snow showers
should fill back in by Saturday morning as the next upper level
disturbance digs southward from the British Columbia coast and joins
the broader longwave trough as it moves inland. While there may not
be continuous snow from this evening through Saturday evening, it
appears there will be enough to warrant a Winter Weather Advisory for
snow for the Lane County Cascades and foothills above 1500 feet.
Accumulations should range from a few inches for the foothill
elevations above Oakridge, with up to a foot or slightly more likely
for elevations above 2500 feet.
Meanwhile, the northern lobe of this system...the remnant of the
surface low now offshore from Newport...will move E-NE and weaken as
the southern system becomes increasingly dominant. This does not
appear to be modeled well by the 18z GFS nor the 18z NAM. Suspect the
northern portion of this system will weaken faster than either of
these models suggest, and as a result the precip associated with its
deformation band should be weaker. Given the low snow levels and the
fact that this system is approaching from the W-SW, will need to
watch this very closely overnight...especially for the Columbia River
Gorge where low-level cool air remains most entrenched.
Models show reasonable agreement that the broad upper trough will be
pushed southward and eastward as the next continental cold high
pressure builds southward from Alaska and western Canada. This will
drive drier northerly flow into the Pac NW, resulting in continued
below-normal temperatures but less in the way of precipitation. Some
models graze the coast with a fast southward-moving disturbance Mon
or Mon night, but even these models struggle to produce much in the
way of QPF across our forecast area. Therefore we maintain a mostly
dry forecast Sunday night and Monday. Weagle
.LONG TERM...Monday night through Friday...The 12z GFS and 12z
ECMWF operational models tend to be in general agreement bringing a
shortwave ridge Monday night, decreasing precipitation chances for
the area. Behind this ridge, a shortwave trough slides down into the
area, resulting in precipitation and slightly cooler temperatures
Tuesday into Wednesday. Both models show a low pressure system
entering the area Wednesday night into Thursday, bringing higher
chances of precipitation and lowering snow levels to around 500 to
1000 ft. Even though snow levels are lowering, 850 mb temperatures
will remain around -6C to -5C. These 850 mb temperatures along with
onshore flow, typically don't signal snow down to the valley floor.
A shortwave ridge quickly moves across the area Thursday night
resulting in a brief dry period before the next Gulf of Alaska low
moves through next weekend. /Thaler/42
&&
.AVIATION...A surface low around 75 miles west of KONP early this
afternoon will move inland this evening. Most coastal and
interior lowland areas are VFR, but there are scattered areas of
MVFR, especially between KONP and KOTH and also in the Central
Columbia River Gorge. The trend of more VFR vs. MVFR will prevail
through about 05Z Sat, followed by increasing MVFR. There is the
potential for some IFR at KHIO to KAST in the 03Z to 09Z period
as models show an enhanced precipitation band rotating through
far NW Oregon. The unstable air mass remains over the area Sat,
which will result in primarily VFR conditions for the coast and
interior lowlands Sat afternoon and frequent mountain obscurement
for the higher terrain.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...A cold upper level trough over the region will
maintain a showery weather pattern through Sat. Expect mainly VFR
through about 02Z and then more MVFR until Sat morning. VFR
likely to prevail late Sat morning through the afternoon. Weishaar
&&
.MARINE...A surface low pressure area was located about 75 nm
west of Newport at 21Z. Earlier ASCAT pass an area of 30 kt wind
speeds between the low center and the coastline. Buoy 050 has had
gusts around 40 kt in the convective air mass. Opted to handle
this with a Marine Weather Statement instead of going with a
short-fused and short term gale warning. This low is forecast to
reach the coastline near Tillamook around 08Z Sat. Models vary
on its track, but based on current satellite imagery, the ECMWF
seemed to have the better placement. Small craft advisory wind
speeds will continue over the waters through early evening, but
become more confined the PZZ255 and PZZ275 by late afternoon.
Wind speeds decrease to 10 kt or less across the north zones by
late evening and 10 to 20 kt across PZZ255/PZZ275. Strongest
wind speeds to be confined to the southwest quadrant of PZZ275.
Wind speeds increase again overnight and Sat morning as northwest
wind develops behind the departing low. Expect a return to small
craft advisory level speeds beginning 09Z-12Z Sat. Decided to
extend the current small craft advisory for wind through the next
event, even though there will be a few hours of sub-Small Craft
Advisory wind speeds. Wind speeds slowly ease late Sat into Sat
night.
Northwest wind strengthens again Tue night as another upper level
disturbance drops south from the Gulf of Alaska. The past couple
of GFS runs have shown gale force wind speeds with this system,
stronger than the ECMWF. Will side with the ECMWF and indicate
solid small craft advisory level speeds.
Seas were in the upper teens early this afternoon, 2-3 ft higher
than model guidance. Wave heights slowly diminish tonight, but
will remain above 10 ft through at least Sun. The stronger GFS
wind speeds for Tue/Wed then generate a NW swell train with 20
ft or greater heights that reaches the waters Wed. Went closer
to the ECMWF wave guidance, which was about 3-5 ft lower and west
with the maximum. Weishaar
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Weather Advisory until 11 PM PST Saturday for Cascade
Foothills in Lane County-Cascades in Lane County.
WA...None.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory for winds until 4 PM PST Saturday for
Coastal Waters from Cape Shoalwater WA to Florence OR out
60 NM.
Small Craft Advisory for hazardous seas until 4 AM PST Sunday
for Coastal Waters from Cape Shoalwater WA to Florence OR
out 60 NM.
Small Craft Advisory for Rough Columbia River Bar until 5 PM
PST Saturday.
&&
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This discussion is for Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington
from the Cascade crest to 60 nautical miles offshore. This area is
commonly referred to as the forecast area.1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Salt Creek Falls SNOTEL recorded 26 inches of snow, and Cascade Summit SNOTEL recorded 25 inches of snow.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, February 2019
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: 810014.