Persistent troughing off the coast of the Pacific Northwest focused a stream of mid-level moisture over the Inland Northwest resulting in a long duration snow event as the plume drifted north and south several times between the 22nd and 27th of February. Snowfall rates were greatly enhanced over central Oregon with the proximity of a nearly stationary surface boundary where snowfall rates were…
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The episode as NWS PDT wrote it up.
Persistent troughing off the coast of the Pacific Northwest focused a stream of mid-level moisture over the Inland Northwest resulting in a long duration snow event as the plume drifted north and south several times between the 22nd and 27th of February. Snowfall rates were greatly enhanced over central Oregon with the proximity of a nearly stationary surface boundary where snowfall rates were in excess of 1 inch per hour. Storm total snowfall amounts were measured at: 40 inches in Sisters, 33 inches in Bend, 30 inches in Redmond, 26 inches in Meacham, 22 inches in Prineville, 21 inches in Elgin, 16 inches in Mitchell, 14 inches in Lostine and La Grande, 12 inches in Pendleton and Joseph and 10 inches in John Day. In Bend a few roofs collapsed under the weight of the snow.
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 22, 2:13 PM PST, 1 hour 47 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
213 PM PST Fri Feb 22 2019
.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Monday...Initial wave of
precipitation associated with approaching cold front has arrived
in the Cascades this afternoon. Through midnight tonight
accumulations above 1 inch will be limited to the immediate
Cascade crest and eastern mountains where 4 to 10 inches will be
possible, with the highest amounts in the northern Blues between
Tollgate and Ski Bluewood. Precipitation shadowing will limit any
accumulation potential in the Columbia Basin to a trace. The cold
front will continue to sag south overnight and into Saturday
morning and will be the major focus for significant snowfall
Sunday into early next week as it drifts back to the north.
Moisture streaming over this boundary will create conditions
favorable for near continuous, relatively light snow with an
increase in intensity expected during the day Sunday and again
early Monday morning as a more substantial plume of moisture
arrives. This heavier precipitation will primarily impact the
Cascades, north central/central Oregon, the Columbia River Gorge
and Simcoe highlands. Models have converged enough on this
solution to issue long duration Winter Storm Warnings for the
Cascades, central/north central Oregon, the Columbia River Gorge,
Simcoe Highlands, Blue Mountains and Wallowa County valid through
early Wednesday morning. While surface temperatures may be
marginal for accumulating snow especially during the afternoons we
are expecting storm total snow amounts in these areas of 10 to 20
inches. The warning for the northern Blues will go into effect
tonight where low end warning amounts with the aforementioned
front will occur in additional to the long duration snow Saturday
night through Wednesday morning. Will leave current watches in
effect or issue new watches for the remainder of the area where
confidence in significant travel impacts with a long duration snow
event are lower. Peck
.LONG TERM...Monday night through Friday...Active weather pattern
will persist through mid week as a frontal boundary meanders north
and south across the forecast area. Used an ensemble approach for
much of the forecast due to the uncertainty and spread exhibited in
the deterministic models. Monday night and Tuesday a warm front will
be lifting north across Oregon into southern Washington with
moderate to locally heavy snow along and north of the boundary.
Accumulations could be significant especially in the mountains.
Lower elevation accumulations could be tempered a bit by marginal
temperatures...but could still accumulate in the colder areas and
under the heavier snow bands. Wednesday the front will begin to sag
sewd as a cold front with the heaviest snow over the eastern
mountains. By Thursday most of the precipitation will have ended.
Friday looks mostly dry and cold with much below normal
temperatures. 78
&&
.AVIATION...00Z TAFS...VFR conditions will prevail through the
forecast period. Ceilings will lower to 4-5K feet AGL by this
evening as a cold front moves across the region. A few light snow
showers will also be possible with brief MVFR conditions. Winds have
picked up a bit from the SW ahead of the front this afternoon at 10-
15 kt but will decrease to AOB 10 kt tonight. Expect mostly dry
conditions on Saturday with sct-bkn stratocumulus and mid cloud
above. A few mixed rain and snow showers could affect KBDN and KRDM
late in the day. 78
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 24 35 25 31 / 50 10 60 80
ALW 26 36 25 33 / 80 20 30 50
PSC 23 34 25 32 / 20 0 30 40
YKM 20 33 23 32 / 10 20 40 50
HRI 26 37 26 33 / 20 10 40 70
ELN 16 32 19 31 / 20 30 50 40
RDM 27 40 30 40 / 30 40 70 70
LGD 25 35 26 37 / 80 60 70 80
GCD 27 36 30 39 / 70 60 80 90
DLS 29 40 30 35 / 50 30 70 80
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Storm Warning from 4 PM Saturday to 4 AM PST Wednesday
for ORZ503-508>511.
Winter Storm Watch from Saturday afternoon through late Tuesday
night for ORZ044-505>507.
Winter Storm Warning from 10 PM Saturday to 4 AM PST Wednesday
for ORZ041-050.
Winter Storm Warning from 7 PM this evening to 4 AM PST
Wednesday for ORZ502.
Winter Storm Watch from Saturday evening through late Tuesday
night for ORZ049.
WA...Winter Storm Warning from 10 PM Saturday to 4 AM PST Wednesday
for WAZ024-520-521.
Winter Storm Warning from 7 PM this evening to 4 AM PST
Wednesday for WAZ030.
Winter Storm Watch from Saturday evening through late Tuesday
night for WAZ026>029.
&&
74/78/78The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
12 heavy snow, 1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
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: 799134, 799133, 799135, 799143, 799141, 799130, 799137, 799139, 799140, 799132, 799131, 799136, 799142.