Back-to-back low pressure systems dropping south along the coast of British Columbia and Washington brought cold air south into SW Washington as well as plenty of moisture. Locations in the Columbia Gorge saw 1 to 2 feet of snow.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 PQR wrote it up.
Back-to-back low pressure systems dropping south along the coast of British Columbia and Washington brought cold air south into SW Washington as well as plenty of moisture. Locations in the Columbia Gorge saw 1 to 2 feet of snow. At lower elevations, a near stationary frontal boundary Monday night into Tuesday morning dropped several inches of rain over portions of Cowlitz County causing flooding.
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 10, 4:18 PM PST, 42 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Portland OR
418 PM PST Sun Feb 10 2019
.SYNOPSIS...Chilly weather continues through much of the upcoming
week, with very low snow levels at times. Snow levels will
rise above the lower valley floors this afternoon and evening as
precipitation with the next low arrives. A dynamic frontal system
will produce heavy rain and Cascade snow Monday night and Tuesday
with the potential to lower snow levels back down to the valley
floor. Cold air moves in behind this front for another chance of low
elevation snow Wednesday morning. Drier weather is expected later
Wednesday into Thursday, but another round of active weather may
develop by the weekend.
&&
.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Wednesday...The KLGX Doppler Radar is
showing reflectivities offshore of the SW Washington coast associated
with a 1002mb surface low currently around 90 miles NNW of Neah Bay
in Washington. The snow levels will be rising late this afternoon and
evening off of the valley floor in most areas, but sub freezing dew
point temperatures still provide the possibility for brief snow
flurries with the initial onset of rain this evening. The likelihood
for any snow in the Willamette Valley and Portland Metro area this
evening is very low as SW winds have replaced the east winds in the
Columbia Gorge and cutting off a source for the cold/dry air. Cold
air will however likely remain at the lower elevations for the Gorge
east of Bonneville and the Upper Hood River Valley where the winds
will be light, and an expect snow there when the precipitation
arrives later this evening. Otherwise the snow levels will rise to
1000-1500 feet across NW Oregon and 500 to 1000 for extreme SW
Washington with snow amounts warranting the current Winter Weather
Advisories and Warnings.
The precipitation just reaching the north coast late this afternoon
will shift inland and south through this evening, then stall mainly
over NW Oregon on Monday as a warm front approaches with the next
low. Showers will taper off along the coast range, the Willapa Hills,
and the lower Columbia Monday morning between these two systems and
the Winter Weather Advisories will end. The lull in precipitation for
the Cascade foothills, the Cascades, and the Gorge/Hood River Valley
however will be more brief, and the Advisories and Warnings have
been extended in time to account for the additional precipitation
with the Monday night/Tuesday system.
The aforementioned warm front with the next low will continue
precipitation Monday before a stronger cold front brings a round of
heavy precipitation Monday night through Tuesday morning. Models
indicate that cyclogenesis along this boundary will result in high
rain rates. Snow levels will generally be 2000 feet across SW
Washington to around 3000 feet for Lane County. However, the high
rain rates associated with the front may be strong enough to
dynamically cool the atmosphere down to the valley floor. If this
occurs, the heavy rain event in the Willamette Valley that we have
been expecting may evolve into a heavy snow event wherever this band
of precipitation band sets up. Have lowered the snow levels and added
a chance for snow where the models are currently showing the dynamic
baroclinic zone to develop. The models are not always great at
forecasting where these baroclinic zones will set up so expect
changes to this forecast over the next 24-36 hours.
Besides the possibility for low elevation snow this front, the
dynamic and slow moving nature of the cold front will result in a lot
of snow for the Cascades where 2 to 4 feet is looking very likely.
The central Gorge and Hood River Valley will also see a lot of snow.
Maybe not as much as the Cascades, but up to 3 feet is not out of the
question for places like Parkdale. Places below the snow level could
see a couple of inches of rain and expect rapid rises of some of the
local rivers early Tuesday morning. Do not anticipate any river
flooding at this time, but urban and small stream flooding is
possible due to the high rain rates.
The cold front will also generate strong winds along the Oregon coast
and coast range late Monday night. Do not anticipate the need for a
High Wind Warning, but there could be occasional gusts up to 50 mph
along the beaches and headlands.
Cold air moves in behind the cold front on Wednesday as showers
decrease and light snow showers will be possible down to the valley
floor. Currently think snow accumulations will be light, less than a
half of an inch for the Willamette Valley. ~TJ
.LONG TERM...Wednesday night through Sunday...Models continue to
show a shortwave upper level ridge quickly moving across the region
late Wednesday and Thursday. This should bring us a brief period of
drier conditions. Unfortunately, the ECMWF and several GEFS members
are slow to move out Wednesday's trough so cannot completely remove
PoPs from the forecast at the moment, but suspect conditions will
generally be dry. In addition, snow-covered areas have the potential
to get very cold Wednesday night, especially if the skies break out.
Models then show another series of systems dropping south out of the
Gulf of Alaska later Thursday and through the weekend. There is
still considerable uncertainty with the timing and track of these
systems, but it initially looks like we could see a threat of low
elevation snow. Snow levels look to potentially climb above 1500 ft
as we head into the weekend, but forecast confidences is low due to
model uncertainty. In either case, it looks like wintry weather and
cold temperatures will likely continue through the long term period,
with additional chances of low elevation snow not completely out of
the question. /64
&&
.AVIATION...An incoming warm front is beginning to spread light
rain and MVFR cigs onshore this afternoon. Expect predominantly
MVFR cigs by 03Z. Southerly winds will pick up behind the warm
front after 03Z, with gusts of 25 to 30 kt expected across most
of the region. There will likely be a bit of a lull in the light
rain late in the overnight period, especially over the northern
half of the CWA. The northern valley TAF sites may see a brief
period of improving conditions, from roughly 09Z-15Z. Then
steadier rain will overspread the region by mid-morning Mon as a
strong warm front lifts north. This should result in widespread
MVFR conditions through the rest of the day, with potential for
some IFR as well.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...Light rain and MVFR cigs should arrive at
the terminal between 00Z-03Z. Southerly winds gusting 25 to 30 kt
are expected from roughly 03Z-09Z. There will be a bit of a lull
in the winds and rain late tonight into Mon morning, with
improvement to VFR possible during this time. Then expect heavier
rain to develop between 15Z-18Z and continue through the rest of
the day. Conditions should be predominantly MVFR during this
time. Pyle
&&
.MARINE...Surface low pressure is currently moving onshore on the
northern Washington coast. This system is bringing a warm front
onshore right now. Westerly winds behind the front will be
gusting 25 to 30 kt through this evening. The trailing cold front
will stall over the central OR waters later tonight. Winds will
remain gusty south of the front over PZZ255/PZZ275 into Mon
morning, while they will drop off north of the front in
PZZ250/PZZ270. Small craft advisories for winds are in effect for
all of the waters tonight. The stalled frontal boundary will
lift back northward as a warm front on Monday as a stronger low
pressure system approaches. Southerly winds look to increase
behind the warm front. There is high confidence that solid gale
force winds will develop over the waters during the late morning
and afternoon, mainly south of Tillamook. Expect a wide swath of
gusts 35 to 40 kt, with potential for a few 45 kt gusts. The
front will push back through the waters Mon night as a cold
front. Winds will drop off behind the cold front Mon night. There
will be another round of gusty SW winds late Mon night and Tue
as the surface low moves through. Expect gusts of 25 to 30 kt
during this time. There should be a short lull in the weather
after this system moves onshore. However, yet another strong low
is modeled to arrive late in the week.
Seas are around 8 to 9 feet this afternoon, but will increase
into the low teens this evening as increasing NW swell arrives.
Seas should then remain in the low teens into Wed as the
previously mentioned system keep swell coming in. They should
finally drop below 10 ft later Wed. Pyle
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Storm Warning until 10 AM PST Tuesday for Central
Columbia River Gorge-Upper Hood River Valley.
Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM PST Monday for Western
Columbia River Gorge.
Winter Storm Warning from 7 PM this evening to 10 AM PST
Tuesday for Cascade Foothills in Lane County-Cascades in
Lane County-Northern Oregon Cascade Foothills-Northern
Oregon Cascades.
Winter Weather Advisory until 2 AM PST Monday for Central Coast
Range of Western Oregon-Coast Range of Northwest Oregon.
WA...Winter Storm Warning until 10 AM PST Tuesday for Central
Columbia River Gorge.
Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM PST Monday for Western
Columbia River Gorge.
Winter Storm Warning from 7 PM this evening to 10 AM PST
Tuesday for South Washington Cascades.
Winter Weather Advisory until 8 AM PST Monday for I-5 Corridor
in Cowlitz County-Willapa Hills.
Winter Storm Warning until 10 AM PST Tuesday for South
Washington Cascade Foothills.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory for winds until 1 PM PST Monday for
Coastal Waters from Cape Shoalwater WA to Cascade Head OR
out 60 NM.
Gale Warning from 1 PM to 8 PM PST Monday for Coastal Waters
from Cape Shoalwater WA to Cascade Head OR out 60 NM.
Small Craft Advisory for hazardous seas from 7 PM this evening
to 1 PM PST Monday for Coastal Waters from Cape Shoalwater
WA to Cascade Head OR out 60 NM.
Small Craft Advisory for winds until 10 AM PST Monday for
Coastal Waters from Cascade Head OR to Florence OR out 60
NM.
Gale Warning from 10 AM Monday to 4 AM PST Tuesday for Coastal
Waters from Cascade Head OR to Florence OR out 60 NM.
Small Craft Advisory for hazardous seas from 7 PM this evening
to 10 AM PST Monday for Coastal Waters from Cascade Head
OR to Florence OR out 60 NM.
Small Craft Advisory for Rough Columbia River Bar until 10 PM
PST this evening.
Small Craft Advisory for Rough Columbia River Bar from 7 AM to
11 AM PST Monday.
&&
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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.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy snow, 1 flood, 1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.
Highest amounts were at higher elevations. The Calamity SNOTEL recorded 12 inches of snow, while locations in Yacolt and Amboy only reported around 4 inches of snow.
On average, 5 to 10 inches of snow fell through the central Columbia Gorge. Reports came from various networks including CoCoRaHS, trained spotters, and from our COOP observer at Bonneville Dam. Per the Oregonian (newspaper), Interstate 84 was closed in both directions east of Milepost 23 at 528 AM on February 12th due to snow.
A report of 50.9 inches of snow was observed by a CoCoRaHS observer in Trout Lake, just a mile or two from the Skamania County line. In general, reports of 18 to 30 inches of snow were more common.
Exact amounts of snow and ice are unknown due to lack of reports. One spotter report from Stevenson had 7.5 inches of snow in a 12 hour period. Another report from the public in Stevenson had 10 inches of snow in a 24 hour period. Heavy snow and ice closed I-84 in both directions east of Milepost 23 due to heavy snow and ice which caused a crash involving multiple tractor-trailers.
Both ramps of I-5 northbound at Kalama exit 30 were closed and under water. Many other roads in the area were under water. Rain and runoff also created problems for Kalama’s water treatment plant, prompting the city to shut the plant down due to high turbidity from slides along Kalama River Road.
The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office said Kalama River Road was partially blocked in the 2800 block and was completely blocked in the 5000 block by landslides.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, 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: 810019, 810017, 810018, 810024, 810374, 810386.