This was a marginal but long-lived heavy snow event that eventually produced 10-20 of snow in the Cascades. There were two bursts of snow, each for 6-12, very consistent across the Cascades of southern Washington down to Lane County Oregon.
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.
This was a marginal but long-lived heavy snow event that eventually produced 10-20 of snow in the Cascades. There were two bursts of snow, each for 6-12, very consistent across the Cascades of southern Washington down to Lane County Oregon. Gusts 50-70 mph were common in the Cascades, with the ODOT sensor at Santiam Pass even reporting a gust to 52 mph. Ski lifts were closed due to gusts 65-85 mph. One of the higher ski lifts of Mt Hood Meadows reported a gust to 89 mph.
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 24, 8:22 PM PST, 3 hours 43 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Portland OR
822 PM PST Wed Feb 24 2021
Updated short term discussion and aviation discussion
.SYNOPSIS...The next Pacific system and associated front will bring
valley rain and heavy mountain snow beginning tonight and persisting
into at least Friday night. Precip should gradually diminish over
the weekend with another break underneath ridging sometime Sunday-
Monday, with the next chance for organized precip near the end of
the 7-day forecast window.
&&
.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Friday night...
The brief break in tranquil weather this evening will rapidly come
to an end from northwest to southeast overnight tonight as the next
Pacific trof and associated front comes ashore. The initial frontal
band of precip will bring heavy snow to the Cascades and rain to the
Valleys, which will then be followed by an extended period of moist,
cold onshore flow with lowering snow levels from Thursday afternoon
through Friday night. While precipitation should become showery in
most areas by this time tomorrow in the post-frontal regime, showers
should be widespread, persistent, and moderate to heavy, especially
in the Cascades, resulting in a prolonged period of accumulating
snow. Latest short range model guidance suggests that snow levels
will be a bit lower than previous forecasts, so we opted to broad
brush a winter storm warning for the entire zones for the south WA
and north OR Cascades, with emphasis that the heaviest totals (which
could push 3 feet in some favored upslope areas by the time
everything is finished) would be generally above 2500-3000 feet.
The front will sag south over the Lane County Cascades, lagging the
northern Cascades by a couple hours, and will bring snow levels down
to pass and ski elevations Thursday afternoon. Have upgraded the
winter storm watch to a warning. Snow totals will likely end up being
heavier here with a more prolonged period underneath the jet axis and
stronger upslope flow, but the heaviest snow would likely be a bit
later, falling Friday in to Friday night. -BPhillips/Miller
.LONG TERM...Saturday through Wednesday...
Cold/moist onshore flow will be very slow to abate Saturday/Sunday,
with likely some lingering showers well into the weekend.
Thereafter, the forecast becomes quite low confidence as medium
range deterministic and ensemble guidance agree on very little with
large ensemble spread in just about every way possible. Therefore,
we did not deviate at all from the consensus guidance as it will
assuredly change multiple times over the coming days anyway. That
said, we should have a short period of quieter weather beginning
sometime over the weekend, perhaps lasting into early next week. The
next chance of organized precip appears to be toward the end of the
7-day forecast window at this time.
Miller
&&
.AVIATION...06Z TAFS: VFR with just high clouds as of 04Z. Some
mid-level clouds have moved onto the coast, with cigs 100 to 120.
For the coast: Cigs continue to gradually lower overnight,
falling to MVFR criteria between 10Z and 12Z Thu. Cold frontal
passage looks to be between 12Z and 15Z. Expect predominant MVFR
12Z Thu through early afternoon. A short period of IFR is
possible as the front moves ashore. There will likely be a mix of
MVFR and low-end VFR from early afternoon through 00Z Fri,
followed by primarily MVFR through 06Z.
Inland areas: VFR to persist through 12Z and then fall into MVFR
between 12Z and 15Z. Earlier MVFR timing will be over the lower
west slopes of the Oregon Coast Range and in the southwest
Washington coastal lowlands, with later timing in east Clark
County and also the Willamette Valley. Higher terrain becomes
obscured Thu morning with frontal passage and then will be
frequently obscured in the post-frontal air mass due to strong
westerly orographic flow. Weishaar
For detailed regional Pac NW aviation weather information, go
online to: https://weather.gov/zse
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR through 14Z Thu or so. Cigs expected to
be around 120 at 06Z Thu, but will lower to near 050 by 12Z.
Predominant MVFR likely from 14Z through 20Z, followed by a mix
of MVFR and VFR for the remainder of the TAF period. Weishaar
&&
.MARINE...No change to marine forecast. Changes occur later
tonight, as a fast moving front moves through the waters. Winds
will turn more southerly and increase. But, generally, not all
that impressive of low level flow. Will maintain current trend of
southerly winds gusting up to 30 kt later tonight into Thu am
with pre-frontal winds. Seas will build a bit, mostly up to 11
to 13 ft for late tonight into Thu am.
The front still expected to push across the coastal waters
between 7 and 10 am Thu, with an abrupt change to more westerly
winds. Decent post-frontal pressure gradients will support gusts
to 30 kt. Winds just aloft will be stronger, and with more
convective pattern on the waters for Thu afternoon through Fri,
seems reasonable that this will allow for good mixing, enough to
bring down some of the winds aloft to the surface. So, will
upgrade the Gale Watch to a Gale Warning for the north waters,
with gusts of 30 to 40 kt. Will maintain small craft Advisory for
areas south of Cascade Head, as think most peak gusts stay
closer to 30 kt.
But, more impactful will the fetch of west to northwest swell
arriving later Thu afternoon and Thu night. Current models have
been persistent in bringing 20 to 25 ft swell to the region Thu
night, and holding into Fri. This, combined with the wind waves,
will push combined seas Thu night and Fri to 21 to 27 ft, with
the higher seas farther offshore. Seas and winds will gradually
ease later Fri and Fri night.
A High Surf Advisory will eventually be needed Thu night through
Fri, but want to see a bit more in model output for details along
the coastline before making that decision. Will let next shift or
two re-evaluate the trends and refine the forecast as needed.
Longer range indicates more quiet marine weather pattern for the
coming weekend with building high pressure. The next front
approaches the region later Mon, but this front is weakening and
looks not to be much of a wind maker. /Rockey
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Storm Warning from 4 AM Thursday to midnight PST Friday
night for Northern Oregon Cascades.
Winter Storm Warning from noon Thursday to midnight PST Friday
night for Cascades in Lane County.
WA...Winter Storm Warning from 4 AM Thursday to midnight PST Friday
night for South Washington Cascades.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until noon PST Thursday for coastal waters
from Cape Shoalwater WA to Cascade Head OR out 60 NM.
Gale Warning from noon Thursday to noon PST Friday for coastal
waters from Cape Shoalwater WA to Cascade Head OR out 60
NM.
Small Craft Advisory until noon PST Friday for coastal waters
from Cascade Head OR to Florence OR out 60 NM.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM PST Friday for Columbia River
Bar.
&&
&&
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www.twitter.com/NWSPortland1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snow produced 10-20 of snow in the Cascades. There were two bursts of snow, each for 6-12, very consistent across the Cascades of southern Washington. Gusts 50-70 mph were common in the Cascades.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, February 2021
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: 946284.