A strong upper level low moved over the region, bringing heavy snow and strong winds to Oregon. This created large snow drifts and made travel difficult, especially in Harney County.
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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 BOI wrote it up.
A strong upper level low moved over the region, bringing heavy snow and strong winds to Oregon. This created large snow drifts and made travel difficult, especially in Harney County.
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 Boise, ID wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 11, 8:36 PM PST, 3 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boise ID
936 PM MST Sun Dec 11 2022
.DISCUSSION...Upper level trough has split into two pieces, with
one going south along the West Coast into the Bay Area in CA, and
another vort is transitioning over southern ID. Precipitation has
become widespread under the deformation zone to the north and
west of this vort max. Have updated the forecast to increase
precipitation amounts tonight under this vort max, especially over
eastern OR and the Owyhee Mountains. Temperatures are slowly
cooling, but not as cool as forecast, so have updated the snow
amounts in the lower elevations below 4000 feet. Precipitation
should changeover to snow at all locations, but snow accumulations
should be minimal below 3000 feet as temperatures should remain
above freezing. Precipitation will generally taper off for the
area on Monday afternoon, except for the southwest Idaho
highlands, the Owyhees and the Magic Valley where precipitation
will linger into Tuesday Morning. Forecast has been updated.
During the long term, the forecast appears to be too cold as the
models have a deep snow depth over much of the area, including the
valleys, so temperatures may need to be warmer than guidance going
forward, especially if we do not get any snow in the lower valleys
tonight.
&&
.AVIATION...Widespread MVFR/IFR conditions with snow above 3500 feet
and rain below. Snow levels will gradually lower towards the valley
floor with rain switching to snow in the valley early Monday
morning. Snow showers through Monday for low visibilities in fog and
low cigs. Surface winds: S-SE 10-15 kts becoming west-northwest
by midnight. Winds aloft at 10k feet MSL: S-SW 15-25 kts, becoming
N-NW 15-30 kts after 15Z Monday.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION...
SHORT TERM...Tonight through Tuesday night...The upper level low
to our southwest will move east overnight and Monday, passing to
our south across northern NV and ending up in northern UT by
Monday evening. It will continue to bring rain and snow to the
region due to what is often referred to as "wrap-around"
moisture. Rain at lower elevations will change to snow overnight,
and winter weather advisories have been issued for eastern Oregon
and southwest Idaho south of the Snake River. See the advisory for
details. Areas in the Treasure and western Magic Valleys will
also see snow late tonight into Monday, but at this time amounts
are too low to warrant an advisory. Most areas will be dry by
Tuesday morning, but snow will hang on in the upslope regions of
southeastern Owyhee and southern Twin Falls counties into Tuesday
night. Cold air will follow this system and flow into the region
tonight through Monday. It will then become trapped in the
valleys, and air stagnation should begin Tuesday into Wednesday.
Temperatures will be 5 to 10 degrees below normal through the
short term period.
LONG TERM...Wednesday through Sunday...An expansive polar upper
low will remain fixed over central Canada throughout the entire
week, leaving the Pacific Northwest in cold and dry northerly
flow. This pattern will continue to reinforce well below-normal
temperatures. A few rounds of very light precipitation will be
possible associated within any embedded waves, but overall
probabilities will remain low. This is a favorable setup for a
prolonged inversion event across valley locations.
&&
.BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory from 5 AM Monday to 5 AM MST Tuesday
IDZ015-030.
Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Monday IDZ029.
OR...Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM MST Monday ORZ061>063.
&&
www.weather.gov/Boise
www.facebook.com/NWSBoise
www.twitter.com/NWSBoise
DISCUSSION...KA
AVIATION.....JDS
PREV SHORT TERM...SP
PREV LONG TERM....JRThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Winds were gusting at 40 mph causing large snow drifts, especially on roads.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, December 2022
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: 1069108.