A strong low pressure system moved through the region bringing widespread strong winds and heavy rain to southeast Oregon.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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 BOI wrote it up.
A strong low pressure system moved through the region bringing widespread strong winds and heavy rain to southeast Oregon.
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 Mar 14, 7:57 AM PST, 2 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boise ID
957 AM MDT Tue Mar 14 2023
.DISCUSSION...A potent storm system will continue to spread
precipitation across the region today as a warm front surges
northward from the Nevada border. As ample moisture streams into
the region stemming from an atmospheric river in the Pacific,
healthy precipitation totals are expected. Precip totals have
trended upwards with the latest model runs, with a surface low
pressure system slated to move directly over the Intermountain
West. Lower valleys are on track to see rainfall amounts between a
half inch to an inch, and most mountain valleys will see anywhere
from a trace of snow to 6 inches or more. A Winter Weather
Advisory has been issued to accompany the current Wind Advisory,
in which slippery and difficult travel conditions are expected
between this afternoon and Thursday morning. Though stream flows
across the region are well below flood stages, minor localized
flooding may still occur, especially with rain falling over
snowpack. Otherwise, the current forecast captures the trends
well and no updates are needed.
&&
.AVIATION...Deteriorating conditions today with widespread MVFR and
areas IFR in rain/snow by late morning continuing through tonight.
Mountains will be obscured with IFR in snow. Snow levels around 5500-
6500 feet MSL, except 3000-4000 feet MSL in east-central Oregon.
Surface winds: S-E 5-15 kt with gusts to 25 kt today increasing to
15-25 kt with gusts to 40kt tonight, winds shifting to westerly
after midnight behind a cold front. Winds aloft near 10k ft MSL: W-
SW 20-30 kt becoming S 40-60 kt, locally up to 70 kt over SW ID
after 15/00Z. Winds aloft becoming NW 30-50 kt after 15/06Z.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION...
SHORT TERM...Today through Thursday night...A strong atmospheric
river, onshore in northern California early this morning, will
reach our Oregon zones this afternoon and Idaho zones tonight,
with a lot of rain and high-elevation snow in our CWA. Earlier
tonight a weak cold front moved eastward across northern and
central Idaho. The southern end of the front has connected to a
developing storm off the northern California coast. As the storm
comes inland the warm front will push northward across our Oregon
zones this afternoon and tonight, and Idaho zones north of the
Snake Basin tonight and Wednesday morning. It is this warm front
that will be the focus for heaviest rain and snow. Precipitation
amounts through noon Wednesday will total .50 to 1.00 inch across
northern Harney and Malheur Counties in Oregon, and .75 to 1.50
inch in Idaho north of the Snake Basin, with lesser amounts both
to the north and south. Unfortunately, the Weiser River Basin will
be within the heavy rain area, and with the Weiser River near Weiser
already expected to rise to within two feet of flood stage by
Thursday, the heavy rain will likely bring it closer to flood.
Rain and snow will become all snow late tonight and Wednesday
morning as the storm's cold front moves through, and accumulate at
least several inches down to 4000 feet MSL, not quite enough for
a Winter Weather Advisory. Little if any snow accumulation is
expected in the Snake Basin. The surface low pressure center
will track east-northeast right through our CWA tonight, taking a
strong cold front with it. The front will be strongest as it
moves across the western Magic Valley and southern Twin Falls
County around 3 AM MDT Wednesday. Winds will shift from south to
west with gusts to 50 mph, possibly 60 mph, and continue from the
west 20-30 mph with gusts 40 to 50 mph most of Wednesday. Rain
will mix with or change to wet snow as the front passes and low
visibility may cause travel problems. A Wind Advisory is in effect
there late tonight and Wednesday. Skies will clear in all areas
Wednesday night and winds will diminish, and Thursday morning
will be cold with low temps in the teens and 20s, but locally
below zero at Fairfield/ID and other higher Idaho basins. Thursday
will be sunny and 5 to 10 degrees cooler than normal. Thursday
night will be clear and cold again.
LONG TERM...Friday through Tuesday...An upper ridge will hold
its position over the Pacific NW Friday into Saturday keeping dry
conditions over the region. The ridge will weaken or deflect a
series of shortwave troughs that approach the Pac NW coast over the
weekend. Light showers are possible across SE Oregon late Saturday.
That chance will spread into SW Idaho on Sunday, though probabilities
have trended down as forecast models continue to further delay
these waves in breaking through the ridge. Precipitation chances
will edge up early next week as a much deeper trough emerges from
the Gulf of Alaska. Snow levels will remain above valley floors
with temperatures slightly below normal through the period.
&&
.BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Wind Advisory from midnight tonight to 6 PM MDT Wednesday
IDZ015-030.
Wind Advisory from 3 AM to 6 PM MDT Wednesday IDZ016.
OR...None.
&&
www.weather.gov/Boise
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DISCUSSION...AL
AVIATION.....TL
PREV SHORT TERM...LC
PREV LONG TERM....DGThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
8 heavy rain, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The mesonet station OD111 at Catnip Mountain measured a gust of 59 mph.
The ASOS station at the Ontario airport measured 0.75 inches of heavy rain.
The mesonet station RTFO3 16 miles east of Riversside measured 0.73 inches of heavy rain.
The agrimet station ONTO 3.8 miles southwest of Ontario measured 0.75 inches of heavy rain.
The mesonet station FCKO3 16.0 miles east southeast of Frenchglen measured 1.50 inches of heavy rain.
The mesonet station FGFO3 1.1 miles southwest of Frenchglen measured 0.66 inches of heavy rain.
The ASOS station at Burns airport measured 0.74 inches of heavy rain.
The mesonet station LMCO3 measured 1.11 inches of heavy rain.
The mesonet station RLYO3 measured 1.22 inches of heavy rain.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, March 2023
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: 1091325, 1091313, 1091314, 1091316, 1091317, 1091318, 1091321, 1091322, 1091323.