A strong snowstorm moved into Burns, OR, allowing for snow accumulations to create power outages and difficult travel conditions.
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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 snowstorm moved into Burns, OR, allowing for snow accumulations to create power outages and difficult travel conditions.
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 26, 8:48 AM PST, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Boise ID
948 AM MST Thu Dec 26 2024
.DISCUSSION...The first of several systems are moving through
the area today. Showers and thunderstorms are moving across
western and central OR this morning and will move east today
into southeast OR and southwest ID. Snow levels continue to
slowly rise this morning to around 4000-5000 feet MSL by this
afternoon. Precipitation transitions into a showery regime this
afternoon, and some showers over the mountains could produce
locally heavy snow squalls. There is a slight chance of
thunderstorms this afternoon. Showers taper off in the evening
hours for a few hours before the next system arrives on Friday
morning. This will bring another round of precipitation to the
area with snow levels around 3500-4500 feet. Precipitation
tapers off late Friday afternoon. Some minor updates coming out
shortly to add mention of a slight chance of thunderstorms this
afternoon.
&&
.AVIATION...Widespread rain/snow decreasing from W to E this
morning. Periods of MVFR/IFR in rain, IFR/LIFR in snow.
Mountains obscured. Snow levels 3k-4k feet. Numerous
convective showers, some strong, along a cold front will move
across SE Oregon this morning and SW Idaho this afternoon.
There's a 10% chance of thunderstorms. Brief break in widespread
precipitation this evening before the next round of rain and
snow moves in from the west before midnight into Friday morning.
Surface winds: SE-SW 10-20 kt with 20-35 kt gusts for many
areas this morning, decreasing this afternoon. Winds briefly
becoming W-NW behind a cold front this afternoon. Winds aloft at
10kft MSL: W-SW 40-65 kt, decreasing to 20-40 kt by 00Z/Fri.
Areas of low level wind shear this morning.
KBOI...Mostly VFR. Rain showers, some strong, will continue
through the day. Little to no snow accumulation expected as
temperatures should remain in mid-30s. Surface winds: SE 10-20
kt with gusts to 20-30 kt, becoming W 8-15 kt around 19Z along a
cold front.
Weekend Outlook...Widespread rain and snow Friday morning. Rain
and snow will continue Friday afternoon in the central Idaho
mountains while decreasing elsewhere. More rain and snow will
arrive Friday night and continue through Sunday, heavy at times
in the mountains. MVFR/IFR conditions and mountain obscuration
in rain and snow. Snow levels rising from 3500-5500 ft MSL on
Friday to 4500-6500 ft Saturday and Sunday. Surface winds SE-SW
10-20 kt with gusts 25-40 kt Friday morning, becoming W-NW
behind a cold front Friday afternoon. Winds switching back to
SE-SW 5-15 kt Friday night through Sunday morning, then W-NW
10-20 kt with gusts 20-35 kt late Sunday. Areas of low level
wind shear.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION...
SHORT TERM...Today through Saturday night...Rain and snow
associated with the first in a series of Pacific storm systems
will continue this morning. Snow levels between 3000 and 3500
feet rise to around 4500 feet this afternoon. Rain has been
reported west of Boise to Ontario so far this morning, but it
still could mix with snow in the Boise metro but with no
accumulation expected. The widespread precipitation this
morning transitions to a showery regime as a cold front moves
through this afternoon. Some of the showers may produce brief
bursts of heavy snowfall in the higher elevations and graupel in
the lower elevations. There may even be enough instability for
a stray lightning strike, but the chance of a thunderstorm is
less than 15 percent.
A Winter Weather Advisory is in effect for the Snake Plain east
of Boise where up to 2 inches may accumulate and cause travel
impacts during the morning commute. Snow will continue across
the north, from Baker County into central Idaho where Winter
Weather advisories are in effect. The advisories end in Baker
County and the Upper Weiser Basin late this morning as snow
levels rise above valley floors by the afternoon. The Winter
Weather advisories will continue through Friday in central
Idaho as the next Pacific system brings more snow late tonight
through Friday with snow levels around 5000 feet.
Another round of rain and snow (with snow levels at least
4500-5000 feet) is expected Friday night into Saturday as a
third moist Pacific system moves into the region. Several more
inches of snowfall are possible above 5000 feet. Temperatures
average 5 to 10 degrees above normal today through Saturday and
winds will be breezy to locally windy at times.
LONG TERM...Sunday through Thursday...Precipitation will
continue on Sunday as an upper level trough approaches the
coast. As the trough approaches, a warm front will lift north
through the area Sunday morning with snow levels climbing to
5500-7000 feet. This will result in strong southwesterly flow
aloft with a brief shadowing/drying trend in the Snake Plain,
but the mountains especially in central Idaho will continue to
see heavy precipitation. A cold front will push through late
Sunday and the upper level trough axis will pass overhead by
Monday morning. Precipitation will continue along and behind the
front, then decrease by Monday morning as the trough axis moves
east of our area. Snow levels will fall to valley floors by
Monday, but showers will be mostly confined to the mountains.
Precipitation amounts on Sunday will vary greatly, ranging from
around 0.10-0.25 inch of rain in the lower elevations to
0.50-1.50 inch of liquid water equivalent in the mountains.
Additional snow amounts of 8-16 inches are possible above 6000
feet on Sunday, with a couple inches of snow in mountain valleys
as snow levels fall.
Temperatures will cool from 5-15 degrees above normal on Sunday
to up to 5 degrees above normal on Monday. The trough will
bring gusty winds Sunday into early Monday, then subside by late
Monday. A ridge will start to build overhead on Tuesday
bringing dry conditions and light winds, with temperatures near
normal. For Wednesday and Thursday, ensembles depict a trough
moving over the ridge, but uncertainty exists about whether the
trough will move far enough south to bring precipitation to our
area. For now, this uncertainty results in a 20-50% chance of
precipitation, with snow levels near valley floors.
&&
.BOI WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory until 5 PM MST Friday IDZ011-013-028.
Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM MST this morning
IDZ014-016-033.
OR...Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM PST this morning ORZ062.
&&
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DISCUSSION...KA
AVIATION.....SP
SHORT TERM...BW
LONG TERM....STThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement reported an average of 12 inches of snow around the region creating power outages and travel difficulties in the town.
A spotter reported 6 inches of wet snow north of Burns, OR leading to travel difficulties and multiple branches down across roads.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, December 2024
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: 1224511, 1224512.