Oregon, 2024

Heavy Snow and High Wind in Oregon, January 12 to 14, 2024

January 12 to 14, 2024 · NWS BOI · 4 events in 2 counties and zones

A focused mesoscale snow band with very strong winds created major traffic delays on Interstate 84 before the band moved into southwest Idaho.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
4

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS BOI wrote it up.

A focused mesoscale snow band with very strong winds created major traffic delays on Interstate 84 before the band moved into southwest Idaho.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Harney

When
January 12, 12:00 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
Where
Harney forecast zone
Measured
68 kt (78 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Mesonet
Coordinates
43.064, -118.968 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several mesoscale network stations reported winds in the range of 60-70 mph over high mountains and near highways.

Heavy Snow, Harney

When
January 13, 12:00 AM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where
Harney forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
43.064, -118.968 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A trained spotter measured 13.0 inches of snow and reported that this was the heaviest snow they had experienced in 25 years.

Heavy Snow, Baker

When
January 14, 12:00 AM MST to 10:45 AM MST
Where
Baker forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
44.709, -117.675 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Members of the public measured 7.0-8.0 inches of snow in the Baker City, OR area.

Heavy Snow, Harney

When
January 14, 12:00 AM PST to 10:45 AM PST
Where
Harney forecast zone
Reported by
Public
Coordinates
43.064, -118.968 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Members of the public measured 7.0-11.0 inches of snow in the Fields, OR and near Burns, OR.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oregon in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, January 2024

Sources

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 1157482, 1157481, 1157478, 1157479.