A strong cold front followed by an upper low passage brought blizzard conditions to area mountains with heavy snow having been reported across the mountains and lower elevation areas as well. The cold front passage also produced strong winds across the area Jan 9th, with areas of the foothills of the Blue Mountains of Oregon and the lower Columbia Basin of Washington reaching warning criteria.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 PDT wrote it up.
A strong cold front followed by an upper low passage brought blizzard conditions to area mountains with heavy snow having been reported across the mountains and lower elevation areas as well. The cold front passage also produced strong winds across the area Jan 9th, with areas of the foothills of the Blue Mountains of Oregon and the lower Columbia Basin of Washington reaching warning criteria.
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 Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 8, 3:46 AM PST, 3 hours 14 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
346 AM PST Mon Jan 8 2024
.AVIATION...12z TAFs...MVFR conditions at terminals through the
forecast period with increasing precipitation and lowered
ceilings. Periods of IFR conditions could be possible for areas
which could begin as a snow or rain-snow mix, but widespread
conditions are anticipated to by MVFR as temperatures warm to make
most terminal precipitation rain. Surface wind is notable area of
concern through the later portion of the TAF period with incoming
system producing a tightening pressure gradient. Surface winds
across terminals become 10 to 25 kts with stronger gusts,
especially after 06z Tuesday. Additionally, conditions are
favorable for low level wind shear (LLWS) at terminals as stronger
winds work to move down to the surface. Current forecast has LLWS
up to 50-60 kts for some portions of the forecast area. Branham/76
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 252 AM PST Mon Jan 8 2024/
SHORT TERM...Today through Wednesday...Today starts the beginning
of what will be the most active period of the winter so far.
deterministic models and ensembles are in good agreement on
pushing an upper level ridge across the region today along with an
associated warm front. This will result in precipitation
spreading across the region today and tonight with heaviest qpf in
the mountains. Snow levels will be rising as well to 5000 to 6000
feet MSL but this will be temporary as a sharp upper level trough
pushes a strong cold front across the forecast area early
Tuesday. This will result in a quick drop in snow levels down to
1000-2000 feet MSL and a rapid increase in SW-W winds.
The Portland to Spokane pressure gradient is forecast to peak at
close to 13 mb Tuesday afternoon which is quite indicative of
strong wind potential. The NBM has probabilities of winds
exceeding 60 mph of 60-90% across portions of the Columbia Basin,
Blue Mountain Foothills, and Simcoe Highlands peaking earlier at
4 AM Tuesday. The HREF is a little less bullish and has
probabilities of 50-70% for winds exceeding 55 mph. Forecast
soundings show steep low level lapse rates which will support
downward mixing of high winds just off the surface. Thus all
signs point to a high end advisory or at least a lower end
warning event. Since the strong winds will not be starting until
after 06Z Tuesday will leave the current highlights in place for
now so that the day shift can monitor the trends in the NBM and
HREF. It is possible that a zones may need an upgrade from wind
advisory to high wind warning later today.
As the cold front crosses the area and the upper trough
exits early Tuesday evening, another trough will follow and dig
southward along the coast and eventually into the Great Basin.
This will result in periods of moderate to heavy snow over the
mountains especially the Northern Blues and the east slopes of
the Cascades where the probability of 18 inches of snow is near
100% for the 72 hour period ending 12Z Thursday. The snow combined
with the winds gusting to as high as 65 mph over exposed higher
terrain will cause blizzard conditions before the winds slowly
subside on Wednesday afternoon. 78
LONG TERM...Wednesday Evening through Monday...Remnants from the
departing area of low pressure will keep higher elevation snowfall
present Thursday evening, with precipitation weakening through the
overnight hours. Even with weakening moisture, there is a 50 to 75%
chance for snowfall of 8 inches across the Oregon Cascades, with
only a 30 to 50% chance of 8 inches of snow across the Washington
Cascades through the same time. Moisture lingering over the Blue
Mountains will keep a 60 to 80% chance for 8 inches of snowfall
above 4500 ft.
The reduced presence of moisture will continue into Thursday, ahead
of the next approaching area of low pressure. Moisture will return
with this next system, producing additional snowfall across the
area. This incoming system is currently not favored to produce
widespread significant snowfall, but central Oregon could see a 30
to 50% chance for 2 to 4 inches, with a stronger lean towards the
lower amounts. The Cascades will take the brunt of the moisture, and
are looking at a 50 to 70% chance for 6 inches of snowfall. The
bigger story with this next system will be the arctic air producing
much colder temperatures across the region, which are anticipated to
arrive Friday and continue through the weekend. Models have had
difficulty agreeing on the severity of overnight temperatures this
weekend, through the ECMWF is indicating a strong potential for a
significantly cold event. The current forecast for weekend overnight
temperatures contains values that are 15 to 20 degrees below
seasonal normals.
This later system should weaken and move out of the area on Monday
as a ridge works to build over the Pacific Northwest. This ridge is
anticipated to weaken precipitation with activity mainly lingering
over the higher terrain, and should also help to slightly warm
temperatures. Branham/76
AVIATION...Previous Discussion...06Z TAFs...VFR conditions will
prevail through early tomorrow morning before MVFR or lower
conditions develop tomorrow. A weather system passing over the
region will increase cloud cover through tomorrow morning, with CIGS
of 1kft to 3kft AGL developing across sites DLS/PDT/RDM/BDN/ALW
after 11Z, while sites YKM/PSC will see these CIGS developing after
18Z. Precipitation will spread east across the area beginning as
early as 15Z, with rain expected at sites DLS/PDT/ALW/PSC, and snow
at sites RDM/BDN/YKM. Vsby reductions to MVFR or lower are expected
with precipitation impacts at all sites. Winds will be light, less
than 12kts, through the period. Lawhorn/82
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 42 37 47 31 / 80 80 50 50
ALW 43 38 47 32 / 60 90 70 50
PSC 40 37 49 34 / 80 70 30 30
YKM 37 31 47 28 / 80 70 50 40
HRI 42 38 51 33 / 80 70 40 40
ELN 34 30 42 27 / 90 80 60 30
RDM 40 31 42 24 / 60 60 90 80
LGD 34 29 40 26 / 80 100 100 70
GCD 38 31 42 25 / 90 70 100 70
DLS 42 39 47 36 / 90 90 90 80
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Wind Advisory from 4 AM Tuesday to 4 AM PST Wednesday for ORZ041-
049-505-510-511.
Wind Advisory from 4 AM Tuesday to 10 AM PST Wednesday for
ORZ044.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 7 PM PST
Tuesday for ORZ050-503-506.
Blizzard Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM PST Wednesday
for ORZ502.
High Wind Warning from 1 AM Tuesday to 1 PM PST Wednesday for
ORZ507-508.
Winter Weather Advisory until 4 PM PST this afternoon for ORZ509.
Blizzard Warning from 4 AM Tuesday to 4 PM PST Wednesday for
ORZ509.
WA...Wind Advisory from 4 AM Tuesday to 4 AM PST Wednesday for WAZ024-
026-027.
Wind Advisory from 4 AM Tuesday to 10 AM PST Wednesday for
WAZ028-029.
Blizzard Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM PST Wednesday
for WAZ030.
High Wind Warning from 1 AM Tuesday to 1 PM PST Wednesday for
WAZ521.
Winter Storm Warning from 7 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Tuesday
for WAZ522-523.
Blizzard Warning from 4 AM Tuesday to 10 AM PST Wednesday for
WAZ522-523.
&&
SHORT TERM...78
LONG TERM....76
AVIATION...76The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heavy snow, 1 winter storm, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Sasse Ridge Snotel measured 15 inches of new snow in 21 hours ending at 0200 PST on Jan 9th. A COOP observer in Hyak measured 18 inches of new daily snow at 0700 PST on Jan. 9th.
A member of the public reported via Facebook 12 inches of new snow at 0700 PST on Jan. 9th. A Cocorahs observer in Trout Lake reported 12 inches of daily snow at 0600 PST on Jan. 10th. On Jan 9th around 1030 PST WSDOT closed US 97 through Blewett Pass due to zero visibility from blowing snow, heavy snow accumulations, and from downed trees across the roadway.
The Touchet SNOTEL measured 10 inches of new snow in 36 hours ending at 0800 PST on Jan. 10th.
The mesonet station HPROS measured a 64 mph gust at 0330 PST on Jan. 9th. The mesonet station HEOC 8 miles northwest of West Richland measured a 63 mph wind gust at 0815 PST on Jan. 9th.
The Cocorahs observer 4.2 miles north northwest of Goldendale measured 9 inches of new daily snow at 0500 PST on Jan. 10th. The Cocorahs observer 6 miles east northeast of Goldendale measured 7.2 inches of new daily snow at 0700 PST on Jan. 10th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, January 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: 1161922, 1161937, 1161936, 1161938, 1161930.