A broad, parent low centered off the BC coast circulated a series of shortwaves into the Pacific Northwest from February 15th to the 18th, leading to persistent mountain snow over the period. This was an extension of the previous Winter Storm Warning initially issued on Feb 15th.
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 PDT wrote it up.
A broad, parent low centered off the BC coast circulated a series of shortwaves into the Pacific Northwest from February 15th to the 18th, leading to persistent mountain snow over the period. This was an extension of the previous Winter Storm Warning initially issued on Feb 15th.
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 Feb 17, 3:12 PM PST, 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
312 PM PST Mon Feb 17 2025
.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Wednesday night...Snow will
gradually taper off this afternoon through tonight for the
Cascades and much of the Blue Mountains as a brief shortwave
ridge builds into the Pacific Northwest through Tuesday. However,
a deep, moist upslope flow remains in place over the northern
Blue Mountains through Tuesday morning, which should facilitate
continued snowfall, so opted to extend the Winter Storm Warning
for the northern Blue Mountains through 4 AM PST Tuesday.
Confidence is high (70-90%) in an additional 4-8 inches of
snowfall above 4000 feet and 2-4 inches between 3500 and 4000 feet
through Tuesday morning.
Tuesday evening through Tuesday night, a return to active winter
weather is expected (90-100% chance) as an upper-level trough and
attendant surface low and frontal system arrive from the Pacific.
Of note, significant spread still exists in ensemble solutions
regarding pattern details such as the magnitude/track of the
surface low, remnant cold air trapped to the lee of the Cascades,
and thermal profiles. As such, confidence in forecast details
including precipitation type as well as snow and ice accumulations
for the lower elevations is only medium (50%).
Tuesday night through Wednesday morning, calibrated probabilities
from the NBM suggest a 40-90% chance of measurable lowland snow
for Washington, with low-medium (20-50%) chances for the lowlands
of Oregon. The Yakima and Kittitas valleys have the best chance
of reaching advisory-level snow (2" or greater) or warning-level
snow (4" or greater) at 10-35% and 5-10% for advisory and
warning, respectively.
The main trough is forecast to swing through Wednesday afternoon
through Wednesday night with precipitation likely (75% chance or
higher) for the mountains and foothills with a chance (25-54%) of
precipitation for much of the lower elevations. Plunkett/86
&&
.LONG TERM...Thursday through Monday...With the system weakening
through Friday, wintery mix will finally taper off as the upper
ridge builds over the PacNW. Snow may accumulate up to 6" at the
WA/OR Cascades (30-60% chance) with the Blues having 2" or less
(>50% chance). Otherwise, lowlands will get about light QPF
amounts exceeding to 0.25 or less before decreasing Friday. We
will then have progressive systems across the forecast area
Saturday onwards starting at the WA/OR Cascades first before
becoming widespread. Over the weekends, the QPF amounts over the
WA Cascades may reach up to 1" along with the OR Cascades and the
northern Blues up to 0.75" (>50% confidence). Mountain showers
will continue to linger Monday up to 0.25-0.50" at the Cascades
and Blues. The lowlands will remain having light rain (0.10" or
less).
Breezy winds (15-25 mph) may develop through Friday at the WA
Cascades and the Foothills of the Blues of OR. Winds will become
gusty (25-35 mph) over the Foothills of the Blues, Yakima Valley,
the Cascades, and central OR Saturday onwards. Theses systems will
arrive to the PacNW during those aforementioned days as the westerly
flow increases. Temperatures will gradually become above normal
through Friday and above normal by the weekend. Feaster/97
&&
.AVIATION...00Z TAFs...Mix of flight categories will continue for
most sites (KDLS/KPDT/KYKM/KALW/KPSC) through the remaining TAF
period. KRDM/KBDN remains in VFR for the rest of the day. The
remaining sites (KDLS/KPDT/KYKM/KALW/KPSC) will remain
deteriorating to MVFR or less due to rain, mist and low clouds,
which could lower CIGs and VSBYs. Freezing rain and fog may
develop overnight and/or morning hours (<40% confidence).
Feaster/97
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 33 41 31 42 / 40 10 10 100
ALW 33 39 31 39 / 60 30 10 100
PSC 29 41 31 39 / 20 0 20 90
YKM 29 41 31 39 / 0 0 50 90
HRI 30 42 32 42 / 20 10 20 90
ELN 29 41 31 39 / 10 10 50 90
RDM 25 46 32 49 / 10 10 40 70
LGD 33 41 29 39 / 70 20 10 100
GCD 30 42 31 44 / 40 0 30 100
DLS 35 47 36 45 / 20 10 70 100
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Tuesday for ORZ502.
Winter Weather Advisory until 4 PM PST this afternoon for ORZ503-
506.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 PM PST this afternoon for ORZ509.
WA...Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Tuesday for WAZ030.
Winter Weather Advisory until 4 PM PST this afternoon for WAZ523.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 PM PST this afternoon for WAZ522.
&&
SHORT TERM...86
LONG TERM....97
AVIATION...97The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Milkshakes and High Ridge Snotels recorded storm total snow amounts of 18 and 12 inches, respectively.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, February 2025
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: 1235991.