An upper low pressure system, a weak to moderate atmospheric river, and the development of a stationary front across the area resulted in widespread moderate to heavy snow across the mountains and lower elevations of eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington.
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.
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.
An upper low pressure system, a weak to moderate atmospheric river, and the development of a stationary front across the area resulted in widespread moderate to heavy snow across the mountains and lower elevations of eastern Oregon and southeastern Washington.
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 3, 9:28 AM PST, 4 hours 52 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pendleton OR 928 AM PST Mon Feb 3 2025 .UPDATED AVIATION DISCUSSION... .AVIATION...18Z TAFs...All sites are currently in VFR with KYKM/KPSC staying in VFR through this TAF period. However, KDLS may be in MVFR due to low clouds with KPDT/KRDM/KBDN/KALW in IFR conditions from light snow this afternoon. Then in the evening, KPDT/KRDM/KBDN/KALW will have mainly low clouds onwards but with a slight chance (15-30%) of snow lingering as well. Winds will be less than 10 kts for all sites. Feaster/97 && .PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 448 AM PST Mon Feb 3 2025/ SHORT TERM...Today through Wednesday night... Westerly flow will prevail across the region today, which will bring snow to the Cascades. Meanwhile southern Oregon will be the northern extent of an atmospheric river centered over northern California, which will move northeast through Monday across eastern Oregon before dissipating. Southwesterly flow will then prevail on Tuesday ahead of an upper low off the coast. There will be some light precipitation Tuesday night into early Wednesday in southwest flow, and yet another shot Wednesday into Wednesday night. Along the crests of the Cascades liquid equivalent QPF will be around an inch, but elsewhere less than 0.50 inches. Along the crest of the Blue Mountains, around 0.50 inches, but lower elsewhere. in the lower elevations generally 0.10 inches or less though some areas could receive 0.10 to 0.20 inches. Snow fall amounts are generally 1 inch or less in the lower elevation, though some areas could get up to 2 inches. In the Oregon Cascades, up to about 3 inches, 2 to 4 inches in the Washington Cascades and 4 to 6 inches in the Blue Mountains. The Ochoco John Day Highlands are expecting 3 to 5 inches and a Winter Weather Advisory is in effect there. High temperatures through the period will mainly be in the mid to upper 30s, which is about 5 to 10 degrees below normal. Overnight lows will mainly be in the teens to around 20 degrees which is about 10 degrees below normal. LONG TERM...Thursday through Sunday night...KEY MESSAGES... - Lower elevation snow of 2” or more Thursday-early Friday (confidence 40-60%) across the Lower Basin in Oregon towards north central OR into central OR, and the foothills of the OR/WA Blue mountains. - Below average highs and lows with highs as much as 15 to 20 degrees below average Thursday. - Unsettled weather pattern persisting with repeated mountain snow chances of 25-55% Friday night and beyond with lower chances elsewhere. The synoptic pattern early Thursday will be characterized by a high amplitude upper ridge in the eastern North Pacific across western AK and an upper-level trough over the Pacific NW with a closed low highly likely to be offshore of the coast. The base of the upper trough will move onshore into the Northern Intermountain West by Friday while a second shortwave trough rotates behind to the Pacific NW coast. Overall, mean mid-level trough and cyclonic flow will prevail over the NW CONUS through late Friday. Confidence in this evolution of the large scale pattern is relatively high, albeit with some minor differences seen in clustering scenarios. Of which, 90% of the GEFS, EPS, and GEPS members show similar flavors of this evolution by Saturday. The main forecast challenge revolves around quantity of moisture as the upper trough pivots from the Pacific NW offshore waters to the interior NW. A limited moisture tap is anticipated for the lower elevations and foothills across eastern OR and southwest WA that works against the snow potential. Of which, best chances for IVT exceeding 150 kg/m/s penetrating inland are well south of 45 N with the system’s AR directed more across northern CA and the Sierras Thursday night-Friday. While anticipate some upslope enhancement towards the higher elevations into the Blues as this upper trough pivots, thinking the QPF may be too wet. This is seen with chances of a tenth or more over 24-hrs ending 00Z friday peaking only 30-50% Thursday night-Friday via the NBM. Further, only one cluster scenario has raw probabilities of a tenth or more exceeding 80% with its membership only at 30% while every other clustering scenario has much lower odds. Further, can see quite a range in raw EPS snow forecasts at lower elevation sites. Ultimately, the lack of more robust moisture availability on the whole is lowering confidence for 2” or more at this time across the aforementioned lower elevations despite thermodynamic profiles conducive for snow. Elsewhere, OR Cascades and northern Blues are likely to see moderate mountain snow of 6” or more with similar confidence, the best chances across the crest of the OR Cascades. The upper trough then moves into the north central CONUS this weekend while upper ridge dominates the eastern North Pacific across AK. This will keep cyclonic and northwest flow in place into Monday with chances for light snow continuing in the mountains at times. Of note, despite some moderation in daytime highs and seen via EPS 850 mb temperature anomalies, below average temperatures will prevail. Of which, another surge with cross-polar flow looks increasingly possible at the end of the long term/Monday with EPS mean 850 hPa anomalies approaching/passing -10 C across the Lower Basin. AVIATION...12Z TAFs...VFR prevail area-wide currently with mid and high clouds streaming from the southeast with the lowest bases generally 8-10 kft. Precip ongoing across southeast OR and northern CA into east central OR that could be attributable to a surge atmospheric river and a stationary cold front. This moisture will start working more north over the next 6-12 hours coinciding with increased chances for a wintry mix or snow across the central OR terminals and along the foothills of the Blues/KPDT and KALW between 18-00 UTC. Instances of IFR visibilities from snow/precip are possible (30-50% confidence) but more likely than not will see MVFR visibilities. Meantime, deteriorating flight categories sub-VFR are anticipated to spread across the remaining area and other TAF sites near/after 00 UTC then prevailing overnight. Otherwise, light winds with the area positioned between surface lows offshore the WA coast and NV with sites shifting to the north this afternoon. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... PDT 37 24 32 17 / 40 80 40 40 ALW 39 26 34 20 / 30 70 50 50 PSC 39 27 37 22 / 10 40 30 30 YKM 37 21 34 17 / 0 10 10 10 HRI 39 26 36 20 / 20 60 30 30 ELN 32 20 31 14 / 10 30 20 10 RDM 35 20 34 14 / 60 40 20 10 LGD 36 27 36 19 / 70 80 60 70 GCD 39 29 39 20 / 90 80 60 60 DLS 40 27 39 24 / 20 20 30 20 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST Tuesday for ORZ506. WA...None. && SHORT TERM...77 LONG TERM....80 AVIATION...97
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The Ochoco Meadows Snotel measured 6 inches of new snow in a 34 hour period ending at 0100 on Feb. 5th. The Cocorahs observer OR-GR-4 9 miles northwest of Seneca measured 6.9 inches of new snow in a 48 hour period ending at 0700 on Feb. 5th.
The Cocorahs station OR-WL-1 in Joseph reported 13.3 inches of new snow in an 18 hour period ending at 0200 Feb. 5th. A FB post received at 1200 on Feb. 5th reported 12 inches of new snow had fallen 2 miles west of Enterprise. Radar and observation estimated end of snowfall was before 0500 on February 5th.
The Cocorahs observer OR-DS-44 3 miles east southeast of Bend reported 4.4 inches of new snow in a 24 hour period ending at 0700 February 4th. The Cocorahs observer OR-CK-13 9 miles southeast of Redmond reported 3.5 inches of new snow in a 24 hour period ending at 0700 February 4th.
The Pendleton WFO measured 4.2 inches of new snow in a 36 hour period ending 0400 on February 5th. The superintendent reported 4 inches of new snow at 1000 Feb. 5th. Radar and observation estimated end of snow occurred before 0400 on February 5th.
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: 1239533, 1239528, 1239536, 1239535.