Two quick hitting shortwave troughs brought widespread and sustained precipitation to the western Oregon allowing for heavy snowfall across the Cascades. A third deep upper trough then quickly followed as well, and due to an accompanying warm-frontal boundary localized river flooding developed due to a combination of ample rainfall and snowmelt.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 PQR wrote it up.
Two quick hitting shortwave troughs brought widespread and sustained precipitation to the western Oregon allowing for heavy snowfall across the Cascades. A third deep upper trough then quickly followed as well, and due to an accompanying warm-frontal boundary localized river flooding developed due to a combination of ample rainfall and snowmelt.
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 Portland, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 14, 3:10 AM PST, 4 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Portland OR
410 AM PDT Fri Mar 14 2025
.SYNOPSIS...Going forward a series of back to back storm systems
will facilitate widespread rain, heavy Cascade snow, and
locally breezy conditions through the weekend into next week.
Cascade snowfall amounts will be impressive with Winter Storm
Warnings in effect and 2 to 4 feet expected today through Monday
leading to hazardous travel conditions at pass level.
Otherwise, headed through the rest of next week any additional
weather disturbances will leave us bit more breathing room but
active conditions likely persist.
&&
.SHORT TERM...Now through Sunday night...Winter is far from
over as we anticipate significant snowfall accumulation the next
several days over the Cascades and a small window of lower
snow-levels (500-1500ft) the first half of today. Very early
this morning the region has been graced by a brief reprieve from
the active weather but it will come to a swift end as the day
progresses all thanks to the arrival of a negatively tilted
shortwave trough and accompanying weak warm frontal boundary
currently lurking just to our southwest. This frontal feature
is expected to lift over the area from south to north gradually
increasing precipitation which combined with weak warm air
advection aloft should help to increase snow levels to
2500-3500 feet by the mid to late afternoon hours. Before this
occurs however, light snow or a rain/snow mix will be possible
as low as 500-1500ft initially, especially in the lower Cascades
valleys (think Detroit, Mill City, Sweet Home, Oakridge, etc)
where low-level easterly flow and dynamic cooling will be aided
by already near freezing temperatures in place at the surface
early this morning. Several of the latest HREF members have
picked-up on this isothermal snowfall scenario so snow-levels
were adjusted lower for the morning hours before daytime heating
and the aforementioned warm advection can push snow-levels
higher. Anticipate minimal impacts for locations below
1000-1500ft with some slushy accumulation possible, mainly in
the grass. High confidence in more appreciable impacts above
2000-3000ft today. Then, yet another shortwave then arrives on
Saturday, ushering in even more significant moisture with snow
levels holding around 3000ft in the Oregon Cascades. Lowland
areas can expect an additional 0.60-1 inch of rain with
continuous snow in the Cascades. Winds will be breezy as well
but nothing highlight worth at this time; 5-20% chance for
45mph gusts or higher inland valleys, closer to 40-60% along the
coast.
On Sunday the onslaught of moisture continues with a third
deeper upper-level trough keeping precipitation streaming
overhead. The warm-frontal boundary with this system will be
more pronounced than the two earlier shortwaves helping to
temporarily elevate snow-levels closer to 4000-5000ft in the
central Oregon Cascades. That said, the current track of this
feature into western Oregon leaves cooler air and thus lower
levels lingering in the southwest Washington Cascades which
likely won’t see any snow-level change (~3000ft) although the
available QPF is also lower here as well. Exploring ensemble
guidance, confidence is still low to moderate regarding the
placement of the heaviest QPF through Sunday. The current
forecast keeps the bulk of the moisture roughly along the OR-22
corridor southward but a late minute 40-50 mile shift northward
would almost double the projected snowfall totals for US-26
over Mt. Hood during the day Sunday (a change from ~5-6 inches
to 10-14+ inches). The location of the warm-frontal boundary
and moisture axis will need to be watched closely the next
several forecast cycles as the overall set-up of substantial low
to mid level isentropic lift and strong moisture transport is a
recipe for some impressive snowfall rates. With all of this in
mind, the Winter Storm Warnings were maintained for all the
Cascades zones, lasting today through Sunday evening. So, If you
have to travel through the Cascades this weekend, please take
some time winterize your vehicle, carry emergency supplies,
share your plans with others, and refer to ODOT/WSDOT for the
latest road conditions and restrictions. -Schuldt
&&
.LONG TERM...Monday through Thursday...There remains excellent
agreement within the deterministic and ensemble model guidance
space in the return to slightly calmer conditions during the
first portion of the week as we transition to post-frontal showers
for Monday followed by ridging aloft on Tuesday. Especially for
the latter date, lingering shower activity should stay lighter
and more confined to higher terrain features like the coast
range, Willapa Hills, and Cascades/Cascade foothills. The
beginning of the week is also when rising river-level are
expected to peak. Looking at the latest 10 day HEFS (Hydrologic
Ensemble Forecast System) guidance, the probabilities for
rivers to reach minor flood stage is still generally less than
10-15%, even with the increase in rainfall across the lower
elevations the last few forecast cycles. Come late Wednesday
and/or Thursday any break comes to an end with fairly good
deterministic and ensemble model agreement suggesting another
upper-level trough of low pressure marches into the Pacific
Northwest. -Schuldt/Alviz
&&
.AVIATION...Westerly flow aloft today ahead of an approaching
weather system. Widespread VFR early this morning, but increasing
chances for MVFR expected later this morning and into this
afternoon as a front lifts north across the area. Rain is expected
to begin spreading inland between 12-16z this morning, while CIGs
gradually fall to MVFR (80% chance) by 16z from KONP to KEUG,
pushing northward to KPDX around 21z. Possible reductions in
visibilities to IFR with heavier showers later this afternoon.
Southeast winds expected through this morning, becoming south to
southwesterly later today. Gusts up to 30-35 kt will be possible
along the coast, while gusts up to 25 kt are likely through the
Willamette Valley after 00z Saturday.
PDX AND APPROACHES...VFR expected through at least 20z Friday,
with southeast winds increasing to around 10-12 kt. There is a
70-80% chance of MVFR conditions after 21z as CIGs lower and rain
increases. Southerly winds expected to increase after 06z Saturday
with gusts up to 25 kt possible. /DH
&&
.MARINE...A dynamic and active pattern is expected to continue
across the coastal waters today and through the weekend. An
occluded front currently approaching the area will lift north
across the coastal waters today. Southeasterly gale force wind
gusts up to 40 kt are expected to develop north of the front early
this morning, with the strongest winds expected across the outer
coastal waters and south of Cape Falcon. Winds are expected to
ease this afternoon as the front lifts north and the associated
990 mb low approaches the coastal waters. This break will be
short-lived as southwest to westerly winds increase as the surface
low continues to move north toward the WA coast tonight. Will
likely see low-end gale force wind gusts to 35 kt through late
tonight. Although there is no Gale Warning for the northern
coastal waters, it is possible there will be isolated gusts to 35
kt north of the Tillamook Head area late tonight into early
Saturday.
Expect significant wave heights to continue to hover around 9 to
11 ft through this afternoon. But, also expect the sea state to
become a bit more chaotic later this morning as the seas become
more wind driven, causing the dominant period to drop from around
13 seconds to 8-9 seconds. Seas are expected to quickly build
tonight as a stronger mid-period westerly swell pushes into the
coastal waters, peaking around 15 to 18 ft late tonight into early
Saturday. Have issued a Hazardous Seas Warning that will continue
through Saturday afternoon across all coastal waters.
Another low pressure system is currently forecast to approach the
Oregon coast later Saturday. Uncertainty remains regarding the
exact path of the system, but model guidance has been trending
slightly farther north along the central OR coast. This maintains
the potential for at least gale force winds south of Cascade Head.
Yet another system will be possible on Sunday, but more than
likely any impactful winds remain south of the area. The chance
for Storm Force wind gusts on Sunday has decreased to below 15%.
Seas are also likely to remain elevated through the weekend,
around 10 to 14 ft, though likely subsiding late Sunday into early
next week. /DH
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Storm Warning from 8 AM this morning to 11 PM PDT Sunday
for ORZ126>128.
WA...Winter Storm Warning from 2 PM this afternoon to 11 PM PDT
Sunday for WAZ211.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 5 AM PDT Saturday for PZZ210.
Small Craft Advisory until 2 AM PDT Saturday for PZZ251-271.
Hazardous Seas Warning from 2 AM to 5 PM PDT Saturday for PZZ251-
271.
Gale Warning until 5 AM PDT Saturday for PZZ252-253-272-273.
Hazardous Seas Warning from 5 AM to 5 PM PDT Saturday for PZZ252-
253-272-273.
&&
www.weather.gov/portland
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x.com/NWSPortlandThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 flood, 3 heavy snow, 1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.
The Hoggs Pass SNOTEL at 4800 ft recorded 36 inches of snowfall between 0800 3/14 and 1800 3/16, with 12 inches hit 0900 3/15.
The Salt Creek Falls SNOTEL at 4220 ft recorded 26 inches of snowfall between 0800 3/14 and 1800 3/16 with 12 inches hit 0930 3/16.
The Red Hill SNOTEL at 4410 ft recorded 17 inches of snowfall between 1100 3/14 and 2300 3/15 with 12 inches reached 1700 3/15.
Siuslaw river rose above minor flood stage (18 ft) at 7 am on March 16, crested at 18.9 ft at 10 am PST (11 am PDT), and fell below flood stage at 1700 PST (1800 PDT).
Heavy persistent rainfall resulted in localized flooding at several of Eugene parks and creeks impacting Alton Baker Park, Delta Ponds, and along the Fern Ridge Path. A trained spotter reports lots of ponding of water near Fairmount Blvd and E 19th Ave, downhill from Hendricks Park. Additionally, another trained spotter reports parts of Amazon Park Trail underwater in the area of E 23rd Ave and Willamette St. due to small stream/river flooding.
There were multiple photos on Facebook showing flooded of pasture land, roads, and a building along and near Latham Rd. A Social Media post showed a picture of flooding across Bennet Creek Rd. There was also another Social Media Post showing a couple of feet of water in the parking lot up to the Horners Inc building in north Cottage Grove.
The Mohawk River rose above minor flood (15 ft) on March 16 around 1130 am PST (1230pm PDT), peaked at 17.21 feet at 1845 PST (1745 PDT), and fell below minor flood Mar 17 at 245 PST (345 am PDT). Drone footage posted on the Lane County Facebook page showed flooding of pastures, farms, roads, and homes in Mohawk Valley.
Due to heavy rainfall a Trained Spotter reported small stream flooding with water on Hendricks Rd near Enterprise Rd.
Coast Fork Willamette River at Goshen rose above minor flood stage (15 ft) on Mar 16 at 1945 PST (2045 PDT), crested at 15.32 ft at 2200 PST (2300 PDT), and fell below minor flood stage around 1215 am PST (1315 am PDT) on March 17.
Lane County posted on social media a video of Landslide clean up on Shoreview Drive east of Cottage Grove which had closed it overnight from March 16 to March 17.
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, March 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: 1240188, 1240189, 1240186, 1240193, 1240797, 1240799, 1240194, 1240798, 1240197, 1240195.