A strong and moist westerly flow aloft January 31st into February 1st resulted in enhanced orographic lift into the Northern Blue Mountains, with heavy snow accumulations occurring across portions of these mountains.
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The episode as NWS PDT wrote it up.
A strong and moist westerly flow aloft January 31st into February 1st resulted in enhanced orographic lift into the Northern Blue Mountains, with heavy snow accumulations occurring across portions of these mountains.
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 31, 9:50 PM PST, 2 hours 10 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
950 PM PST Fri Jan 31 2025
Updated Aviation Discussion
.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Sunday night...The Winter Storm
Warning for the upper east slopes of the WA Cascades (WA522) as
well as the Winter Weather Advisories for the east slopes of OR
Cascades (OR509) and the northern Blue Mountains (WA30 and OR502)
in effect through 4 PM Saturday look on track and no additional
highlights are planned. A warm front has risen snow levels this
afternoon, but a cold front will follow tonight and Saturday
morning resulting in a significant drop in snow levels. Based on
current observations, snow levels are around 3500 feet in our
northern zones sloping upwards to 4500-5000 feet in our southern
zones, therefore the warm air advection is impacting central OR
and the OR Cascades compared to other locations. By sunrise
Saturday, snow levels will lower an additional 1000-2000 feet (a
minor drop in 500 feet for areas south of John Day and Paulina)
with the approach of the cold front.
An increasing westerly flow tonight and Saturday will cut off
precipitation for most of the Columbia Basin down across the
Columbia Deschutes Plateau due to a pronounced rain shadowing off
the Cascades. The Cascades and eastern mountains will continue to
observe moist orographic lift with continued snowfall through the
day. Warnings and advisories also mention the high potential for
blowing and drifting of snow along the ridgetops, and there is a
good chance that White Pass will have blowing and drifting snow
as well. It will be breezy to windy for many areas tonight and
Saturday, but the confidence is low to moderate (20-40%) that
areas outside the higher mountains will observe gusts meeting
advisory criteria...i.e. 45-55 mph gusts. Some of the higher gusts
will be near the Horse Heaven Hills and north central OR,
including the Condon/Fossil areas, and an advisory may be needed
if winds will be stronger than forecast.
The strong westerly flow will continue through Sunday night, but
the 150+ kt jet will gradually move south towards the OR/CA
border. This also means that the atmospheric river (AR) will be
too far south of the forecast area for heavy precipitation. We
will be on the cold side of the upper jet with snow levels down to
the Columbia Basin floor. PoPs are only 15-30% for Sunday and
Sunday night throughout the Columbia Basin down to Central Oregon,
and any snow accumulations will be very light. There is also
limited moisture for much snow over the Cascades and eastern
mountains. In general, 1-4 inches of new snow. Confidence in
Sunday and Sunday night's forecast is about 70%. Wister/85
.LONG TERM...Monday through Friday...Through Thursday, models are
in firm agreement with the large upper trough/low anchored
offshore arriving to the PacNW with the flow varying between
WLY and SWLY. Monday and Tuesday will be our most rainy and snowy
days due to rain from the progressive systems. The lowlands will
have lighter showers as well. However, this could bring more
chances of snow at the mountain areas. And with the system
arriving across the Cascades Monday through Tuesday, snowfall may
accumulate up to 8" or higher (45-90%), though may increase up to
10" at the WA Cascades but with low chance (<20%). Everywhere else
will have about less than 1" of snow. Breezy winds may develop at
20 mph Tuesday around Yakima Valley and small portions of the
Lower Basin of WA. Otherwise, winds will be mostly light through
most of the term. Overall, snow will be dominant weather for this
forecast period with limited rain.
These conditions will continue lingering onto Wednesday as well
before decreasing Thursday when the system moves out. The next
system may arrive Friday, which could bring more showers and
mountain snow. Given the GFS being wetter than other models, there
seem to be a favorable agreement on the precip occurring.
Temperatures will be below normal for the forecast period.
Feaster/97
.AVIATION...06Z TAFs...Mostly VFR conditions to prevail through
the period, except for sites DLS/BDN where MVFR conditions will be
possible through tomorrow morning. Precipitation impacts have
mostly ended across the area, however periodic rain/snow mix will
be possible at sites RDM/BDN before 9Z; periodic rain impacts
possible at sites PDT/ALW before 10Z. CIGs of bkn-ovc will mostly
be 5kft to 10kft AGL through the period, though site BDN may see
CIGs down to 2kft to 3kft AGL with precipitation impacts through
9Z. VFR vsby is expected through the period at most sites. The
only exception is site DLS where periodic reductions between 1SM
to 3SM will continue through 9Z, which will improve to 5SM after
9Z, then VFR after 14Z.
Winds of 12-20kts with gusts 20-30kts will impact sites
PDT/ALW/PSC through tomorrow afternoon, site BDN through 10Z, and
developing at site DLS 18Z into the late afternoon. All other
sites will see light winds, less than 12kts, through the period.
Lawhorn/82
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 34 43 26 41 / 60 20 0 30
ALW 36 44 28 42 / 80 30 10 30
PSC 35 47 29 45 / 50 0 0 10
YKM 26 43 20 39 / 50 10 10 30
HRI 36 47 29 43 / 50 10 0 20
ELN 24 38 18 34 / 60 20 10 30
RDM 28 41 22 37 / 80 20 0 40
LGD 33 39 23 37 / 90 70 20 50
GCD 34 42 26 38 / 70 40 10 50
DLS 34 46 29 42 / 80 50 30 70
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Weather Advisory until 4 PM PST Saturday for ORZ502-509.
WA...Winter Weather Advisory until 4 PM PST Saturday for WAZ030.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 PM PST Saturday for WAZ522.
&&
SHORT TERM...85
LONG TERM....97
AVIATION...82The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The Touchet Snotel site measured 11 inches of new snow in a 26 hour period ending at 0600 Feb. 1st.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, 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: 1239527.