Two quick hitting shortwave troughs brought widespread and sustained precipitation to the western Washington allowing for heavy snowfall across the Cascades which was bolstered by a third deep upper trough towards the end of the period.
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 PQR wrote it up.
Two quick hitting shortwave troughs brought widespread and sustained precipitation to the western Washington allowing for heavy snowfall across the Cascades which was bolstered by a third deep upper trough towards the end of the period.
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, 2:15 PM PST, 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Portland OR
315 PM PDT Fri Mar 14 2025
.SYNOPSIS...A series of storm systems will bring widespread
rain, heavy Cascade snow and breezy southerly winds across
northwest Oregon and southwest Washington this weekend.
Localized flooding is possible Saturday evening to Sunday
evening due to heavy rainfall. Prepare for hazardous winter
weather conditions if you will be traveling through the
Cascades. Relatively less active weather returns early next
week.
&&
.SHORT TERM...Now through Sunday night...Radar imagery and
surface observations as of early Friday afternoon depicts
widespread rain and Cascade snow spreading from south to north
as an occluded front lifts across the area. This front is
associated with a 991 mb low pressure system centered just
offshore of Oregon around 45.60N, 126.76W (as of 2 PM Friday).
As this system tracks northwestward and inland tonight into
early Saturday morning, it will continue to bring rain, breezy
southerly winds, and heavy Cascade snow. Fortunately, the winds
are not expected to be too impactful tonight, with gusts of
30-40 mph along the coast and 20-30 mph inland. However, there
is a 15-35% chance tonight that gusts could exceed 55 mph along
the coast. Gusts this high would only occur if the low doesn't
end up weakening as it moves closer to shore. While it's not the
most likely scenario, wind gusts that exceed 55 mph could
result in isolated power outages and/or downed trees.
From now through Saturday afternoon, rainfall amounts in the
lowlands are forecast around 0.40-0.75 inch while snow amounts
through the Cascade passes including Highway 26, Santiam Pass,
and Willamette Pass are forecast between 1-2 feet. Winter Storm
Warnings are in effect across all high Cascade zones through
Sunday evening, encompassing the series of weather systems
impacting the area through the weekend. Anyone traveling through
the Cascades this weekend should prepare for hazardous winter
weather conditions. Winterize your vehicle, carry emergency
supplies, share your plans with others, and refer to ODOT/WSDOT
for the latest road conditions and restrictions.
Saturday evening into Sunday, an atmospheric river will arrive
and bring more significant moisture to the area. The latest
deterministic and ensemble guidance are in general agreement
that the axis of heaviest rain and Cascade snow is tracking
toward southwest Oregon, with the northern periphery of heavy
precipitation clipping the southern half of our CWA
(Lincoln/Polk/Marion Counties southward). Snow levels will also
rise to 4500-5500 feet as the warm front associated with this
system ushers in warmer air. From late Saturday afternoon to
Sunday evening, rainfall amounts south of Lincoln City and Salem
are forecast between 1-2 inches, while lowlands northward of
these cities are between 0.50 inches. However, keep in mind that
any shift in the heaviest band of moisture could dramatically
increase or decrease these forecast amounts. Meanwhile, the
Cascade passes could see an additional 1-2 feet of snow with
this system, especially in the Oregon Cascades. Will also note
that there is a 1-9% chance that rain will be heavy enough and
last long enough to switch over to accumulating snow down to the
Valley floor from Salem to Eugene Sunday to Sunday night. The
switch-over from rain to snow would be due to dynamic cooling of
the atmospheric column as latent heat gets absorbed from the
melting of snow aloft.
As a result of this atmospheric river bringing higher snow
levels and thus heavy rain to portions of western Oregon, a
Flood Watch has been issued for the Cascade foothills from
Marion to Lane Counties, Willamette Valley south of Polk and
Marion Counties, central Oregon Coast Range, and central Oregon
coast from 10 PM Saturday to 10 PM Sunday. Hi-res model guidance
suggests rainfall rates could reach as high as 0.20 to 0.40
inch per hour. Excessive runoff may result in flooding of
rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone
locations. Flooding may also occur in poor drainage and urban
areas. Landslides and debris flows are possible during this
flood event. If any landslides occur, people, structures, and
roads located below steep slopes, in canyons, and near the
mouths of canyons may be at risk. -Alviz
&&
.LONG TERM...Monday through Thursday...There remains excellent
agreement among ensemble guidance in the return to relatively
calmer weather during the early week as we transition to post-
frontal showers for Monday followed by ridging aloft on Tuesday.
Any lingering shower activity on Tuesday should stay lighter
and more confined to higher terrain like the Coast Range,
Willapa Hills, and Cascades/Cascade foothills. The beginning of
the week is also when rising river-levels 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 remain less than 10-15%, even with the increase in
rainfall across the lower elevations the last few forecast
cycles. Late Wednesday to Thursday, the brief break comes to an
end as there is good agreement among ensemble members in another
upper-level trough approaching the Pacific Northwest and
returning more wet weather. -Alviz
&&
.AVIATION...Southerly flow aloft today as a weather system moves
through the region, becoming westerly after 00z Saturday as the
weather system moves east of the Cascades. Scattered showers
continue into Saturday with ceilings bouncing between VFR and
MVFR. Possible reductions in visibilities to IFR with heavier
showers. South to southwesterly winds with gusts up to 30-35 kt
along the coast and up to 25 kt through the Willamette Valley,
mostly after 00z Saturday.
PDX AND APPROACHES...Showers continue through the TAF period
with ceilings expected to bounce between 2,000 and 4,000 feet.
There is a 70-80% chance of MVFR ceilings through around 13-15z
Saturday. Southerly winds 10-12 kts, expected to increase after
06z Saturday with gusts up to 25 kt possible. -DH/HEC
&&
.MARINE...A dynamic and active pattern is expected to continue
across the coastal waters today and through the weekend. As of
2 PM PDT, winds across the waters are currently gusting around
25-30 kts in the wake of a strong occluded front. The associated
990 mb low pressure system will move through the waters through
this evening, increasing southwest to westerly winds to low-end
gale force gusts to 35 kt through late tonight, mainly south of
Cape Falcon. 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, though the sea state is a bit more
chaotic as the seas have 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 19 ft late tonight into early Saturday. A Hazardous
Seas Warning 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, and a Gale Warning has been issued for 5-11 PM PDT
Saturday. Yet another system will be possible on Sunday, but
more than likely any impactful winds remain south of the area.
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/HEC
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Winter Storm Warning until 11 PM PDT Sunday for ORZ126>128.
WA...Winter Storm Warning until 11 PM PDT Sunday for WAZ211.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 2 AM PDT Saturday for PZZ210-251-271.
Hazardous Seas Warning from 2 AM to 11 PM PDT Saturday for
PZZ210-251-271.
Gale Warning until 5 AM PDT Saturday for PZZ252-253-272-273.
Gale Warning from 5 PM to 11 PM 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
Interact with us via social media:
www.facebook.com/NWSPortland
x.com/NWSPortlandThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The Swift Creek SNOTEL at 4440 ft recorded 21 inches of snowfall between 1500 3/14 and 2200 03/15 with 12 inches reached 0400 3/15.
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, 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: 1240183.