An upper level low passage over the Oregon Cascades produced moderate to heavy snow showers that resulted in heavy snow accumulations in the overnight hours April 1st into the 2nd.
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The episode as NWS PDT wrote it up.
An upper level low passage over the Oregon Cascades produced moderate to heavy snow showers that resulted in heavy snow accumulations in the overnight hours April 1st into the 2nd.
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 Apr 1, 2:22 AM PST, 1 hour 38 minutes earlier. Its key messages:
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pendleton OR 322 AM PDT Wed Apr 1 2026 .KEY MESSAGES... - Mountain snowfall today through Thursday - Isolated thunderstorms today - Breezy to windy today and Thursday && .DISCUSSION... Water vapor imagery reveals a closed low churning offshore in the Pacific, northwest of our forecast area. Meanwhile, a weak warm frontal boundary is lifting east-northeast into the Pacific Northwest early this morning. Light precipitation (snow for the mountains, rain for the lowlands) associated with the front is ongoing, and expected (99 percent confidence) to spread east through morning. This afternoon, stronger showers (snow for the mountains, rain for the lowlands) are likely (90 percent confidence) as a well- defined cold front rotates inland around the aforementioned parent upper low. Isolated thunderstorms embedded within the broader shower activity will be supported by steepening lapse rates and strengthening synoptic forcing, especially along the cold frontal boundary this afternoon. Squalls are advertised by multiple CAMs, with a brief burst of convectively enhanced wind gusts of 40-50 mph possible (50 percent confidence) along the front during the afternoon into evening. Confidence is low (10 percent) in outflow reaching or exceeding severe thresholds (50 kts). The environment also looks supportive of snow squalls for the mountains, with the best chances in the Oregon Cascades and Blues during the afternoon hours. On the subject of winter weather, headlines are in effect today through Thursday for mountain snowfall in the Cascades. Snowfall is expected to be heaviest for the Oregon Cascades, and the NBM shows high probabilities (70-90 percent) of exceeding 8 inches of snowfall above 4000 feet through Thursday. Chances of exceeding advisory-level snowfall for the Washington Cascades have come down compared to what was previously forecast, but are still medium (40-60 percent). Snow levels will drop low enough tonight into Thursday morning to support accumulating snowfall as low as 1500-2500 feet where showers persist. Modest chances (20-50 percent) of measurable snowfall exist for central Oregon, the John Day Basin, and the Grande Ronde Valley. Higher chances (up to 70 percent) are forecast for Wallowa Valley. Looking ahead to Thursday, widespread breezy to windy conditions are expected (80 percent confidence), especially during the afternoon hours, in a well-mixed, post-frontal environment as the upper low tracks overhead and then east of the forecast area. The NBM is advertising medium-high (40-80 percent) probabilities of exceeding advisory-level wind gusts (45 mph or greater) for much of the Columbia Gorge, Kittitas Valley, foothills of the Blue Mountains, and portions of the lower Columbia Basin. Ensemble cluster analysis suggests high model concensus (90 percent of members or greater) that upper-level ridging will return Friday through the weekend, resulting in above-normal temperatures and dry conditions. 86 && .AVIATION /06Z TAFS THROUGH 06Z THURSDAY/... A mix of conditions across sites through the period. A system approaching the region will brings periods of rain to all sites, with a frontal band producing light rain at sites PDT/YKM/ALW/PSC periodically between 10Z to 17Z. There will be a lull late in the morning, with the next round of light rain arriving between 20Z-22Z at these sites, and at sites RDM/BDN. Light rain will end around 00Z at site YKM, 03Z for sites RDM/BDN/PSC, and later in the evening for sites PDT/ALW. Site DLS will see consistent light rain between 10Z-23Z. CIGs are expected to become MVFR or lower with heavier rain bands at most sites, except RDM/PSC where VFR CIGs will prevail (confidence 65-80%). Winds will increase to 12-20kts with gusts 20-30kts at sites RDM/BDN in the afternoon and in the evening at site PSC. Winds will be 12kts or less at all other sites through the period. Lawhorn/82 && .Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs... PDT 58 35 52 32 / 100 90 50 10 ALW 57 37 52 37 / 100 100 60 20 PSC 58 38 60 35 / 90 90 20 0 YKM 54 32 57 32 / 90 60 10 0 HRI 59 36 57 34 / 90 90 20 0 ELN 48 32 50 33 / 80 80 20 0 RDM 55 27 49 22 / 90 80 30 0 LGD 55 32 46 29 / 90 100 80 40 GCD 53 30 44 26 / 100 100 90 20 DLS 55 37 56 36 / 100 70 30 0 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... WA...Winter Weather Advisory until 11 AM PDT Thursday for WAZ522. OR...Winter Storm Warning until 5 PM PDT Thursday for ORZ509. && DISCUSSION...86 AVIATION...82
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The Hogg Pass SNOTEL measure 10 inches of new snow in a 12 hour period ending at 0800 PDT on the 2nd.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2026Every state in 2026This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, April 2026
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: 1335085.