Winter Storm — Cascade Foothills in Lane County, Oregon

2022-04-10 to 2022-04-11 · Cascade Foothills in Lane County, Oregon

Event narrative

Around 4 to 8 inches of snow fell in a 12 hour period.

Wider weather episode

Unseasonably cold air was in place over the Pacific Northwest, with temperatures marginally cold enough for a low elevation snow event from the Portland metro northward. A storm system moved over northwest Oregon and southwest Washington bringing widespread snowfall to many areas north of Salem, Oregon. This system brought several inches of snow to the Willamette Valley in addition to the Coast Range and Cascades. By the late morning/early afternoon, much of the snow west of the Columbia River Gorge had transitioned to rain. An impressive low pressure system near 995 mb developed offshore and moved straight eastward with a track just south of the Portland metro area, which is often considered an ideal snow track in winter, not April. The result was the latest measurable snowfall on record at both Portland Airport and Downtown Portland. Records for Downtown Portland go back to the 19th century.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1025872. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.