Heavy Snow — Greater Portland Metro Area, Oregon

2023-02-22 · Greater Portland Metro Area, Oregon

Event narrative

Light snow began to around 0900 PST, but the heaviest snow fell during the afternoon through early evening hours. Around 6 to 12 inches of snow fell in the Portland/Vancouver metro area by 2230 PST. This resulted in snarled traffic and numerous traffic accidents. Many vehicles were caught up in the traffic jam well into the night. Portland International Airport closed briefly. Schools and government offices were closed for up to two days following the event. Over 80 Trimet buses were stranded due to the rapidly deteriorating road conditions. Hundreds of cars were abandoned on area roadways, even on freeways.

Wider weather episode

A significant winter weather event impacted portions of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. Particularly hard hit was the Portland and Vancouver metro area. A crippling snowstorm impacted the Portland and Vancouver metro area on the afternoon of February 22, continuing into the night. The storm brought widespread 6 to 12 inch snowfall totals to the area. Snowfall distribution was greatly influenced by mesoscale banding. The timing of this event also magnified its impacts.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1084482. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.