Heavy Snow — Western Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

2023-02-22 · Western Columbia River Gorge, Oregon

Event narrative

Snow began falling around 0900 PST with significant accumulations during the afternoon, then tapering off around 2230 PST. A total of 6 to 12 inches fell. Wide variation in snowfall totals, ranging from a couple inches near Cascade Locks to over a foot closer to Rooster Rock, Corbett, and Washougal.

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 1086487. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.