Heavy Snow — Northern Oregon Coast, Oregon

2023-02-22 to 2023-02-23 · Northern Oregon Coast, Oregon

Event narrative

Snow began falling around 2000 PST with significant accumulations shortly after tapering off around 1400 PST on the 23rd. A total of 3 to 8 inches fell, with up to 12 inches in the inland suburbs of Tillamook. Schools were closed as well as some county offices for two days. Oregon Department of Transportation reported closures on US 101 near Neskowin. Power went out at many coastal locations at 2100 PST on the 22nd.

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 1086526. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.