Blizzard — North Oregon Cascades, Oregon

2024-01-09 to 2024-01-10 · North Oregon Cascades, Oregon

Event narrative

Many SNOTEL sites recorded 2 to 3 feet of snow with snowfall rates on the order of 3/hr. Snow of this magnitude, coupled with winds gusting to 78 mph at pass elevation, resulted in hazardous driving conditions and the closure of ski lifts. Main highways such as Highway 26 were closed across the Cascades due to numerous crashes and spinouts.

Wider weather episode

A strong cold front swept across the Pacific Northwest on the 8th, ushering in much colder air. Strong and deep onshore flow in this cold air mass led to periods of heavy snow, strong winds for the Cascades, with snow for the lowlands.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1170686. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.