Heavy Snow — Central & Eastern Lake County, Oregon

2007-01-16 · Central & Eastern Lake County, Oregon

Event narrative

Icy roads were blamed for a major automotive accident that killed two people.

Wider weather episode

An unseasonably cold air mass was in place over Oregon when a weak disturbance brought some moisture to the area. Low level snowfall was anticipated with forecast amounts of less than an inch, but the system had more moisture than expected. 2 to 5 inches of snow fell across large areas of southwest Oregon, right down to the coast. Numerous minor traffic accidents, road closures, and school closures occurred as a result of this storm.

A Snow Advisory was issued for Oregon zones ORZ023/024/026 at 16/1034 PST, effective until 16/1500 PST. It expired at 16/1500 PST. Most reported snowfall amounts fell in the 1-3 inch category, but some areas experienced 4 or more inches of snow, which meets Winter Storm Warning criteria in those areas. Those reports are listed here.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 6370. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.