Ice Storm — Western Columbia Gorge, Washington

2017-01-17 to 2017-01-18 · Western Columbia Gorge, Washington

Event narrative

Devastating Ice Storm in the Columbia River Gorge, with ice accumulations generally around 1 to 2 inches. State Route 14 through the Gorge was closed for 24 hours. Interstate 84 (I-84) through the Gorge was closed for a good part of 3 days.

Wider weather episode

An approaching low pressure system brought rain across the Columbia River Gorge, while cold air was trapped at the surface and was slow to clear out. This brought a tremendous amount of freezing rain to the Columbia Gorge, closing I-84 and SR-14 to travel through the Gorge. Freezing rain was observed as far west as the Vancouver Airport, impacting the east side of the Vancouver Metro as well, mainly near the Columbia River.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 677419. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.