Jump to content

On This Day In History...Major Weather Events in the PNW or West


snow_wizard

Recommended Posts

12-13-

 

1852 - One of the all time great December cold waves in PNW history began on the this date with cold temperatures and 2.5" snow at Fort Steliacom.  The weather remained very cold through the 26th with the whitest and coldest Christmas on record for the area.

 

1884 - Another one of the all time great December cold / snow events in PNW history began on this date with 3 inches of snow at Tacoma.

Death To Warm Anomalies!

 

Winter 2023-24 stats

 

Total Snowfall = 1.0"

Day with 1" or more snow depth = 1

Total Hail = 0.0

Total Ice = 0.2

Coldest Low = 13

Lows 32 or below = 45

Highs 32 or below = 3

Lows 20 or below = 3

Highs 40 or below = 9

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There was basically no one there then. Doesn't count. Seattle wasn't even officially a town yet.

 

It was a great one though.

Death To Warm Anomalies!

 

Winter 2023-24 stats

 

Total Snowfall = 1.0"

Day with 1" or more snow depth = 1

Total Hail = 0.0

Total Ice = 0.2

Coldest Low = 13

Lows 32 or below = 45

Highs 32 or below = 3

Lows 20 or below = 3

Highs 40 or below = 9

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

December 13 was the first official day of the big pattern change.....in 1884.

 

People who think 2008 was impressive should see how much it pales in comparison to 124 years earlier, only offering further proof that even the royal-flush, powerball megamillions winning patterns of today (actually of a decade ago now) still are dwarfed in comparison to yesteryear.

 

34" in two weeks with three major Arctic blasts. Epic. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Call me a downer, but I was always disappointed by the underwhelming cold stats December 2008 put up, especially in Oregon (Sans EUG which is its own world on cold stats.). PDX never got below 20 in December 2008...LAME.

 

To me December 2008 always represented an event that left so much on the table...

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Call me a downer, but I was always disappointed by the underwhelming cold stats December 2008 put up, especially in Oregon (Sans EUG which is its own world on cold stats.). PDX never got below 20 in December 2008...LAME.

 

To me December 2008 always represented an event that left so much on the table...

More of a Fraser river event than gorge I assume? There were impressive numbers up north.

-4F at Nanaimo was an all time record.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More of a Fraser river event than gorge I assume? There were impressive numbers up north.

-4F at Nanaimo was an all time record.

 

Perhaps. The Dec. 14-16th cold wave brought the coldest temperatures to Oregon, with Eugene hitting single digits. The stuff later on never made it south of Salem/Albany.

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Call me a downer, but I was always disappointed by the underwhelming cold stats December 2008 put up, especially in Oregon (Sans EUG which is its own world on cold stats.). PDX never got below 20 in December 2008...LAME.

 

To me December 2008 always represented an event that left so much on the table...

 

It was good, but it never delivered a top tier blast here.  Still the best month of this century though.

Death To Warm Anomalies!

 

Winter 2023-24 stats

 

Total Snowfall = 1.0"

Day with 1" or more snow depth = 1

Total Hail = 0.0

Total Ice = 0.2

Coldest Low = 13

Lows 32 or below = 45

Highs 32 or below = 3

Lows 20 or below = 3

Highs 40 or below = 9

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

More of a Fraser river event than gorge I assume? There were impressive numbers up north.

-4F at Nanaimo was an all time record.

 

Amazing it beat events like February 1989.  That -4 could have been caused by all of the possible variables being perfect.

Death To Warm Anomalies!

 

Winter 2023-24 stats

 

Total Snowfall = 1.0"

Day with 1" or more snow depth = 1

Total Hail = 0.0

Total Ice = 0.2

Coldest Low = 13

Lows 32 or below = 45

Highs 32 or below = 3

Lows 20 or below = 3

Highs 40 or below = 9

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Call me a downer, but I was always disappointed by the underwhelming cold stats December 2008 put up, especially in Oregon (Sans EUG which is its own world on cold stats.). PDX never got below 20 in December 2008...LAME.

 

To me December 2008 always represented an event that left so much on the table...

2008 up here, snow and cold from the 13th through Christmas with 34” of snow, a low of -1, and heavy snow Christmas morning...Top tier in my book!
  • Like 1

Elevation 580’ Location a few miles east of I-5 on the Snohomish Co side of the Snohomish/Skagit border. I love snow/cold AND sun/warmth! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Call me a downer, but I was always disappointed by the underwhelming cold stats December 2008 put up, especially in Oregon (Sans EUG which is its own world on cold stats.). PDX never got below 20 in December 2008...LAME.

 

To me December 2008 always represented an event that left so much on the table...

 

That's one way to look at it....but for persistent cold/snow over a 2 week period, you won't find many better periods in the past 50 years.

 

Obviously it was better further north.

A forum for the end of the world.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Perhaps. The Dec. 14-16th cold wave brought the coldest temperatures to Oregon, with Eugene hitting single digits. The stuff later on never made it south of Salem/Albany.

It was an amazing cold air dam event. West Valley like Spirit Mtn Casino, Dallas, Monmouth stayed in the snow for most of that. Had a few hours of freezing rain, then the bent back occlusion brought more snow and temps stayed below freezing and the onshore flow behind it was incredibly light, dropping another foot of snow on top of the foot of snow and inch of ice. It was a nightmare for forecasters, who thought we would warm up much more quickly.

Springfield, Oregon regular season 2023-24 Stats:

  • Coldest high: 25F (Jan 14, 2024)
  • Coldest low: 20F (Jan 14, 2024)
  • Days with below freezing temps: 24 (Most recent: Mar 8, 2024)
  • Days with sub-40F highs: 4 (Most recent: Jan 16, 2024)
  • Total snowfall: 0.0"
  • Total ice: 2.25”
  • Last accumulating snowfall on roads: Dec 27, 2021 (1.9")
  • Last sub-freezing high: Jan 15, 2024 (27F)
  • Last White Christmas: 1990
  • Significant wind events (gusts 45+): 0

Personal Stats:

  • Last accumulating snowfall on roads: Dec 27, 2021
  • Last sub-freezing high: Jan 16, 2024 (32F)
  • Last White Christmas: 2008
  • Total snowfall since joining TheWeatherForums: 42.0"
  • Sub-freezing highs since joining TheWeatherForums: 4

 

Venmo

GoFundMe "College Basketball vs Epilepsy": gf.me/u/zk3pj2

My Twitter @CBBjerseys4hope

24

Link to comment
Share on other sites

For snow it was pretty incredible. At my Dad's farm near Silverton I measured 16.5" that month. Silver Falls had their record snow depth for December with 32". Down here the biggest snow event was actually on the 22nd. Got about 6" that day.

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was a doozy!

 

Wow! I forgot this was on the 14th too! I was back for Christmas break from college when this hit. It was a big wind storm in the east willamette valley too!

  • Like 1

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It was a doozy!

 

Wow!  I forgot it killed 14 people.  That was one nasty storm.  I'll never forget watching the trees bend and hearing the wind roar with that one.  We were without power for 3 days.  Some people may forget it got cold after that also.  It dropped to 23 here a couple of days after the storm.

  • Like 1

Death To Warm Anomalies!

 

Winter 2023-24 stats

 

Total Snowfall = 1.0"

Day with 1" or more snow depth = 1

Total Hail = 0.0

Total Ice = 0.2

Coldest Low = 13

Lows 32 or below = 45

Highs 32 or below = 3

Lows 20 or below = 3

Highs 40 or below = 9

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow!  I forgot it killed 14 people.  That was one nasty storm.  I'll never forget watching the trees bend and hearing the wind roar with that one.  We were without power for 3 days.  Some people may forget it got cold after that also.  It dropped to 23 here a couple of days after the storm.

 

It was a pretty dramatic crash down here too. PDX hit 60 on the 14th with the south winds. The following afternoon, it was in the mid 30's with a rain/snow mix. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I forgot to mention the December 12, 1921 floods a couple of days ago.  5.58" of rain fell in Seattle in three days with one of the highest 24 hour totals ever recorded.  The extreme rainfall and flooding was followed by several weeks of cold and eventually snowy weather Dec 14 through much of January.

Death To Warm Anomalies!

 

Winter 2023-24 stats

 

Total Snowfall = 1.0"

Day with 1" or more snow depth = 1

Total Hail = 0.0

Total Ice = 0.2

Coldest Low = 13

Lows 32 or below = 45

Highs 32 or below = 3

Lows 20 or below = 3

Highs 40 or below = 9

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

December 15-16, 1924: Possibly the greatest Arctic front in PNW history. 

 

Bellingham:

14th: 55/46

15th: 50/11

16th: 11/1

 

Seattle:

14th: 51/45

15th: 45/18

16th: 19/15

 

Lakeside (Lake Chelan):

14th: 63/40

15th: 45/0

16th: 6/-1

 

Dayville, OR:

15th: 63/31

16th: 32/13

17th: 6/-4

 

Kalispell, MT:

14th: 54/44

15th: 48/-17

16th: -11/-17

 

Big Timber, MT:

14th: 67/50

15th: 60/-5

16th: -5/-20

 

Great Falls, MT:

14th: 60/17

15th: 18/-24

16th: -24/-32

 

Helena, MT:

14th: 63/16

15th: 16/-25

16th: -24/-29

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

December 15-16, 1924: Possibly the greatest Arctic front in PNW history.

 

Bellingham:

14th: 55/46

15th: 50/11

16th: 11/1

 

Seattle:

14th: 51/45

15th: 45/18

16th: 19/15

 

Lakeside (Lake Chelan):

14th: 63/40

15th: 45/0

16th: 6/-1

 

Dayville, OR:

15th: 63/31

16th: 32/13

17th: 6/-4

 

Kalispell, MT:

14th: 54/44

15th: 48/-17

16th: -11/-17

 

Big Timber, MT:

14th: 67/50

15th: 60/-5

16th: -5/-20

 

Great Falls, MT:

14th: 60/17

15th: 18/-24

16th: -24/-32

 

Helena, MT:

14th: 63/16

15th: 16/-25

16th: -24/-29

Wow that Bellingham reading of 50/11 is amazing. I would love to witness an event like that!

I believe the most dramatic temp change that I remember is 37 mid afternoon down to 13 by evening During the Dec. 1996 event.

Elevation 580’ Location a few miles east of I-5 on the Snohomish Co side of the Snohomish/Skagit border. I love snow/cold AND sun/warmth! 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

To further expound on 1924...

 

Seattle had a max wind speed of SW 68 on the 11th just to wake folks up a bit.  After that a pineapple express set up on Dec 14-15 which eventually turned to snow as the Arctic air rushed in.  The city had a max one minute wind speed of S 43 on the 14th which shifted to N 34 on the 15th.  They had a LOW temperature of 51 on the 13th and two days later it had plunged to 18 degrees.  6 inches of snow fell in the city with widespread 6 to 12 inch accumulations common before the skies cleared.

 

The weather remained frigid through the 26th and there was snow on the ground for Christmas.  Newspaper accounts speak of large numbers of people ice skating on local lakes during this cold wave.

Death To Warm Anomalies!

 

Winter 2023-24 stats

 

Total Snowfall = 1.0"

Day with 1" or more snow depth = 1

Total Hail = 0.0

Total Ice = 0.2

Coldest Low = 13

Lows 32 or below = 45

Highs 32 or below = 3

Lows 20 or below = 3

Highs 40 or below = 9

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We had some thundersnow with that band.

 

No snow in Silverton, but we had about 1-2" of hail fall and then went straight into a fogversion for a couple days so it stuck around!

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow that Bellingham reading of 50/11 is amazing. I would love to witness an event like that!

I believe the most dramatic temp change that I remember is 37 mid afternoon down to 13 by evening During the Dec. 1996 event.

 

That is one thing I enjoy about Oklahoma. Temp crashes like that happen from time to time. In December 2008 my town here went from a high of 74 one day to a high of 18 the next. Unreal.

 

Looking at Dec. 1924 here, it went from very warm to very cold, but not so dramatically...

 

https://climate.usurf.usu.edu/reports/e15daily.php?stn=USW00003959&year=1924&month=12&unit=EN&network=direct:ghcn&sidebar=0

 

Here is the temp crash in 2008...There was another big temp crash about a week later too...

 

https://climate.usurf.usu.edu/reports/e15daily.php?stn=USW00003959&year=2008&month=12&unit=EN&network=direct:ghcn&sidebar=0

  • Like 1

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

December 15-16, 1924: Possibly the greatest Arctic front in PNW history. 

 

Bellingham:

14th: 55/46

15th: 50/11

16th: 11/1

 

Seattle:

14th: 51/45

15th: 45/18

16th: 19/15

 

Lakeside (Lake Chelan):

14th: 63/40

15th: 45/0

16th: 6/-1

 

Dayville, OR:

15th: 63/31

16th: 32/13

17th: 6/-4

 

Kalispell, MT:

14th: 54/44

15th: 48/-17

16th: -11/-17

 

Big Timber, MT:

14th: 67/50

15th: 60/-5

16th: -5/-20

 

Great Falls, MT:

14th: 60/17

15th: 18/-24

16th: -24/-32

 

Helena, MT:

14th: 63/16

15th: 16/-25

16th: -24/-29

1884, 1924, and 1964 all had gargantuan arctic pushes on the 16th of December.

 

Needless to say 2004 did not and ruined a perfectly nice streak.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1884, 1924, and 1964 all had gargantuan arctic pushes on the 16th of December.

 

Needless to say 2004 did not and ruined a nice streak.

 

But then a month later...Oh wait...Nevermind...

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On the night of December 17-18, 2010, I got rocked by downslope winds in Oregon City as a low pressure approached from the Pacific. For about an hour, maybe an hour and a half, winds blew out of the east at about 30-40 mph, with gusts to 50+. This was extremely unusual for the location I used to live. I'm guessing the gradients set up just right on that night, and perhaps this particular local configuration only happens once every 5 years? 10 years? Who knows. Regardless, the wind kicked up from a regular breeze around 12:30 or 1am, reaching a full-on windstorm in just a few minutes, and by 2am it was over as quickly as it began. 

 

KUAO never exceeded 15 mph during that stretch:

 

https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/kuao/2010/12/18/DailyHistory.html

 

While PDX kicked up to 37g50 by 3:45am:

 

https://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/kpdx/2010/12/18/DailyHistory.html

 

Really unusual and memorable local phenomenon down in Oregon City that night. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12-18-

 

1949 - The first round of cold and snowy weather during this epic winter hit Western WA bringing widespread snowfall and well below normal temperatures.  Landsburg had 6.2 inches of snow with this event.

 

1968 - The first round of cold and snowy weather to strike Western WA during this amazing winter occurred on this date.  SEA had 5.1" of snow...some of which would remain on the ground for the next 5 days with three consecutive days recording highs of 35 or lower.  Not bad for an appetizer!

Death To Warm Anomalies!

 

Winter 2023-24 stats

 

Total Snowfall = 1.0"

Day with 1" or more snow depth = 1

Total Hail = 0.0

Total Ice = 0.2

Coldest Low = 13

Lows 32 or below = 45

Highs 32 or below = 3

Lows 20 or below = 3

Highs 40 or below = 9

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

12/18 - We are in prime time winter now folks. Here is how it looked here on this date.

 

1948 - A chilly 35/14. December 1948 as actually a pretty chilly month at Silver Falls. 

 

1964 - The last day of the brief, but intense cold snap. 34/11, with the 11 being the record low for the date. 

 

1989 - A fake cold setup led to the record min/max of 31. December 1989 had a wet first week, but was incredibly dry the last 3 weeks of the month.

 

2008 - Cold onshore flow 32/28 and 3" of snow fell.

 

2012 - Daily snowfall record of 4.5" fell.

Snowfall                                  Precip

2022-23: 95.0"                      2022-23: 17.39"

2021-22: 52.6"                    2021-22: 91.46" 

2020-21: 12.0"                    2020-21: 71.59"

2019-20: 23.5"                   2019-20: 58.54"

2018-19: 63.5"                   2018-19: 66.33"

2017-18: 30.3"                   2017-18: 59.83"

2016-17: 49.2"                   2016-17: 97.58"

2015-16: 11.75"                 2015-16: 68.67"

2014-15: 3.5"
2013-14: 11.75"                  2013-14: 62.30
2012-13: 16.75"                 2012-13: 78.45  

2011-12: 98.5"                   2011-12: 92.67"

It's always sunny at Winters Hill! 
Fighting the good fight against weather evil.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On this date in 1998, Arctic air arrived in Portland. East winds kicked up at 3:00pm. By midnight the dewpoint was down to 10. 

 

12-18: 45/32

12-19: 36/24

12-20: 25/16

 

The last truly impressive upper air Arctic blast (to date) overspread the PNW, with 850's bottoming out at -17.5c over SLE. The low at PDX was 11 on 12-23-1998, placing it in a tie with 1-13-2017 for the lowest reading since Feb 1989.

 

This blast was a true one-hit wonder. The seasonal low at PDX had been just 32 up until the 19th. Starting on Christmas Day, the rest of the winter was a +EPO hosefest with barely a whiff of any continental air the rest of the way. Modern era (1948-) running averages for +EPO were set for both 30 and 60 day periods during Jan-Mar 1999. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...

×
×
  • Create New...