PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR 600 PM PST TUE DEC 23 2008 ...A HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON THE DECEMBER 20-22 2008 SNOWSTORM... PLENTY OF SNOW HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE REGION THIS PAST WEEKEND... AS WELL AS LAST WEEK. IN FACT...WITH A BRIEF PERIOD OF LIGHT SNOW THIS AFTERNOON...TODAY BECAME THE 9TH CONSECUTIVE CALENDAR DAY WHERE AT LEAST A TRACE OF SNOW FELL ON THE PORTLAND AIRPORT. GENERALLY 10 TO 16 INCHES OF SNOW FELL ACROSS THE PORTLAND AND VANCOUVER METRO AREA. HISTORICALLY...THIS IS THE BIGGEST SNOW EVENT FOR THE VALLEY FLOOR LOCATIONS OF THE PORTLAND METRO AREA SINCE AT LEAST 1980. FOR SOME AREAS OUTSIDE OF DOWNTOWN PORTLAND...THIS EVENT WAS THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL IN AT LEAST 40 YEARS...WHEN THE BIG DECEMBER SNOWSTORM OF 1968 HIT THE AREA. DESPITE BEING THE BIGGEST SNOWSTORM IN A GENERATION...THIS STORM DID NOT QUITE MAKE THE ALL-TIME TOP TEN LIST OF SNOW STORMS FOR DOWNTOWN PORTLAND. THIS IS DUE TO SEVERAL BIGGER SNOW EVENTS BETWEEN THE LATE 1800S TO MID 1900S...WHEN DOUBLE-DIGIT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WERE MUCH MORE COMMON FOR THE PORTLAND AREA. A STORM IS DEFINED FROM THE ONSET OF STEADY PRECIPITATION UNTIL THE END OF THE SHOWERY PERIOD BEHIND THE STORM. OFTEN...THIS MAY BE A 1 TO 3 DAY PERIOD. THE 2008 STORM IS FROM SATURDAY MORNING THROUGH MONDAY MORNING. ================================================================== ...PORTLAND DOWNTOWN (PERIOD OF RECORD: 1880-PRESENT)... TOP TEN SNOWSTORMS 1. 1893 JAN-FEB 31.8 INCHES 2. 1916 JAN-FEB 27.9 INCHES 3. 1884 DEC 22.3 INCHES 4. 1943 JAN 19.2 INCHES 5. 1919 DEC 17.5 INCHES 6. 1937 JAN-FEB 16.8 INCHES 7. 1980 JAN 16.3 INCHES 8. 1950 JAN 16.1 INCHES 9. 1890 JAN 13.2 INCHES 10. 1956 JAN 13.0 INCHES DECEMBER 20-22 2008 SNOWSTORM.................10.0 INCHES ==================================================================== ...PORTLAND AIRPORT AND NEARBY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE... SNOW DATA PERIOD OF RECORD: PORTLAND AIRPORT: 1940-1996... NWS OFFICE: 1996-PRESENT) BIGGEST SNOWSTORMS 1. 1950 JANUARY 22.0 INCHES 2. 1968-69 DEC-JAN 14.8 INCHES 3. 1951 MARCH 12.9 INCHES ****** 4. 2008 DECEMBER 12.4 INCHES ****** 5. 1980 JANUARY 11.4 INCHES 6. 1995 FEBRUARY 11.0 INCHES 7. 1964 DECEMBER 10.7 INCHES SNOWIEST DECEMBERS 1. 1968 DECEMBER 15.7 INCHES ****** 2. 2008 DECEMBER 14.9 INCHES ****** 3. 1964 DECEMBER 11.0 INCHES 4. 1972 DECEMBER 6.1 INCHES SNOWIEST MONTHS (ALL WINTER) 1. 1950 JANUARY 41.0 INCHES 2. 1969 JANUARY 18.3 INCHES 3. 1968 DECEMBER 15.7 INCHES ****** 4. 2008 DECEMBER 14.9 INCHES ****** 5. 1951 MARCH 12.9 INCHES 6. 1980 JANUARY 12.4 INCHES 7. 1964 DECEMBER 11.0 INCHES ==================================================================== VANCOUVER (PERIOD OF RECORD: 1896-PRESENT)... DECEMBER 20-22 2008 STORM TOTALS........AROUND 13.0 INCHES BIGGEST SNOWSTORM 1916 JAN-FEB 20.9 INCHES 1919 JAN-FEB 19.2 INCHES 1919 DEC 18.3 INCHES 1943 JAN 16.0 INCHES 1950 JAN 13.0 INCHES 1930 JAN 12.7 INCHES 1923 FEB 11.7 INCHES SNOWIEST DECEMBERS 1919 18.3 INCHES 1922 10.7 INCHES 1972 8.3 INCHES SNOWIEST MONTHS (ALL WINTER) 1950 JAN 35.3 INCHES 1916 JAN 22.1 INCHES 1930 JAN 18.5 INCHES 1919 DEC 18.3 INCHES 1909 JAN 18.0 INCHES 1943 JAN 16.0 INCHES 1937 FEB 15.7 INCHES 1901 JAN 15.2 INCHES ==================================================================== ASTORIA AIRPORT (PERIOD OF RECORD: 1892-PRESENT)... DECEMBER 20-22 2008 STORM TOTALS.........4 TO 7 INCHES (NOTE: TOTALS VARIED GREATLY BY PROXIMITY TO THE OCEAN) BIGGEST SNOWSTORM 1969 JAN 19.1 INCHES 1964 DEC 16.0 INCHES 1922 DEC 12.5 INCHES SEVERAL STORMS OF 6-8 INCHES SNOWIEST DECEMBERS 1964 19.0 INCHES 1922 12.5 INCHES SNOWIEST MONTHS (ALL WINTER) 1950 JAN 26.9 INCHES 1969 JAN 26.3 INCHES 1964 DEC 19.0 INCHES 1943 JAN 13.8 INCHES ===================================================================== NWS PORTLAND CLIMATE STAFF $$