PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR 500 PM PST THU DEC 25 2008 ...CHRISTMAS 2008 IS BY FAR THE SNOWIEST IN PORTLAND HISTORY... ...DECEMBER 2008 IS THE SNOWIEST DECEMBER ON RECORD NEAR PORTLAND AIRPORT... RESIDENTS OF THE PORTLAND METRO AREA HAVE HAD AN ABUNDANCE OF SNOW OVER NEARLY THE PAST TWO WEEKS NOW...WITH FALLING SNOW REPORTED AT PORTLAND AIRPORT TODAY FOR THE 11TH CONSECUTIVE CALENDAR DAY. HISTORICALLY...THE 18.9 INCHES OF SNOW THAT HAVE FALLEN SO FAR THIS MONTH AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE IN NORTHEAST PORTLAND RANKS THIS AS THE SNOWIEST DECEMBER SINCE RECORDS BEGAN AT THE NEARBY AIRPORT IN 1940. ADDITIONALLY...THIS MONTH NOW RANKS AS THE SECOND SNOWIEST MONTH ON RECORD...ONLY BEATEN BY THE REMARKABLE 41.0 INCHES THAT FELL IN JANUARY 1950. NOTE THAT WHILE DECEMBER 2008 GOES DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS OF THE SNOWIEST IN HISTORY SINCE 1940...THERE WERE MANY MONTHS PRIOR TO 1940 WHERE THE OFFICIAL DOWNTOWN PORTLAND CLIMATE SITE RECORDED SNOWFALL IN EXCESS OF 30 INCHES. THIS WELL EXCEEDS THE AMOUNT OF SNOW REPORTED FROM ANYWHERE IN DOWNTOWN PORTLAND FOR DECEMBER 2008. SNOWFALL REPORTS THIS MONTH HAVE VARIED WIDELY ACROSS LOWER ELEVATIONS THE PORTLAND METRO AREA... RANGING FROM AS LOW AS 12-15 INCHES DOWNTOWN TO AS MUCH AS 25 INCHES IN OUTLYING AREAS... PARTICULARLY ON THE SOUTH AND WEST SIDE OF TOWN. HIGHER ELEVATIONS SUCH AS THE WEST HILLS AND THE LOWER FOOTHILLS OF THE COAST RANGE AND CASCADES HAVE LOCALLY RECEIVED EVEN MORE. THE SNOW THAT FELL EARLIER HAS STAYED ON THE GROUND ACROSS ALL OF THE PORTLAND AND VANCOUVER METRO AREA...WITH A WHITE CHRISTMAS FOR ALL METRO AREA RESIDENTS. IN FACT...THE AMOUNT OF SNOW ON THE GROUND THIS CHRISTMAS BY FAR EXCEEDED THE PREVIOUS SNOW DEPTH RECORDS FOR CHRISTMAS DAY...WHICH WERE 1.3 INCHES DOWNTOWN...1.0 INCH AT VANCOUVER...AND A TRACE AT PORTLAND AIRPORT. THE SNOW DEPTH THIS AFTERNOON AT THE NWS OFFICE IN NORTHEAST PORTLAND WAS 10 INCHES... INCLUDING A FRESH 0.8 INCH THAT FELL THIS AFTERNOON. ===================================================================== ...PORTLAND AIRPORT AND NEARBY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE... SNOW DATA PERIOD OF RECORD: PORTLAND AIRPORT: 1940-1996... NWS OFFICE: 1996-PRESENT) SNOWIEST DECEMBERS -------------------- ****** 1. 2008 DECEMBER 18.9 INCHES ****** 2. 1968 DECEMBER 15.7 INCHES 3. 1964 DECEMBER 11.0 INCHES 4. 1972 DECEMBER 6.1 INCHES SNOWIEST MONTHS (ANY MONTH) ----------------------------- 1. 1950 JANUARY 41.0 INCHES ****** 2. 2008 DECEMBER 18.9 INCHES ****** 3. 1969 JANUARY 18.3 INCHES 4. 1968 DECEMBER 15.7 INCHES 5. 1951 MARCH 12.9 INCHES 6. 1980 JANUARY 12.4 INCHES 7. 1964 DECEMBER 11.0 INCHES ===================================================================== $$ WEAGLE