A powerful storm pummeled the Pacific Northwest on January 12th and 13th, bringing power outages, resort closures, and a barrage of snow-pulverizing rain to Mount Hood.

The U.S. Weather Service classified the storm as a level 5 out of 5 atmospheric river system. Wind speeds reached 97 miles per hour on the Palmer Snowfield. Downed trees and power lines resulted in widespread power failures.

Mt. Hood Meadows suspended operations on Tuesday and ran on generators on Wednesday. Locals and visitors in Government Camp were among the 600,000 people who lost electricity throughout the Northwest.

Nearly 10 inches of snow fell in the foothills, and rivers downstream swelled to flood stage and over. Landslides broke loose in the Columbia River Gorge and steep ski terrain in Heather Canyon and Private Reserve was closed to the public due to avalanche concerns.

I-84 was closed east of Troutdale after a landslide swept away a vehicle early Wednesday morning. As of Friday morning, search and rescue teams still had not found the driver, Jennifer Camus Moore, 50, of Dodson, Oregon.

All in a La Nina Year(!)

The damage and destruction came from a wild combination of rapid warming, heavy winds, and vicious rainfall. The freezing level on Mount Hood shot up from the usual 3,000 feet or so to over 8,000 feet as the storm peaked, initiating a massive mountain meltdown.

All of this occurred in the middle of a La Nina year supposed to be characterized by colder temperatures in the ocean and the atmosphere, stoking concern about the ongoing and future impacts of climate change on the future of snow and snow sports.

The mountain lost 10 inches of snowpack at 6,000 feet of elevation. Fortunately, the snow level was high to begin with, and as of noon on Friday, the snow level at 6,000 feet is still a fairly respectable 89 inches. After a mid-week sun break the temperature is dropping back down and freezing levels returning to normal, with snow in the 7-day Mount Hood forecast.

Last modified: January 16, 2021