RAIN. If you needed a word to describe the typical weather here in the Northwest, it would be ‘rain.’
Every so often, though, it snows… especially since we moved to into the foothills of the Cascades. One of the things that appealed to me was that we would be getting snow on a regular basis in the winter. Lucky (?) for me, the first two years we moved here were the heaviest snowfall seasons the local area had seen in 10-15 years, according to the folks who’d lived nearby for a while. I decided to write down certain stats, to do a year over year comparison. This is just casual observations made during the season… nothing scientific or anything, but I think it will end up being pretty interesting!
Here’s the summary of the ‘records’… the ‘most’ or ‘earliest’ or’longest’ when it comes to the snow where we live.
| Most Snow | Least Snow | Biggest Snow Event | Earliest snow | Most Snow Events | Latest Snow | Longest Span |
| 77″ (08-09) | 2.5″ (09-10) | 40″ (18-19) | Oct 8 (19-20), | 24 (08-09) | April 21 (07-08) | 177 (19-20) |
The Records:
Most Snow In a year: 77″, in 2008-2009
Earliest Snow:
Latest Snow:
Biggest Snow Event:
Most Snow Events:
This is my ‘unscientific’ attempt at keeping a summary of what happened over the years. Most of the individual snow events are listed in the ‘Currently’ section of my site… eventually, it’ll get more and more interesting as time goes on.
| Season | White Xmas? | Total Snow | Biggest Snow Event | First snow | # of Snow Events | Last Snow | Span |
| 2021-2022 | ??? | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2020-2021 | No | 19″ | 6″ (Feb 14) | Nov 9 | 10 | April 10 | 152 Days |
| 2019-2020 | No | 22″ | 8″ (Jan 16) | Oct 8 (sleet/hail) | 9 | Apr 3 | 177 Days |
| 2018-2019 | No | 49″ | 40″ (Feb 10-12) | Nov 3 | 7 | Feb 18 | 95 Days |
| 2017-2018 | YES | 7″ | 2″ (Dec 25) | Nov 3 | 11 | Mar 24 | 136 Days |
| 2016-2017 | YES | 52″ | 11″ (Jan 6) | Dec 4 | 16 | Mar 7 | 94 Days |
| 2015-2016 | YES | 11″ | 6″ (Dec 12) | Dec 12 | 5 | Jan 6 | 27 Days |
| 2014-2015 | No | 5″ | 3″ (Nov 29) | Nov 29 | 2 | Dec 15 | 16 Days |
| 2013-2014 | No | 3″ | 1″ (Dec 20) | Dec 2 | 4 | Apr 11 | 130 Days |
| 2012 – 2013 | No | 6″ | 1″ (Apr 5) | Dec 15 | 9 | Apr 14 | 120 Days |
| 2011-2012 | No | 47″ | 11″ (Jan 17) | Jan 14 | 15 | Mar 22 | 69 Days |
| 2010-2011 | No | 52.5″ | 18″ (Feb 23-24) | Nov 21 | 11 | April 21 | 151 Days |
| 2009-2010 | No | 2.5″ | 2″ (Dec 15) | Nov 13 | 3 | Dec 16 | 34 Days |
| 2008-2009 | YES! | 77″ | 23″ (Dec 25-26) | Dec 11 | 24 | April 14 | 124 Days |
| 2007 – 2008 | YES | 67″ | 14″ (Dec 1-2) | Dec 1 | 20 | April 21 | 141 Days |
Notes:
A “White Christmas” means snow on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day.
A “Snow Event” means .it stuck on the grass or porch, and I have a picture of it.
Past Seasons:
The Winter of 2021-2022: Data unavailable.
The Winter of 2020-2021:
No White Christmas, 19″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 6″ on Feb 14, first snow Nov 9, 10 snow events, last snow April 10, spanning 152 days.
The Winter of 2019-2020:
No White Christmas, 22″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 8″ on Jan 16, first snow Oct 8 (sleet/hail), 9 snow events, last snow Apr 3, spanning 177 days.
The Winter of 2018-2019: No White Christmas, 49″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 40″ from Feb 10-12, first snow Nov 3, 7 snow events, last snow Feb 18, spanning 95 days.
The Winter of 2017-2018:
We had a White Christmas, 7″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 2″ on Dec 25, first snow Nov 3, 11 snow events, last snow Mar 24, spanning 136 days.
The Winter of 2016-2017:
We had a White Christmas! 52″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 11″ on Jan 6, first snow Dec 4, 16 snow events, last snow Mar 7, spanning 94 days.
The Winter of 2015-2016:
We had a White Christmas! 11″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 6″ on Dec 12, first snow Dec 12, 5 snow events, last snow Jan 6, spanning 27 days.
The Winter of 2014-2015:
No White Christmas, 5″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 3″ on Nov 29, first snow Nov 29, 2 snow events, last snow Dec 15, spanning 16 days.
The Winter of 2013-2014:
No White Christmas, 3″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 1″ on Dec 20, first snow Dec 2, 4 snow events, last snow Apr 11, spanning 130 days.
– 2012-2013: No White Christmas, 6″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 1″ on Apr 5, first snow Dec 15, 9 snow events, last snow Apr 14, spanning 120 days.
The Winter of 2011-2012:
No White Christmas, 47″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 11″ on Jan 17, first snow Jan 14, 15 snow events, last snow Mar 22, spanning 69 days.
The Winter of 2010-2011:
No White Christmas, 52.5″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 18″ from Feb 23-24, first snow Nov 21, 11 snow events, last snow Apr 21, spanning 151 days.
The Winter of 2009-2010:
No White Christmas, 2.5″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 2″ on Dec 15, first snow Nov 13, 3 snow events, last snow Dec 16, spanning 34 days.
The Winter of 2008-2009:
We had a White Christmas! 77″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 23″ from Dec 25-26, first snow Dec 11, 24 snow events, last snow Apr 14, spanning 124 days.
The Winter of 2007-2008:
We had a White Christmas! 67″ total snowfall, biggest snow event 14″ from Dec 1-2, first snow Dec 1, 20 snow events, last snow Apr 21, spanning 141 days.
Here are some pictures of some of the “Snows” we have had…
We were hit with 4 storms over 10 days… 40 inches of snow made things quite fun!
The Littlest guy playing in the deep snow after the Feb 10-12, 2019 event.
The older brother playing in the same spot in the Feb 23-24 2011 snow
The First Snow of 2010-2011 – November 21st
The First Snow of 2009/10 – November 13th, about 6 in the afternoon
The last snow of the 08/09 season, Apr 14, 2009
April Fool’s Day, 2009
One of two snow plows in North Bend, Mar 9, 2009
Christmas Evening, 2008
Christmas Morning, 2008
The First snow of the 08-09 season
The last snow of the 07-08 season, April 14, 2008
The yard, March 31, 2008
Snow on the Ledge Feb 2, 2008
Family Pancake House, Dec 23, 2007
The first real snow of the season – Dec 1, 2007
Our Northwest Family 