Snow In The Rose City

Washington Park, Portland Oregon Circa 1936

Here in the Rose City (Portland, Oregon) we have had some snow everyday for over a week. When I woke up this morning I had a bout 7 inches on my doorstep. It currently is about 22 degrees out or at least it was the last time I checked about an hour ago. We do not usually get that much snow here maybe an inch or two every other winter. However I do remember a couple of really wicked ice storms when I was a kid back in the 70's, with Icicles 4 to 8 inches long hanging off of trees, phone wires and the edge of houses. From what the weather reports are saying it looks like we are in for more snow and some freezing rain which means an ice storm is on its way.

I have some information regarding some historic freezing temperatures and snow which I will share with you.

The last really cold December recorded in Portland was in 1990. The coldest day had a high of 20 and a low of 12.

In 1968-69 (I was born in 1968 only it was in the summer and not the winter) was a very brutal winter with 18 days of one inch or more of snow on the ground and up to 9 inches deep during the first period and 10 inches deep during the second period. On December 30th of 1968 the high was 14 degrees and a low of 8 and on December 31st of 68' the high was 19 degrees with a low of 9.

During the brutal winter of 1949-50 Portland lay under a deep blanket of snow over a foot deep for an entire month. In January of 1950 the Portland Airport was buried at 41 inches. The kids in Portland were loving life and they say there were more snow men out & about than people. On January 31st Portland had an all time low of 2 degrees bellow zero! Then that record was broken the following day with 3 bellow zero.

In December of 1924 there are historic records and pictures of the Willamette River in down town Portland, frozen with cars driving across! I wish I had a picture of that.

Posted by Brooksie at 2:15 pm