Portland, Oregon’s Winter Preparedness | Portland Monthly

In January 2024, an ice storm pummeled the city in sleet, freezing rain, and snow that left Portland roads slippery and, in many cases, unpassable. There were at least eight fatalities in Multnomah County alone, and the lengthy cold snap meant power outages, lost income, and costly home repairs, due in part to burst water pipes. Multnomah County warming shelters served more people than ever before, and locals landed in emergency rooms for cold-related illnesses and falls. The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts a snowier, rainier Portland winter than average this year. Brace yourself! 

4.5: Portland’s average inches of snowfall per year.

19: The greatest depth, in inches, of snow ever recorded in downtown Portland, in 1893.

–2: Temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, recorded downtown in 1950, the coldest it has been there since at least 1874.

15: The lowest temperature, in degrees Fahrenheit, recorded in Portland in January 2024.

2,923: The number of local 911 calls made on January 13, 2024, the first day of
the ice storm, a 70 percent increase from the same day the year before.

1,356: Number of people who sought admittance to Multnomah County warming shelters on a single night during the January storm.

633,000: Number of people in Multnomah County who lost power during and after the ice storm.

2,700: Cubic yards of road salt the Portland Bureau of Transportation keeps on hand for winter storms. 

70: Number of City of Portland vehicles equipped with snowplows, including a Bobcat and a bike-lane sweeper.