Snow Day Predictor for Oregon

Browse snow day predictions for all 67 cities in Oregon. Select your city to check tomorrow's school closure forecast.

Every city below links to its own live snow day forecast for Oregon. Find your city in the alphabetical list and click it to check today's snowfall probability and school closure forecast.

About Oregon

Oregon stretches from the Pacific Coast to the high desert of the Snake River Plain, bordered by Washington, Idaho, Nevada, and California. It became the 33rd state on February 14, 1859. The Cascade Range splits the state almost exactly in half, separating the mild, rain-soaked Willamette Valley from the dry, continental climate east of the mountains. The Census Bureau put the state's population at roughly 4.27 million in 2025. Timber built Oregon's economy for a century, and though tech and tourism have since overtaken it, forestry still dominates the southwest and the Coast Range. Portland anchors technology and manufacturing in the Silicon Forest around Hillsboro. The Willamette Valley grows more grass seed than anywhere on earth, while Bend's high desert draws skiers, mountain bikers, and craft brewers year-round. That east-west split defines how Oregon handles snow. Portland closes schools over an inch of ice because its steep hills and skeletal plow fleet make what would be a non-event elsewhere genuinely dangerous. Mount Hood communities like Government Camp expect feet of snow as routine business. Meanwhile La Grande and Burns face genuine subzero cold. One state, three very different winters.

Oregon Snow Day Climate and School Closures

How Oregon's Climate Affects Snow Days

NOAA's 1991-2020 normals show Portland averaging just 4.2 inches of snow a year, with Salem at 3.5 and Medford at 3.4. Eugene sees a bit more at 7.1 inches. Bend, on the dry east side of the Cascades, averages 21.6 inches, and Government Camp near Mount Hood averages 232.5 inches.

The February 2021 ice storm began February 12 and coated the Portland area in an inch of ice, knocking out power to more than 350,000 customers and killing five people, four from carbon monoxide poisoning. (Oregon Public Broadcasting (OPB))

What Causes School Closures in Oregon

Portland's hills decide more closures than its snow totals do. The city carries little salt or sand, so a routine coating turns into gridlock on steep streets, while freezing rain off the Columbia Gorge glazes overpasses into ice rinks. East of the Cascades, subzero cold and wind-driven snow across open high-desert highways force the call instead.

Explore Snow Day Predictions Across Oregon

Oregon has 67 cities covered by the Snow Day Predictor. Predictions are updated hourly using real-time weather data from Open-Meteo.

Popular Cities to Check in Oregon

Portland. Portland averages just 4.2 inches of snow a year, but its steep West Hills streets and thin plow fleet mean even a dusting can shut schools across Multnomah County for a full day.

Salem. Oregon's capital averages 3.5 inches of snow annually, but the Willamette Valley's freezing fog and occasional ice storms routinely close Salem-Keizer schools well before any real accumulation ever builds up on the ground.

Eugene. Eugene sees about 7.1 inches of snow a year, more than Portland or Salem, and the University of Oregon town sits in a valley pocket that traps cold air and ice fog through January.

Bend. Bend's high-desert climate brings a real winter: NOAA puts average annual snowfall at 21.6 inches, with one season in the 1970s topping 90 inches. Deschutes County closes buses over black ice on rural roads.

Medford. Medford sits in the Rogue Valley's rain shadow and averages only 3.4 inches of snow yearly, but dense valley fog and occasional ice on Highway 62 still trigger Jackson County closures most winters.

Government Camp. This tiny Mount Hood town at 3,891 feet elevation averages roughly 232 inches of snow a year, with Timberline Lodge nearby topping 400 inches most seasons; Highway 26 closures here are routine, not rare.

Frequently Asked Questions About Snow Days in Oregon

Why does Portland close schools for so little snow?

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Portland Public Schools calls it early because the city's infrastructure isn't built for winter weather, not because of the snow total. The Portland Bureau of Transportation runs a fleet of just 56 snowplows citywide, and priority routes near downtown get treated first while neighborhood streets on steep grades wait their turn. Bus drivers unfamiliar with icy hills are the real risk administrators manage.

What part of Oregon gets the most snow?

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The Cascade Range gets buried compared to the rest of the state. Government Camp near Mount Hood averages roughly 232 inches a year, and Timberline Lodge often tops 400 inches per season. Santiam Pass and Willamette Pass see similarly heavy totals. Away from the mountains, the driest snow years belong to the Willamette Valley cities, where a few inches counts as a big storm.

How does eastern Oregon's winter differ from Portland's?

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Eastern Oregon, around Bend, La Grande, and Burns, has a continental climate: colder winters, more consistent snow, and none of the coastal moderation the Willamette Valley enjoys. Bend averages 21.6 inches of snow a year with real subzero stretches, and rural districts there deal with genuine whiteout conditions on open highways rather than the icy hills that shut down Portland.

What was Oregon's worst recent winter storm?

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The February 2021 ice storm remains the benchmark. Governor Kate Brown declared a state of emergency covering eight counties as ice snapped power lines across the Willamette Valley, and the Oregon National Guard later ran welfare checks in hard-hit Clackamas and Marion County communities. Roughly 40,000 customers were still without power nine days after the storm began, a timeline unlike anything the region had seen in decades.

Do Oregon mountain passes close for snow?

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Yes, regularly. ODOT closes or requires chains on passes like Santiam, Willamette, and the Highway 26 route over Mount Hood multiple times each winter, especially during heavy storms or when avalanche danger spikes. Government Camp, at 3,891 feet, sees the brunt of it, and commuters heading to central Oregon should check TripCheck before driving the Cascades in winter conditions.

How much snow does it take to close schools in the Willamette Valley?

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Not much. An inch of fresh snow, or even a thin glaze of ice on hilly streets, is often enough for districts around Portland, Salem, and Eugene to call a snow day or shift to remote learning. These cities average only 3 to 7 inches of snow a year, so plows and salt trucks are scarce, and administrators would rather cancel than risk a bus sliding on ice.