As Rain Pounded LA, these pacific Northwest Cities got record rainfall

Nearly 28 million people in California spent Christmas Day under flood watch. As of the morning of December 25, an atmospheric river dumped over 3.5 inches of rain in parts of metro Los Angeles and over a foot of rain in the LA County mountains. Similar rainfall totals have been reported across large swaths of southern California, raising the risk of flooding, landslides, and debris flow. In response, California Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Shasta counties. 

The life-threatening conditions that arrived in southern California this week are all too familiar to millions of Americans in parts of the Pacific Northwest. From late November through mid-December, torrential rain was reported across the region, as an atmospheric river moved through parts of Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Resulting flooding closed roads and highways, washed out rail lines, and forced tens of thousands of people to evacuate. In Washington State, heavy rainfall pushed the Naselle River to a near-record breaking depth of 20 feet, up from its normal 5 foot depth. 

Whether or not the Christmas rainfall in southern California breaks historical records remains to be seen, but in the Pacific Northwest, over half a dozen weather stations reported record-high rainfall totals since late November. 

Using data from the National Centers for Environmental Information, Climate Crisis 247 identified the places in the Pacific Northwest where recent rainfall totals broke historic records. We reviewed single-day rainfall totals at weather stations across the Pacific Northwest and identified those that reported new, all-time record highs in late November and early December 2025. Supplemental data on the elevation and location of weather stations are from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

The weather stations on this list are spread across seven counties in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Among them, new single-day rainfall records range from 2.2 inches to 7.0 inches. These new highs exceed previous local records – some of which have stood for decades – by anywhere from 0.1 inches to 1.5 inches. 

Historical precipitation norms in these places, as reported by NOAA, further underscore just how unusual recent levels of rainfall have been. Of the seven weather stations on this list, three recently reported more rain in a single day than the broader county typically receives in an entire month, based on 20th century averages. 

7. Dallesport Airport Weather Station – Klickitat County, Washington

• Heaviest single-day rainfall ever recorded at weather station: 2.2 inches (December 18, 2025)
• Previous single-day record rainfall reported at weather station: 2.1 inches (December 13, 1977)
• Weather station details: 234 ft. above sea level (operational for 77 years)
• Average total December precipitation in Klickitat County, Washington: 3.9 inches

6. Howe Weather Station – Butte County, Idaho

• Heaviest single-day rainfall ever recorded at weather station: 3.0 inches (December 18, 2025)
• Previous single-day record rainfall reported at weather station: 2.5 inches (August 17, 1961)
• Weather station details: 4,820 ft. above sea level (operational for 92 years)
• Average total December precipitation in Butte County, Idaho: 1.4 inches

5. McCall Weather Station – Valley County, Idaho

• Heaviest single-day rainfall ever recorded at weather station: 3.3 inches (November 26, 2025)
• Previous single-day record rainfall reported at weather station: 3.0 inches (March 4, 1903)
• Weather station details: 5,025 ft. above sea level (operational for 119 years)
• Average total November precipitation in Valley County, Idaho: 4.3 inches

4. Peavine Ridge Weather Station – Jackson County, Oregon

• Heaviest single-day rainfall ever recorded at weather station: 4.5 inches (December 18, 2025)
• Previous single-day record rainfall reported at weather station: 4.0 inches (December 5, 1981)
• Weather station details: 3,420 ft. above sea level (operational for 43 years)
• Average total December precipitation in Jackson County, Oregon: 5.9 inches

3. Three Lynx Weather Station – Clackamas County, Oregon

• Heaviest single-day rainfall ever recorded at weather station: 5.2 inches (December 19, 2025)
• Previous single-day record rainfall reported at weather station: 5.0 inches (February 10, 1961)
• Weather station details: 1,120 ft. above sea level (operational for 101 years)
• Average total December precipitation in Clackamas County, Oregon: 11.2 inches

2. Three Creeks Meadow Weather Station – Deschutes County, Oregon

• Heaviest single-day rainfall ever recorded at weather station: 5.5 inches (December 18, 2025)
• Previous single-day record rainfall reported at weather station: 4.0 inches (November 18, 1996)
• Weather station details: 5,690 ft. above sea level (operational for 44 years)
• Average total December precipitation in Deschutes County, Oregon: 3.4 inches

1. Little Meadows Weather Station – Lake County, Oregon

• Heaviest single-day rainfall ever recorded at weather station: 7.0 inches (December 18, 2025)
• Previous single-day record rainfall reported at weather station: 6.3 inches (December 1, 1980)
• Weather station details: 4,020 ft. above sea level (operational for 44 years)
• Average total December precipitation in Lake County, Oregon: 1.7 inches