Tree fall across the 1506 Road. Chainsaw in foreground for scale.
Snowdown 2019
Heavy snow fell on the Andrews Forest the night of February 24, 2019. The snow, dense and wet, fell fast and accumulated quickly in the crowns of the trees. The weight of the snow toppled trees or snapped out their crowns. The entire region, including the research forest, experienced a massive tree fall event, knocking out power and communications for days. While long-time staff and researchers of the Andrews Forest program have witnessed this type of "snowdown" event in earlier decades, the scale of this snowdown was more massive than previously seen. On roads within the Andrews Forest, fifty to sixty trees were laid down across every mile of road in lower elevations. Even after two weeks of intense effort to remove trees, many miles of road were still impassable and higher elevation research facilities were inaccessible. In an illustration of the partnership between OSU, the PNW Research Station, and the Willamette National Forest, staff, researchers, and students from across the three institutions came together and worked tirelessly, shoulder-to-shoulder, to cut and remove trees from the roads and to gain access to research sites which are key to maintaining long-term records of climate, snow, and stream and precipitation chemistry. Research efforts began right away to determine the scale of the disturbance, and it's long-term implications.
Photographed by: Greg Cohn
Date: 2/27/2019
Photo number: aen_001
Greg Downing, with the USFS, clears the road of fallen trees, with the aid of snowcat and chainsaw
Photographed by: Greg Cohn
Date: 2/27/2019
Photo number: aen_002
The 15 Road in the Andrews Forest, just cleared of trees
Photographed by: Greg Cohn
Date: 2/26/2019
Photo number: aen_003
The compound road in the Andrews Forest, just cleared of trees
Photographed by: Greg Cohn
Date: 2/26/2019
Photo number: aen_004
The compound road in the Andrews Forest, just cleared of trees, but with a new tree fall across the road
Photographed by: Greg Cohn
Date: 2/28/2019
Photo number: aen_005
Along the 130 Road. Notice tip up, even of a very large tree
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_006
Tree tip up and disturbed soil around root mass
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_007
Looking up into the forest from the 130 Road. Note backpack in foreground for scale.
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_008
Looking up into the forest from the 130 Road
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_009
Looking into the forest from the 130 Road. Almost all stems down are from this storm.
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_010
Looking into the forest from the 130 Road. Almost all stems down are from this storm.
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_011
Looking into the forest from the 130 Road. Almost all stems down are from this storm.
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_012
Looking into the forest from the 130 Road. Note crown snap-off
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_013
Trees across the 130 road. Not road gate for scale.
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_014
Looking down the 130 Road with into the junction of the 132 spur.
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_015
Looking down the 130 Road with into the junction of the 132 spur.
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_016
Looking up the 130 Road from the junction of the 132 spur, which leads into the Headquarters facility.
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/2/2019
Photo number: aen_017
Road to WS01 landing
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/3/2019
Photo number: aen_018
Road to WS01 landing
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/3/2019
Photo number: aen_019
Looking down to WS01 tower and bridge. The tower was crushed by fallen trees.
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/3/2019
Photo number: aen_020
Looking at the north-facing slope of WS01, from the trail to the bridge
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/3/2019
Photo number: aen_021
Looking at the north-facing slope of WS01, from the trail to the bridge
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/3/2019
Photo number: aen_022
the crushed tower in WS01
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/3/2019
Photo number: aen_023
the crushed tower in WS01
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/3/2019
Photo number: aen_024
Looking upstream, toward the north-facing slope of WS01, from the trail to the bridge
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/3/2019
Photo number: aen_025
looking downstream in WS01 from the bridge
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/3/2019
Photo number: aen_026
the crushed tower and research sensors in WS01
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/3/2019
Photo number: aen_027
Looking down at the crushed tower in WS01. The shed with equipment was knocked off its foundation.
Photographed by: Steve Wondzell
Date: 3/1/2019
Photo number: aen_028
132 Road, behind the headquarters facilities, between the kiosk and the pump house
Photographed by: Marie Tosa
Date: 3/4/2019
Photo number: aen_029
132 Road, behind the headquarters facilities, between the kiosk and the pump house
Photographed by: Marie Tosa
Date: 3/4/2019
Photo number: aen_030
132 Road, behind the headquarters facilities, between the kiosk and the pump house. Note person (Marie Tosa) in center, for scale
Photographed by: Ben Murley
Date: 3/4/2019
Photo number: aen_031
Marie Tosa clearing trees from the 132 Road, behind the headquarters facilities, between the kiosk and the pump house
Photographed by: Ben Murley
Date: 3/4/2019
Photo number: aen_032
The sno-cat on the 1506 Road, at the bottom of the hill, close to the 1507 junction.
Photographed by: Marie Tosa
Date: 3/5/2019
Photo number: aen_033
Clearing trees from the 1506 Road. Ben Murley and the sno-cat.
Photographed by: Marie Tosa
Date: 3/5/2019
Photo number: aen_034
Trees cut at the side of the 1506 Road
Photographed by: Marie Tosa
Date: 3/5/2019
Photo number: aen_036
John Moreau, post retirement, takes a break after clearing trees from the 1506 Road
Photographed by: Marie Tosa
Date: 3/5/2019
Photo number: aen_037
Brett Morrissette, Mark Gasser, Jay Sexton clear trees from the 1506 Road near the 330 Rd junction
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/7/2019
Photo number: aen_038
Brett Morrissette clears trees from the 1506 Road near the 330 Rd junction, with a sheared off tree in the background.
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/7/2019
Photo number: aen_039
Mark Gasser, Jay Sexton clear trees from the 1506 Road near the 330 Rd junction. Trees often came down in clumps or groups.
Photographed by: Mark Schulze
Date: 3/7/2019
Photo number: aen_040
Trees block the 1506 road after the snowdown
Photographed by: Marie Tosa
Date: 3/9/2019
Photo number: aen_041
trees broken and piled up on the road
Photographed by: Marie Tosa
Date: 3/9/2019
Photo number: aen_042
trees broken and piled up on the road
Photographed by: Marie Tosa
Date: 3/9/2019
Photo number: aen_043
removing a large tree across the 1506 road
Photographed by: Marie Tosa
Date: 3/9/2019
Photo number: aen_044
removing a large tree across the 1506 road
Photographed by: Marie Tosa
Date: 3/9/2019
Photo number: aen_045
Watershed 01, north-facing slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_046
Watershed 01, north-facing slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_047
Watershed 01, north-facing slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_048
trees snapped or were pulled up, exposing soil
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_049
Watershed 01 slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_050
Watershed 01 slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_051
Watershed 01, north-facing slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_052
Watershed 01 slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_053
Watershed 01 slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_054
Watershed 01 slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_055
Looking up an instrumented tree in WS01
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_056
Watershed 01 slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_057
Watershed 01 slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_058
Watershed 01 slope, with extensive trees down after the storm
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_059
stream well in WS01
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_060
Watershed 01, after the snowdown
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_061
Smashed towers and sensors at the bottom of Watershed 01, after the snowdown
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_062
Smashed towers and sensors at the bottom of Watershed 01, after the snowdown
Photographed by: Adam Sibley
Date: 3/17/2019
Photo number: aen_063