Heavy Snow in Washington, January 12, 1998

Name: Heavy Snow in Washington, January 12, 1998
Start: 1998-01-12T16:00
End: 1998-01-12T20:00
Location: Washington

January 12, 1998 · NWS SEW · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

2 to 4 inches of snow fell over much of the Seattle metro area. A large snow slide closed part of I-90 near North Bend.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS SEW wrote it up.

2 to 4 inches of snow fell over much of the Seattle metro area. A large snow slide closed part of I-90 near North Bend. At one point there were about 30 metro Busses stuck in the snow.

Event by event

4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Sw Snohomish

When: January 12, 4:00 PM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where: Sw Snohomish forecast zone

Heavy Snow, W King/X Se Kitsap

When: January 12, 4:00 PM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where: W King/X Se Kitsap forecast zone

Heavy Snow, W Pierce

When: January 12, 4:00 PM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where: W Pierce forecast zone

Heavy Snow, Mason T Sw & Nw/Kitsap T X Se/Ec&se Jefferson

When: January 12, 4:00 PM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where: Mason T Sw & Nw/Kitsap T X Se/Ec&se Jefferson forecast zone

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Washington in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, January 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5628143, 5628144, 5628145, 5628146.