Washington, 1998

Winter Storm in Washington, January 14, 1998

January 14, 1998 · NWS PDT · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

2 winter storm, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, W Kittitas/W Yakima/W Klickitat T X Sw

When
January 14, 5:00 AM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where
W Kittitas/W Yakima/W Klickitat T X Sw forecast zone
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect

A 27 year old woman died after her car collided with a tractor-trailer rig on snow covered I-90 west of Cle Elum. The driver of the tractor-trailer was not hurt. Dozens of other vehicles, including a couple of tow trucks, were stranded along the interstate highway. A dozen early morning accidents were reported south of Goldendale on highway 97, including some that involved jackknifed semi-trucks and minor injuries.

Winter Storm, E Yakima

When
January 14, 9:00 AM PST to 10:00 PM PST
Where
E Yakima forecast zone
Coordinates
46.457, -120.739 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A winter storm brought a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain to the Yakima area. Between 2 inches and a foot of snow was reported across the area. State Patrol and Yakima County Sheriff's office called on city police to help deal with the number of vehicles that had spun off I-82 and US Highway 97. None of the wrecks were serious. A number of area schools closed early and at least one never opened on Wednesday.

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Winter Storm, W Kittitas/W Yakima/W Klickitat T X Sw1998-01-1427FemaleVehicle/Towed TrailerDirect

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Washington in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings 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: 5659985, 5659984.