Heavy Snow in Washington, November 28 to 29, 2001

Name: Heavy Snow in Washington, November 28 to 29, 2001
Start: 2001-11-28T01:00
End: 2001-11-29T05:00
Location: Washington

November 28 to 29, 2001 · NWS OTX · 10 events in 10 counties and zones

A moisture-laden winter storm struck eastern Washington on November 28 with major snowfall totals, even in the lower elevations of the Columbia Basin. 4".

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 9 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 10

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 OTX wrote it up.

A moisture-laden winter storm struck eastern Washington on November 28 with major snowfall totals, even in the lower elevations of the Columbia Basin. The following is a tally of snowfall totals with this storm for the 28th and early on the 29th: 49 North Ski Area...37", Holden Village...19", Mount Spokane Ski Area...17", 9 ENE Chattaroy...17", Chewelah...14.5", Leavenworth...14", Sherman Pass...13", Stevens Pass...13", Blewett Pass...12", Methow...12", Deer Park...12", Lake Wenatchee...11", Ione (3 W)...10.5", Cashmere...10", Ardenvoir...10", Stehekin...10", Wellpinit...10", Mazama...9.5", Entiat...9.2", Plain...9", Wenatchee...7-9", Bodie Mountain...8.5", Waterville...8", Douglas...8", Okanogan...8", Winthrop...8", Newport...8", Wauconda...8", Boundary Dam...7", Gifford...7", Spokane International...6.3", NWS Spokane...6.1", Colville...5-7", Republic...6", Oakesdale...6", Springdale...6", Oroville...6", Brewster...6", Omak...5", Ritzville...5", Hartline...5", Odessa...5", Lind...5", Chesaw...4.6", Lacrosse...4", Moses Lake...4", Ephrata...4", Royal City...4", Davenport...4", and Chelan...4".

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 27, 9:06 PM PST, 3 hours 54 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 27, 9:06 PM PST, 3 hours 54 minutes before

EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WASHINGTON
830 PM PST TUE NOV 27 2001

IT IS THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM THROUGHOUT THE INLAND NORTHWEST
TONIGHT AS MOST AREAS ARE REPORTING JUST CLOUDY SKIES EXCEPT FOR A
FEW LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS. THE NEXT
SYSTEM TO AFFECT THIS AREA CAN BE SEEN ON SATELLITE TO BE DEVELOPING
A VERY DISTINCT STRUCTURE WITH A LONG PLUME OF MOISTURE HEADED OUR
WAY. THE WARM FRONT WITH VERY STRONG WARM ADVECTION IS NOW
APPROACHING THE SOUTHERN OREGON COAST. FORECAST IS STILL ON TRACK TO
BRING SNOW TO THE CASCADE EAST SLOPES BY LATE TONIGHT AND SPREAD
EASTWARD THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE FORECAST AREA DURING THE DAY
WEDNESDAY. THE DEEP SURFACE LOW TO OUR WEST WILL DEVELOP A STRONG
EAST-WEST PRESSURE GRADIENT BRINGING STRONG EAST WINDS TO THE AREA
WHICH WILL ENHANCE SNOWFALL...ESPECIALLY CASCADE EAST SLOPES. WITH
SUCH STRONG WARM ADVECTION AND AVAILABLE MOISTURE SNOW AMOUNTS SHOULD
REACH WARNING CRITERIA AND CURRENT STATEMENTS LOOK GOOD. THE ONLY
EXCEPTION IS THE SOUTHEAST PORTION OF THE CWA WHERE EASTERLY
DOWNSLOPE WINDS WILL ACTUALLY DECREASE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS AND
CURRENT ADVISORY ALSO LOOKS GOOD. CC

...THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRODUCT CONCERNING WARNINGS AND FORECASTS
IS VALID ONLY AT THE TIME OF ISSUANCE. THE LATEST WARNING AND
FORECAST INFORMATION WILL BE FOUND IN THE APPROPRIATE PRODUCTS...

GEG 026/033/033/038/028/035 1+9637
COE 027/032/032/038/027/035 1++747
PUW 026/034/034/038/029/036 0+7636
LWS 028/037/037/045/034/042 084533
CQV 026/031/030/037/027/035 1++857
SPT 026/030/030/035/027/033 1++956
WWP 025/031/031/035/025/033 1++956
EAT 029/032/031/040/030/037 5+6346
MWH 028/032/031/040/031/038 3+6436

.OTX...HEAVY SNOW WARNING ID ZONES 1 2 3 4 AND WA ZONES 33 34 35 36
       37 38 41 42 43 44.
    ...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ID ZONES 26 27 AND WA ZONES 31 32.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, W Okanogan/C&w Chelan

When: November 28, 1:00 AM PST to November 29, 5:00 AM PST
Where: W Okanogan/C&w Chelan forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

Heavy Snow, Whitman & Extreme Se Spokane

When: November 28, 5:00 AM PST to November 29, 5:00 AM PST
Where: Whitman & Extreme Se Spokane forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.261, -117.463 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, S Grant & Sw Adams

When: November 28, 5:00 AM PST to November 29, 5:00 AM PST
Where: S Grant & Sw Adams forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.095, -119.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ne Grant/X Ne Douglas/X Se Oknogan/Lincoln X Ne/Adams X Sw

When: November 28, 5:00 AM PST to November 29, 5:00 AM PST
Where: Ne Grant/X Ne Douglas/X Se Oknogan/Lincoln X Ne/Adams X Sw forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.610, -119.173 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ne Lincoln/Spokane X Extreme N Part

When: November 28, 5:00 AM PST to November 29, 5:00 AM PST
Where: Ne Lincoln/Spokane X Extreme N Part forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.599, -117.911 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Stevens/Pend Oreille/X N Spokane

When: November 28, 5:00 AM PST to November 29, 5:00 AM PST
Where: Stevens/Pend Oreille/X N Spokane forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 48.184, -117.511 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Ne Okanogan/Ferry

When: November 28, 5:00 AM PST to November 29, 5:00 AM PST
Where: Ne Okanogan/Ferry forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 48.510, -119.128 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, E Chelan/Extreme W Douglas

When: November 28, 5:00 AM PST to November 29, 5:00 AM PST
Where: E Chelan/Extreme W Douglas forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.802, -120.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Nc&s Okanogan X Extreme Se Part/Extreme N Douglas

When: November 28, 5:00 AM PST to November 29, 5:00 AM PST
Where: Nc&s Okanogan X Extreme Se Part/Extreme N Douglas forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 48.143, -119.716 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Douglas X Extreme W&n Parts/Nw Grant

When: November 28, 5:00 AM PST to November 29, 5:00 AM PST
Where: Douglas X Extreme W&n Parts/Nw Grant forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 47.471, -119.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

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 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, November 2001

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: 5272700, 5272693, 5272694, 5272695, 5272696, 5272697, 5272698, 5272699, 5272701, 5272702.