Heavy Snow in Washington, January 19 to 20, 2002

Name: Heavy Snow in Washington, January 19 to 20, 2002
Start: 2002-01-19T15:00
End: 2002-01-20T15:00
Location: Washington

January 19 to 20, 2002 · NWS OTX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Strong, moist westerly flow brought heavy snow to the northeast Blue Mountains on January 20. The nearby Bluewood Ski Area received 19" of snow, and the Spruce Springs SNOTEL received 11" of snow.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

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

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.

Strong, moist westerly flow brought heavy snow to the northeast Blue Mountains on January 20. The nearby Bluewood Ski Area received 19" of snow, and the Spruce Springs SNOTEL received 11" of snow.

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 Jan 19, 2:30 PM PST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 19, 2:30 PM PST, 30 minutes before

EASTERN WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WASHINGTON
230 PM PST SAT JAN 19 2002

CONTINUED UNSETTLED WEATHER SUNDAY AND MONDAY WITH A STRONGER WINTER
WEATHER SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE AREA.

LINGERING SNOW SHOWERS REMAIN MOSTLY IN THE CENTRAL PANHANDLE
MOUNTAINS WITH DIMINISHING AREAL COVERAGE AS A BRIEF SHORTWAVE RIDGE
GIVES A BREAK BEFORE THE NEXT INCOMING SYSTEM. A STRONG ZONAL JET
STREAM WILL BRING MOIST WESTERLY FLOW WITH THE FRONT SAGGING
SOUTHWARD LATE SUNDAY AND MONDAY AS A TROUGH DIGS INTO THE CENTRAL
WEST COAST. THE FIRST SHOT OF WARM AIR ADVECTION PRECIPITATION IS
LOOKING TO BE MOSTLY SNOW LATE TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING BUT
ANTICIPATING SOME RISE IN SNOW LEVELS SUNDAY AFTERNOON IN SOUTHERN WA
AND LEWISTON AREAS. ALSO BY MIDDAY SUNDAY WEST WINDS ALOFT WILL
INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY AS THE FRONT MOVES SOUTH. THIS WILL
EFFECTIVELY DIMINISH OR SHUT OFF PRECIPITATION FOR WENATCHEE/OKANOGAN
VALLEY AND MOST OF THE BASIN. SNOW SHOWERS WILL LINGER FARTHER EAST
INTO MONDAY WHEN COOLER MORE UNSTABLE AIR MOVES INTO THE AREA. MONDAY
NIGHT AND TUESDAY THE UPPER LOW AXIS IS OVER THE REGION BUT WITH A
DRIER AIR MASS EXPECT ONLY SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS. BREEZY CONDITIONS
CAN BE EXPECTED WITH THE FRONTAL PASSAGE ALONG WITH VERY WINDY
CONDITIONS IN THE HIGHER MOUNTAINS. TC

.EXTENDED...WILL CONTINUE WITH THE TREND OF TAPERING OFF THE THREAT
OF SNOW WITH THE DRIER AIRMASS.  WILL CONTINUE WITH A CHANCE ON
WEDNESDAY THEN WITH A RIDGE BUILDING IN TOWARD THE END OF THE WEEK
WILL GO WITH A DRY FORECAST FOR THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.  THEN BY
SATURDAY ANOTHER TROUGH STARTS OF MOVE ONSHORE SO INTRODUCED ANOTHER
CHANCE OF SOME PRECIPITATION AGAIN FOR THE START OF THE WEEKEND.

...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 026/037/028/035/024/032 595632
COE 026/036/028/035/023/032 575632
PUW 025/040/029/035/024/033 495642
LWS 034/045/035/039/028/035 384632
CQV 026/036/029/036/023/035 7+6733
SPT 027/035/028/035/024/032 6+7743
WWP 026/033/027/033/023/033 7+7754
EAT 029/039/025/037/024/034 572211
MWH 029/042/026/038/025/035 462322

.OTX...WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY FOR ID
       ZONE 1 AND WA ZN 37...
    ...WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT
       FOR ID ZONE 4...
    ...WINTER STORM WARNING LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY WA ZN 42...
    ...WINTER STORM WARNING SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY FOR ID ZN 27 AND
       WA ZN 31...

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 19, 1:21 PM PST, 1 hour 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE, WA
121 PM PST SAT JAN 19 2002

TIME(PST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0600 AM    PULLMAN                   WA   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   WHITMAN                        5 INCH NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWINGREPORTED BY SPOTTER

0600 AM    BONNERS FERRY             ID   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   BOUNDARY                       6 INCH NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

0745 AM    7 MI WSW NEWPORT          WA   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   PEND OREILLE                   5.1 INCHES NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

0830 AM    ON TOP SOUTH HILL SPOKANE WA   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   SPOKANE                        6 INCH NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

0850 AM    HARRISON                  ID   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   KOOTENAI                       8 INCH NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

0900 AM    OAKDALE                   WA   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   SPOKANE                        6 INCHES NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

0945 AM    SAGLE                     ID   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   BOUNDARY                       3.5 INCES NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

1100 AM    MICA PEAK SPOKANE         WA   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   SPOKANE                        9 INCES NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

LH

Local storm report, Jan 19, 1:21 PM PST, 1 hour 39 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE, WA
121 PM PST SAT JAN 19 2002

CORRECTION FOR OAKESDALE REPORT

TIME(PST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0600 AM    PULLMAN                   WA   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   WHITMAN                        5 INCH NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWINGREPORTED BY SPOTTER

0600 AM    BONNERS FERRY             ID   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   BOUNDARY                       6 INCH NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

0745 AM    7 MI WSW NEWPORT          WA   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   PEND OREILLE                   5.1 INCHES NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

0830 AM    ON TOP SOUTH HILL SPOKANE WA   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   SPOKANE                        6 INCH NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

0850 AM    HARRISON                  ID   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   KOOTENAI                       8 INCH NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

0900 AM    OAKESDALE                 WA   HEAVY SNOWFALL 01/19/02
           WHITMAN                        6 INCHES NEW SNOW
                                          STILL SNOWING

0945 AM    SAGLE                     ID   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   BOUNDARY                       3.5 INCES NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

1100 AM    MICA PEAK SPOKANE         WA   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   SPOKANE                        9 INCES NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

LH

Local storm report, Jan 19, 1:35 PM PST, 1 hour 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE, WA
135 PM PST SAT JAN 19 2002

TIME(PST)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0850 AM    5 MILE NORTH MOSCOW       ID   HEAVY SNOWFALL
01/19/02   LATAH                          11 INCHES NEW SNOW STILL
                                          SNOWING

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, S Garfield/Sw Asotin

When: January 19, 3:00 PM PST to January 20, 3:00 PM PST
Where: S Garfield/Sw Asotin forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Coordinates: 46.312, -117.374 (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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, January 2002

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: 5279152.