1 storm surge/tide, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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.
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 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 Seattle, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 12, 8:40 AM PST, 1 hour 20 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
840 AM PST TUE MAR 12 2002
.SYNOPSIS...A COOL UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN OVER WESTERN
WASHINGTON THROUGH WEDNESDAY...PRODUCING OCCASIONAL SHOWERS...
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...AND SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. AN UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION THURSDAY WITH A LITTLE MORE
WIDESPREAD LIGHT RAIN. AN UPPER LEVEL LOW WILL MOVE SOUTH FROM
BRITISH COLUMBIA FRIDAY...ALLOWING A COOL CANADIAN AIR MASS AND
SCATTERED SHOWERS TO SETTLE OVER THE AREA THIS WEEKEND.
.DISCUSSION...COOL AND UNSTABLE AIR MASS OVER THE FORECAST AREA THIS
MORNING AS EVIDENT ON THE MORNING SOUNDING. UNMODIFIED UIL SOUNDING
HAS AROUND 450 CAPE...MODIFIED FOR EXPECTED AFTERNOON CONDITIONS
PUSHES IT TO JUST OVER 600. FEW LIGHTNING STRIKES AROUND THE REGION
ALREADY THIS MORNING TESTIFIES TO THE UNSTABLE NATURE OF THE AIR
MASS. WITH SOME SOLAR DESTABILIZATION THIS SHOULD INCREASE DURING
THE DAY. ALSO HAVE A TROF OFFSHORE THAT WILL HELP FOCUS THE
CONVECTION. WITH LOW FREEZING LEVELS WILL ALSO TOSS IN A MENTION
OF ICE PELLETS WITH THE STRONGER CONVECTIVE CELLS. TEMPERATURE AND
WIND FORECASTS LOOK OK AND NOT PLANNING ANY CHANGES THERE. WITH THE
CONVECTION...WILL LEAVE UP THE SNOW ADVISORY.
UIL 998 SEA 888 OLM 998
.SEW...GALE WARNING COAST.
.SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY REMAINING WATERS EXCEPT CENTRAL STRAIT.
.COASTAL FLOOD WARNING NORTH AND CENTRAL COAST.
.SNOW ADVISORY TODAY AND TONIGHT OLYMPICS AND WEST SLOPES OF
THE NORTH AND CENTRAL CASCADES.
.KATX...VCP21/CSR21...OPERATIONAL.
CERNIGLIAThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 storm surge/tide. Local standard time, as filed.
25 foot seas combined with high tides cause minor coastal flooding near the north jetty of Grays Harbor
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, March 2002The 2002 hurricane season
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: 5280489.