1 heavy snow, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 9, 2:30 PM PST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WASHINGTON 230 PM PST THU DEC 9 2004 .SYNOPSIS...A STRONG AND MOIST PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL PASS THROUGH THE REGION WITH WIDESPREAD VALLEY RAIN AND HIGH MOUNTAIN SNOW TONIGHT...BRINGING WINDY AND MILD CONDITIONS ON FRIDAY. ON FRIDAY NIGHT ANOTHER ROUND OF MAINLY RAIN WILL BE FOLLOWED BY BREEZY AND MUCH COOLER CONDITIONS ON SATURDAY. && .DISCUSSION... TONIGHT...PACIFIC SATELLITE INDICATES FORECAST AREA UNDER A BUILDING UPPER LEVEL RIDGE IN RESPONSE TO AN AGGRESSIVELY DIGGING COLD UPPER TROUGH OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA. THE AXIS OF THE UPPER RIDGE IS CROSSING THE FORECAST AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL BREAK DOWN INTO INCREASINGLY SOUTHERLY MID AND LOWER LEVEL FLOW TONIGHT. NOSING INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF THE DEEP TROUGH IS A FETCH OF TROPICAL ORIGIN MOISTURE. 12Z MODEL RUNS ARE QUITE SIMILAR WITH THE OVERALL FIELD OF MOTION THROUGH THE NEXT FEW DAYS AND SATELLITE EXTRAPOLATION SUGGESTS MODELS HAVE A HANDLE ON UPCOMING EVENTS. OVERALL SYNOPTIC SITUATION IS FAIRLY SIMPLE. A STRONG LOW LEVEL WARM FRONT WILL FOLLOW THE POLAR JET STREAM NORTHWARD AND DRIVE THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT. THIS ISENTROPIC REGION WILL COINCIDE WITH THE DEEP MOISTURE PLUME DRIVING INTO THE FORECAST AREA FROM THE SOUTHWEST. STRENGTHENING AND INCREASINGLY SOUTHERLY COMPONENT MID LEVEL WINDS WILL ADVECT WARM AIR AND ROCKET THE FREEZING LEVELS UP TO THE 8000 FOOT MSL RANGE AS THE WARM FRONT PASSES. THUS FOR MOST ZONES TONIGHT EXPECT SIGNIFICANT STEADY LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN. THIS FORECAST COVERS ALL THE SOUTHERN ZONES. THE PROBLEM ZONES WILL BE THE NORTHERN TIER ARC OF MOUNTAINS WHERE COLD AIR MAY STILL BE TRAPPED IN SOME OF THE VALLEYS TUCKED NEAR THE CANADIAN BORDER AND THE OKANOGAN VALLEY. SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AND MESO ETA MODEL... WHICH HAS FINER TERRAIN...SUGGEST COLD AIR MAY STILL BE POOLED IN THE OKANOGAN VALLEY ESPECIALLY. AS PRECIPITATION GETS UNDERWAY TONIGHT THESE NORTHERN VALLEYS WILL PROBABLY EXPERIENCE A MIX OF WET SNOW/RAIN AND POCKETS OF FREEZING RAIN. WILL ISSUE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE OKANOGAN VALLEY FOR TONIGHT. IN THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH IDAHO AND NEAR THE CANADIAN BORDER IN WASHINGTON FREEZING LEVEL WILL PROBABLY STAY LOW ENOUGH FOR MUCH OF THE EVENING TO PRODUCE ANOTHER ROUND OF ACCUMULATING SNOW ABOVE 4000 FEET OR SO...BUT THE PERIOD OF SNOW BEFORE THE WARM FRONT RAISES THE THE FREEZING LEVELS PROBABLY NOT LONG ENOUGH TO ACHIEVE WARNING CRITERIA ACCUMULATIONS. FRIDAY...MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE IN THE WARM SECTOR OF THE STORM SYSTEM ON FRIDAY. MODERATE GRADIENT WITH STRONG MID LEVEL WINDS WILL LIKELY PRODUCE MILD AND BREEZY TO WINDY CONDITIONS OVER MUCH OF THE REGION...WITH LINGERING MOUNTAIN OROGRAPHIC RAIN. FREEZING LEVELS UP TO AROUND 8KFT FOR NO SNOW THREATS. ADIABATIC COMPRESSION WITH GOOD MIXING WILL PRODUCE UNSEASONABLY MILD HIGH TEMPERATURES AND LARGELY DRY CONDITIONS OVER THE BASIN. FRIDAY NIGHT THE COLD FRONT WILL CROSS THE REGION FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF SHOWERS. MILD AND BREEZY CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN WITH THE EASTERN ZONES REMAINING IN THE WARM SECTOR MOST OF THE NIGHT. CONCERN EXISTS FOR THE POSSIBLE NECESSITY OF RIVER/HYDRO HIGHLIGHTS OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS WITH HIGH FREEZING LEVELS AND LOCALLY HEAVY PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS ON TOP OF RECENT SNOW. CURRENT RIVER FORECASTS FROM THE RFC IN PORTLAND CLEARLY INDICATE RISES ON MOST STREAMS OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS...BUT NO FLOOD MAGNITUDE RISES SO FAR. CURRENT RIVER STATEMENT WILL BE CONTINUED WITH THE AFTERNOON PACKAGE. OF MAIN CONCERN WILL BE THE STEHEKIN BASIN WHERE LIKELY THE MOST AMOUNT OF PRECIPITATION WILL FALL FROM THIS SYSTEM. CURRENT FORECASTS SUGGEST TWO TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE ALONG THE CASCADE CREST OVER THE NEXT 48 HOURS. CONSULTATION WITH SERVICE HYDROLOGIST SUGGESTS RECENT SNOW FALL CAN ABSORB MUCH OF THIS QPF WITHOUT TROUBLE...BUT THIS WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED CLOSELY AS THE SITUATION PLAYS OUT. SATURDAY AND SUNDAY...STRONG COLD FRONT PASSAGE FRIDAY NIGHT WEST ZONES AND EARLY SATURDAY MORNING EAST ZONES WILL USHER IN A MUCH COOLER AIR MASS WITH STRONG MID LEVEL COLD AIR ADVECTION EFFECTIVELY ENDING PRECIPITATION THREAT OVER THE BASIN WITH PROBABLE STRONG DOWNSLOPING OFF THE CASCADES. LINGERING OROGRAPHIC SHOWERS WILL GRADUALLY END OVER THE PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS DURING THE DAY SATURDAY. SATURDAY HIGH TEMPERATURES WILL PROBABLY BE IN THE MORNING...THEN REMAIN STEADY OR SLOWLY FALL THROUGH THE DAY AS A NEW POLAR AIR MASS FILL THE BASIN. SATURDAY NIGHT COULD SHAPE UP FOR STRONG RADIATIONAL COOLING BACK TO SEASONAL NORMAL LOWS IN THE 20S WIDESPREAD. SUNDAY BENIGN...DRY...BUT COOL AND LOCALLY BREEZY WITH COLD ADVECTION CONTINUING THROUGH MOUNTAIN GAPS INTO THE COLUMBIA BASIN. /FUGAZZI SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY...GFS 500MB 0-5 WAVE MODEL CONTINUES TO PROJECT A GRADUAL PATTERN TRANSITION WITH THE LONGWAVE RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE INLAND NORTHWEST. GFS AND THE ECMWF BOTH HAVE THE RIDGE FIRMLY ESTABLISHED BY WEDNESDAY. WILL IGNORE FOR NOW THE SPURIOUS WAVE THE GFS PROJECTS INTO THE AMPLIFYING RIDGE ON WEDNESDAY. WITH THE RIDGE IN PLACE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY PRECIPITATION WILL SHUT OFF...AND A FOG/LOW STRATUS REGIME SHOULD BEGIN TO SET UP WEDNESDAY NIGHT BURNING OFF...HOPEFULLY...BY LATE THURSDAY MORNING. THE TRICKY PART OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST COMES AT THE FRONT END...SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...WHEN A COUPLE OF PACIFIC WAVES ARE PROJECTED TO BREAK THROUGH THE DEVELOPING RIDGE. THE FIRST WAVE IS CURRENTLY IN THE SOUTHERN STREAM OF THE UPSTREAM TROUGH WITH A VORTICITY MAXIMUM LOCATED NEAR 30N 155W. THIS WAVE IS PROJECTED TO CONTINUE TO DEEPEN AND CONTINUE CARVING OUT THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE TROUGH TO THE POINT THE STRONG UPSTREAM JET CAN NO LONGER MAKE THE SOUTHERLY TURN AND SEPARATES IT FROM THE MORE PROGRESSIVE NORTHERN BRANCH WHICH ACTUALLY MOVES THROUGH THE CWA SATURDAY. A MODERATELY STRONG SW TO NE JET FINGER ON ITS EASTERN FLANK WILL EJECT IT NORTHEASTERLY MOVING IT INTO THE SOUTHERN CWA MONDAY NIGHT...WAA AND A PRECIPITABLE WATER FETCH OF CLOSE TO 3/4 OF INCH SHOULD CREATE WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION SPREADING SOUTH TO NORTHEAST SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. THE CHALLENGE WILL BE DETERMINING TYPE...WORST CASE POTENTIAL COULD ALLOW FOR FREEZING RAIN WITH RESIDUAL SHALLOW COLD AIR STILL ENTRENCHED OVER THE AREA AS THE SURFACE HIGH OVER BC SLIDES SOUTH-EASTWARD. HOWEVER...SUSPECT MODELS ARE TO FAST MOVING THE HIGH OUT OF THE REGION WHICH WOULD PUT US IN MORE OF A SNOW EVENT...UNTIL THE STRONG WAA ALOFT GRADUALLY MIXES DOWN TO THE SURFACE. FOR NOW WILL GO WITH MIX PRECIPITATION THEN SNOW NORTH. ANOTHER WAVE WILL FOLLOW MONDAY EVENING DRIVING A COLD FRONT ACROSS WA INTO ID. UPPED POPS ACROSS THE REGION FOR SHOWERS WITH THIS FEATURE...SEVERAL MINOR WAVES FOLLOW FOR CONTINUED SPORADIC SHOWER ACTIVITY THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT WITH MOST OF THE LATER FOCUS BEING OVER THE MOUNTAINS. /JVW && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... SPOKANE 036 049 041 043 026 036/ 90 20 70 30 00 05 COEUR DALENE 035 046 042 044 027 038/100 40 70 40 00 05 PULLMAN 039 049 042 044 029 041/ 70 30 60 40 00 05 LEWISTON 042 054 045 047 031 042/ 60 20 50 60 00 10 COLVILLE 030 044 037 039 023 033/100 80 70 40 00 05 SANDPOINT 032 044 038 040 025 035/100 80 70 60 00 10 WALLACE 035 044 037 039 028 035/100 80 70 60 00 10 MOSES LAKE 038 052 042 044 028 036/ 50 10 20 10 00 05 WENATCHEE 034 044 039 041 028 032/ 60 20 40 10 00 05 OMAK 030 043 037 039 024 032/ 80 40 60 10 00 05 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... .WA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TONIGHT FOR ZONE 43. .ID...NONE.
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA 621 PM PST THU DEC 9 2004 IDZ001-WAZ037-038-042-043-101430- NORTHERN PANHANDLE-NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS- EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES-OKANOGAN VALLEY- 621 PM PST THU DEC 9 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE AREAS LISTED ABOVE. .DAY ONE...TODAY A MOIST PACIFIC WARM FRONT WILL OVER RIDE THE COOLER AIR POOLED IN THE PROTECTED NORTHERN VALLEYS OF EAST WASHINGTON AND NORTH IDAHO. THIS WILL LEAD TO A MIXED BATCH OF WINTER PRECIPITATION TONIGHT INCLUDING FREEZING RAIN AND SNOW. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT MIXED PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED TO FALL OVER THE OKANOGAN VALLEY WHERE BRIEF FREEZING RAIN COULD COMBINE WITH 1 TO 3 INCHES OF SNOW. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY (WWUS46 KOTX WSWOTX) FOR DETAILS. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. WAZ034-035-101430- MOSES LAKE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN- 621 PM PST THU DEC 9 2004 .DAY ONE...TODAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. IDZ002>004-026-027-WAZ031>033-036-041-044-101430- COEUR DALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE-CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS- LEWISTON AREA-LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES- NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS-LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES- WASHINGTON PALOUSE-SPOKANE AREA-WENATCHEE AREA-WATERVILLE PLATEAU- 621 PM PST THU DEC 9 2004 .DAY ONE...TODAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAY TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. THE COMBINATION OF SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AND MELTING SNOW IN THE VALLEYS COULD LEAD TO LOCALIZED FLOODING ON SMALL RIVERS AND STREAMS IN THE AREA THROUGH SUNDAY. SEE THE LATEST RIVER STATEMENT FOR DETAILS. (FGUS86 KOTX RVSOTX)
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
A storm system moved across the east slopes of the Cascades during the overnight hours of the 9th and 10th of December. A spotter near Mazama reported 10 inches while the public reported 12 inches of snow also in Mazama. Another spotter reported 6 inches near the town of Winthrop.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, December 2004
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: 5429399.