Winter Weather in Washington, January 28, 2004

Name: Winter Weather in Washington, January 28, 2004
Start: 2004-01-28T07:00
End: 2004-01-28T08:30
Location: Washington

January 28, 2004 · NWS PDT · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A brief period of freezing rain led to six accidents on interstate 90 between Ellensburg and Kittitas, resulting in several minor injuries.

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 PDT wrote it up.

A brief period of freezing rain led to six accidents on interstate 90 between Ellensburg and Kittitas, resulting in several minor injuries.

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 Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 28, 2:45 AM PST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 28, 2:45 AM PST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 28, 5:00 AM PST, 2 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
500 AM PST WED JAN 28 2004

ORZ041>050-WAZ024>030-291300-

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...A VIGOROUS PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
AREA TODAY.  THIS SYSTEM BRINGS WITH IT DECENT MOISTURE AND AN
IMPRESSIVE JET MAX.  THE UPSLOPE PRONE AREAS OF THE SOUTHERN
WASHINGTON CASCADES AND THE THE NORTHERN BLUE MOUNTAINS OF
WASHINGTON WILL SEE THE BEST SNOW ACCUMULATIONS.  A SNOW ADVISORY
HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THESE AREAS.  SEE THE DETAILS IN THE LATEST
PDXWSWPDT OR WWUS46.  VALLEY LOCATIONS WILL REMAIN SHADOWED.  SNOW
LEVELS WILL HOVER AROUND 4000 FEET TODAY BEFORE RISING TO NEAR 5000
FEET TONIGHT.

STRONG MID-LEVEL WINDS WILL MIX TO THE SURFACE TODAY IN THE COLUMBIA
BASIN.  WINDS OUT OF THE WEST OF 25 TO 35 MPH WITH HIGHER GUSTS
SHOULD BE EXPECTED.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THE PROGRESSIVE PATTERN WILL CONTINUE WITH
THE UPPER-LEVEL FLOW REMAINS OUT OF THE WEST OFF THE PACIFIC.
NUMEROUS WEATHER SYSTEMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA EACH BRINGING
THE CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION. SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN HIGH THROUGH
EARLY FRIDAY...BUT WILL BEGIN TO DROP THEREAFTER.

THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE LIKELY.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, E Kittitas

When: January 28, 7:00 AM PST to 8:30 AM PST
Where: E Kittitas forecast zone
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 46.791, -120.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Weather: Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Washington in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, January 2004

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: 5383844.