Heavy amounts of snow fell over much of Western Washington. In a few areas, the snow was combined with strong winds and poor visibility to create blizzard conditions.
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 episode as NWS SEW wrote it up.
Heavy amounts of snow fell over much of Western Washington. In a few areas, the snow was combined with strong winds and poor visibility to create blizzard conditions.
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 Dec 20, 10:00 AM PST, 2 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
1000 AM PST SAT DEC 20 2008
.SYNOPSIS... A STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL AFFECT THE AREA LATE THIS
AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. THIS STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING
SIGNIFICANT SNOW TO MOST PARTS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON AS WELL AS VERY
STRONG WINDS TO THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS. A COLD UPPER LEVEL LOW
TRAILING THE FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MAINTAIN THE COLD AIR MASS AND SNOW
SHOWERS ON MONDAY. ANOTHER STRONG AND COLD WEATHER SYSTEM WILL
AFFECT THE REGION TUESDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY.
&&
.SHORT TERM...CHILLY READINGS THIS MORNING ACROSS W WA WITH
TEMPS SO FAR STILL ONLY IN THE TEENS AND LOWER 20S. NORTHWEST
SNOHOMISH EVEN WENT BELOW ZERO F WITH SINGLE DIGITS SO FAR AT
ARLINGTON...TEMPS HAVE PLUMMETED EAST OF THE CASCADES. MAV TEMPS
WERE A BIT TOO HIGH IN THE ZONES SO DID ADJUST THEM DOWN. MAY SEE
SOME 20S BUT NOT EXPECTING ANY 30S ACROSS THE REGION...EXCEPT FOR
MAYBE THE CENTRAL COAST.
OTHERWISE...NO CHANGES TO THE HEADLINES THIS MORNING AS WE ARE STILL
EXPECTING A MAJOR STORM TO IMPACT THE AREA. LATEST MODELS BRING
MOISTURE IN A LITTLE FASTER SO ONLY ADJUSTED POPS SLIGHTLY TO SHOW A
CHANCE OF SNOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON IN THE PUGET SOUND AREA. THIS
COMPLEX SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG WINDS AND HEAVY SNOW TO THE AREA
WHICH ARE ALREADY OUTLINED IN THE CURRENT FORECAST PACKAGE. SEATTLE
TO YAKIMA PRES GRADIENT IS RISING RAPIDLY WITH VERY STRONG WINDS
EXPECTED ACROSS THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS AND HIGH WINDS WITH GUSTS TO
70 AND EVEN 90 MPH ARE POSSIBLE...WITH WINDS PEAKING THIS EVENING
AND INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS.
NOW FOR THE SNOW...APPROACHING WARM FRONT WILL SPREAD MOIST AIR OVER
THE COLD LOW LEVEL AIRMASS WITH ALL SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS THE AREA.
HARDEST HIT WILL BE THE COAST AND HOOD CANAL NEAR THE OLYMPICS.
THREAT FOR ADDITIONAL SNOW REMAINS IN THE SEATTLE/TACOMA/EVERETT
AREA WITH SNOW EXPECTED TO START THIS EVENING. A FEW INCHES ARE ALSO
EXPECTED IN THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS ALTHOUGH LESS AMOUNTS ARE LIKELY
THERE WITH THE DOWNSLOPE EASTERLIES. MAY NEED TO ADD THAT ZONE FOR
A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY. A CHANGE OVER TO A SLEET OR FREEZING RAIN
IS STILL POSSIBLE FOR THE CENTRAL COAST AND PERHAPS THE SW INTERIOR
BUT THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH WARMING JUST ABOVE THE SURFACE. WILL
ADJUST THIS AFTERNOON IF NECESSARY. MODEL SOUNDINGS SHOW A FREEZING
PROFILE ACROSS THE CENTRAL SOUND UP NORTH SO EXPECT ALL SNOW FOR
THESE AREAS. ANOTHER SFC LOW WILL HEAD SOUTH OF THE AREA LATE SUN
INTO MONDAY SO THE THREAT OF MORE SNOW CONTINUES...STAY TUNED. 33
.LONG TERM...PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...DID NOT SPEND MUCH TIME ON THE
LONG TERM FORECAST THIS MORNING. QUICK LOOK AND THE MODELS SHOWS
SOME FAIRLY GOOD AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE EURO AND GFS WITH A SYSTEM
MOVING BY MAINLY TO THE SOUTH LATER TUESDAY INTO WEDNESDAY WITH
ANOTHER SYSTEM ARRIVING LATER WEDNESDAY INTO CHRISTMAS DAY. GFS IS A
LITTLE FASTER WITH THE SECOND SYSTEM VERSUS THE EURO. WITH THE
SURFACE LOWS MOVING INLAND TO THE SOUTH OF WESTERN WASHINGTON
PRECIPITATION TYPE DECISIONS WILL ONCE AGAIN HAVE TO BE MADE. FELTON
&&
.AVIATION...FIRST CONCERNING CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION...CLOUDS
BKN-OVC060 ARE SPREADING ONTO THE COAST AND WILL DEVELOP RAPIDLY
INLAND DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS. WILL SEE SNOW DEVELOP AROUND 20Z
ON THE CENTRAL COAST AND WORK NE TO AROUND KSEA ABOUT 00Z...THEN
WORK RAPIDLY N AND E TO ENCOMPASS THE ENTIRE AREA 02Z OR SO.
HEAVIEST SNOW AND POOREST VIS THIS EVENING WILL BE THRU THE CHEHALIS
GAP TO AROUND HOOD CANAL AND THE SW INTERIOR...RIGHT UP TO ABOUT
SEATAC. AREAS N AND EAST SLIGHTLY BETTER EXCEPT N COAST WHERE
BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OCCUR. EXPECT TO SEE SOME MIX TO SLEET AND
POSSIBLY FREEZING RAIN OVERNIGHT KUIL-KHQM-KOLM SOUTHWARD WHILE MOST
OTHER AREAS STAYING IN THE FORM OF SNOW. PRECIPITATION TAPERS OFF
AROUND 16Z-18Z TIME FRAME.
CONCERNING WIND...EXPECT STRONG EASTERLY FLOW TO DEVELOP NEAR THE
CASCADES 21Z AND RAMP UP DURING THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING
HOURS. CURRENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT PORTIONS OF THE I-90 CORRIDOR
EAST OF BELLEVUE COULD REACH E45G65KT. SOME OF THIS E WIND WILL
REACH OUT TO NEAR KSEA AND KBFI...THOUGH ONLY E20G30KT THIS EVENING
AND SOME LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR MAY OCCUR KSEA-KBFI EWD AS WINDS MOVE
OVER THE TOP OF A SHALLOW SURFACE LAYER OF LIGHTER WINDS W OF ABOUT
INTERSTATE 405. CONDITIONS CONTINUING UNTIL ABOUT 18Z SUN.
KSEA...PREVIOUS TERMINAL TRENDS LOOK GOOD BUT A TAD SLOW. WILL LEAN
TOWARD THE FASTER 12Z SOLUTIONS TO START HEAVIER PRECIPITATION AND
WIND SHEAR 4-6 HOURS EARLIER. THE CHANGEOVER OF PRECIPITATION TYPE
TO MIXED SNOW AND RAIN SUN MORNING IS NOT CERTAIN BUT IS STILL
INDICATED ON UW MM5 SOLUTIONS SO WILL BE MAINTAINED. TOTAL SNOW
ACCUMULATION 00Z-12Z LIKELY AROUND 4 INCHES AT KSEA...BUT HIGHER
AMOUNTS ARE POSSIBLE PER SOME MODELS...WITH STATISTICAL GFS GUIDANCE
GIVING GREATER THAN 8 INCHES. ALBRECHT
&&
.MARINE...SEE FORECASTS FOR DETAILS...STORM WARNING COASTAL WATERS
AND WEST ENTRANCE TO THE STRAIT. GALES ELSEWHERE EXCEPT PUGET SOUND.
THERE IS A CHANCE FOR STORM FORCE EAST ENTRANCE STRAIT AND ADMIRALTY
INLET ALTHOUGH 40 TO 45 KT LOOKS MOST LIKELY. THE CASCADE GAP WIND
SHOOTING OUT OVER LAKE WASHINGTON NORTH SEATTLE AND EVERETT COULD TO
SOME DEGREE DESCEND TO SEA LEVEL BUT MORE LIKELY WILL BE SKIMMING
OVER THE HILL TOPS...I EXPECT SE 30KT AT TIMES FOR EVERETT HARBOR
AND PORT SUSAN.
ADDITIONAL SYSTEMS MON THRU WED APPEAR WEAKER WITH LOWS SLIDING SE
THROUGH THE COASTAL WATERS AND GIVING OFFSHORE PRES GRADIENTS IN THE
INLAND WATERS. ALBRECHT
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...HIGH WIND WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS
THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON.
BLIZZARD WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE CASCADES LATE THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND FOR THE OLYMPICS...WESTERN STRAIT
OF JUAN DE FUCA AND NORTH COAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING.
WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE REMAINING AREA EXCEPT
THE PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS AND EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
PZ...STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL WATERS AND WEST
ENTRANCE TO THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
GALE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN STRAIT OF
JUAN DE FUCA...ADMIRALTY INLET...AND NORTHERN INLAND WATERS.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR THE PUGET SOUND AND HOOD
CANAL.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT FOR ROUGH GRAYS HARBOR BAR
CONDITIONS.
WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE
FOR THE ENHANCED AFD PLEASE VISIT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE/GAFD/LATESTWEBAFD.HTML (ALL LOWERCASE)The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 heavy snow, 2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.
Snowfall of 4-5 inches was reported along with high wind. Tatoosh Island reported sustained wind above 50 knots for several hours. The highest was 54 knots, which generally translates to a 62 mph gust over the mainland.
Snowfall of 4-12 inches was reported along with high wind. A spotter in Sekiu reported 40 mph sustained with gusting to 52 mph.
Snowfall of 5-8 inches was reported.
Snowfall averaged 4 inches.
Snowfall of 3-6 inches was reported.
Snowfall of 2-9 inches was reported.
Snowfall of 5-10 inches was reported.
Snowfall of 3-7 inches was reported. About 6000 customers were without power. Some businesses were closed due to the snow.
Snowfall averaged 6 inches.
Snowfall of 2-5 inches was reported.
Snowfall of 4-6 inches was reported.
Snowfall of 3-6 inches was reported.
Heavy snow of 3-6 inches fell.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, December 2008
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: 140516, 140517, 140510, 140501, 140502, 140503, 140508, 140509, 140499, 140504, 140505, 140507, 141121.