Up to 6 inches of snow fell in the Cascade foothills, mainly between Eatonville and Enumclaw.
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.
Up to 6 inches of snow fell in the Cascade foothills, mainly between Eatonville and Enumclaw.
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 28, 2:50 PM PST, 4 hours 10 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
350 PM PDT SAT MAR 28 2009
.SYNOPSIS...A VIGOROUS FRONTAL SYSTEM THAT HAS BROUGHT RAIN TO THE
LOWLANDS AND SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS WILL MOVE EAST OF THE CASCADES
TONIGHT. SHOWERS WILL DECREASE SUNDAY AS AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BEGINS
TO BUILD OVER THE AREA. COOL AND UNSETTLED WEATHER WILL PERSIST
THROUGH MUCH OF NEXT WEEK AS A SERIES OF SYSTEMS MOVE INTO THE
REGION FROM THE NORTHWEST BEGINNING LATE MONDAY NIGHT.
&&
.SHORT TERM...SURFACE OBSERVATIONS AND SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWING THE
COLD FRONT EXTENDING FROM KHQM NORTHEAST TO JUST WEST OF KBLI AND ON
TRACK TO PUSH THROUGH THE INTERIOR WESTERN WASHINGTON BY LATE
AFTERNOON AND INTO THE EVENING. ONSHORE SURFACE GRADIENTS WILL
STRENGTHEN BEHIND THE FRONT...BRINGING WITH THEM A DECENT WESTERLY
PUSH THROUGH THE STRAIT. ABUNDANT MOISTURE AND STRONG NORTHWESTERLY
FLOW ALOFT WILL PERSIST INTO SUNDAY MORNING...WITH THE HEAVIEST
PRECIPITATION OCCURING THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS AS THE UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH PASSES OVERHEAD. 850 MB FLOW LOOKS LIKE IT MIGHT BE STRONG
ENOUGH TO KEEP MOST OF THE HEAVIER POST FRONTAL SHOWERS OVER THE
CASCADES...THOUGH SOME CONVERGENCE ZONE ACTIVITY THROUGH THE CENTRAL
SOUND STILL POSSIBLE. MODELS HAVE BEEN DOWNPLAYING ACCUMULATIONS
OVER THE OLYMPICS AND NORTH CASCADES WITH THE MORE SOUTHERLY TRACK
OF THE SYSTEM. TOTAL ACCUMULATIONS OF 12 TO 18 INCHES THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING STILL POSSIBLE WITH THE HIGHER AMOUNTS OVER THE CENTRAL
CASCADES. ACCORDINGLY HAVE LET THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE
OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS EXPIRE AT 00Z. THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE
NORTH AND CENTRAL CASCADES REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING.
HAVE HAD REPORTS OF SNOW MIXED WITH RAIN THROUGHOUT THE DAY AT SOME
OF THE HIGHER LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT THE INTERIOR. 1000/850
THICKNESSES REMAIN MARGINAL AT JUST BELOW 1300 METERS TONIGHT. A
RAIN AND SNOW MIX WILL PERSIST INTO THE EVENING HOURS ALONG THE
HIGHER HILLTOPS AWAY FROM THE WATER...ESPECIALLY AS THE FRONT PUSHES
THROUGH THE REST OF THE INTERIOR. 12Z UW MESOSCALE MODEL RUNS HAVE
BACKED OFF ON ACCUMULATIONS... THOUGH SOME ACCUMULATION UP TO AN
INCH POSSIBLE OVERNIGHT WITH THE HEAVIER SHOWERS ESPECIALLY OVER THE
HIGHER HILLTOPS AND AWAY FROM THE WATER.
WEAK UPPER LEVEL RIDGING WILL BUILDS OVER THE AREA SUNDAY INTO EARLY
MONDAY WITH TEMPS DURING THE AFTERNOON HOURS SUNDAY REACHING INTO
THE LOWER 50S.
LONG TERM...THE UNSETTLED PATTERN WILL CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEK AS
SEVERAL SYSTEMS EMBEDDED IN THE NORTHWESTERLY FLOW PASS THROUGH THE
AREA BRINGING PERIODS OF RAIN AND SHOWERS. TODAYS MODELS REMAIN
SLOWER WITH THE FIRST SYSTEM BRINGING PRECIP TO THE NORTH INTERIOR
AND NORTH COAST LATE MONDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING...WITH THE BULK OF
THE PRECIPITATION FALLING DURING THE DAY TUESDAY. A SECOND SYSTEM
LOOKS TO SLIDE IN ON ITS HEALS WEDNESDAY KEEPING SHOWERS IN THE
FORECAST THROUGH THURSDAY. MODELS DO HINT AT A BRIEF BREAK SOME TIME
LATE IN THE WEEK AS WEAK RIDGING BUILDS OVER THE REGION FROM THE
WEST. TIMING REMAINS AN ISSUE SO THE EXTENDED PERIOD REMAINS BROAD
BRUSHED WITH UNSETTLED WEATHER.
&&
.AVIATION...THE COLD FRONT IS ON ITS WAY IN...WITH WINDS SWITCHING
TO THE NW ALONG THE COAST. THE COLD FRONT SHOULD PASS THROUGH THE
INTERIOR 23-01Z WITH STEADY RAIN TURNING OVER TO SHOWERS. BRIEF
RN/SN MIX IS POSSIBLE IN HEAVIER SHOWERS. STRONG NW FLOW BEHIND THE
FRONT WILL RESULT IN BLUSTERY CONDITIONS ACROSS THE
REGION...ESPECIALLY THE COAST...STRAIT AND NW INTERIOR. THE TRAILING
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL PASS THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING...WITH
SHOWERS DIMINISHING ACROSS THE LOWLANDS AFTER MIDNIGHT.
HIGH PRES WILL BUILD OFFSHORE ON SUN WITH DRY CONDITIONS EXPECTED
ACROSS THE PAC NW.
KSEA...THE COLD FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE PUGET SOUND AREA AROUND
23-01Z WITH STEADY RAIN TURNING OVER TO SHOWERS. COULD SEE A BRIEF
INCREASE IN SLY WINDS RIGHT AHEAD OF THE TROUGH...WITH WINDS THEN
BECOMING W/NW AS THE FRONT PASSES. SHOWERS WILL REMAIN IN THE
VICINITY THROUGHOUT THE EVENING...THEN MAINLY AFFECT THE CASCADES
AFTER MIDNIGHT. 33
&&
.MARINE...STRONG NORTHWEST FLOW WILL DEVELOP ACROSS WESTERN
WASHINGTON LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AS A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT
PASSES THROUGH THE REGION. GALE WARNINGS ARE POSTED FOR MOST
WATERS...WITH SCA WINDS WEST ENTRANCE AND PUGET SOUND/HOOD CANAL.
IN ADDITION...WILL SEE HIGH SEAS FOR THE COASTAL WATERS AND WEST
ENTRANCE TO THE STRAIT WITH NW SWELLS 12-16 FT.
NORTHWESTERLY ONSHORE FLOW WILL PERSIST ACROSS WESTERN WA ON SUN AS
A BROAD 1030 MB SURFACE HIGH PRES SHIFTS EAST OVER THE NE PAC. A
WEAK WARM FRONT WILL PASS THROUGH THE REGION ON MON...FOLLOWED BY
ANOTHER COLD FRONT ON TUE. 33
&&
.AVALANCHE...INCREASINGLY HEAVY SNOWFALL...INCREASING WINDS AND
SLIGHT WARMING SATURDAY SHOULD BE FOLLOWED BY HEAVY
SHOWERS...COOLING AND STRONGER WINDS SATURDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY
SUNDAY. ALONG WITH AN EXPECTED POOR BOND TO EXISTING SNOW
SURFACES...THIS SITUATION SHOULD RESULT IN INCREASINGLY DANGEROUS
AVALANCHE CONDITIONS SATURDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING WITH
APPROPRIATE WARNINGS ISSUED TO COVER THIS EARLY SPRING EVENT. WHILE
THE CALENDAR AND THE FLOWERING TREES MAY SAY SPRING...THE
ANTICIPATED CONDITIONS IN THE MOUNTAINS LOUDLY PROCLAIM MIDWINTER.
HENCE BACK COUNTRY TRAVELERS ARE URGED TO OBJECTIVELY CONSIDER
EXPECTED DANGER AND LIMIT THEIR EXPOSURE TO AVALANCHE
TERRAIN...ESPECIALLY WIND LOADED LEE SLOPES WHERE LARGER AND
SENSITIVE WIND SLAB DEVELOPMENT IS LIKELY OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS.
PLEASE CONSULT NWAC.US FOR DETAILS. MOORE
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...WINTER STORM WARNING CASCADES THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.
AVALANCHE WARNING CENTRAL CASCADES.
PZ...GALE WARNING TONIGHT FOR THE COASTAL WATERS...CENTRAL STRAIT OF
JUAN DE FUCA...EAST ENTRANCE...ADMIRALTY INLET...NORTHERN
INLAND WATERS.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY TONIGHT FOR THE WEST ENTRANCE
STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA...PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH BAR CONDITIONS THROUGH SUNDAY
FOR GRAYS HARBOR.
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLEPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
622 PM PDT SAT MAR 28 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0621 PM SNOW 4 NNE ENUMCLAW 47.25N 121.93W
03/28/2009 M1.0 INCH KING WA TRAINED SPOTTER
SNOWFALL SINCE 315 PM. STILL SNOWING LIGHTLY.
&&
GRUBPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
707 PM PDT SAT MAR 28 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0707 PM SNOW 4 NNW EATONVILLE 46.93N 122.30W
03/28/2009 M1.0 INCH PIERCE WA TRAINED SPOTTER
ELEVATION 740 FEET. STILL SNOWING MODERATELY.
&&
GRUB1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Up to 6 inches of snow fell in the cascade foothills, mainly between Eatonville and Enumclaw.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, March 2009
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: 160693.