Landslides forced Highway 18 near Auburn to close, and closed parts of the Burke-Gilman trail in Lake Forest Park.
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.
Landslides forced Highway 18 near Auburn to close, and closed parts of the Burke-Gilman trail in Lake Forest Park.
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 Jan 14, 4:20 PM PST, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
420 PM PST THU JAN 14 2010
.SYNOPSIS...A STRONG FRONT WILL REMAIN JUST OFFSHORE THROUGH TONIGHT
THEN SLIDE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE AREA LATER FRIDAY AS IT WEAKENS.
ANOTHER FRONT IS EXPECTED TO REACH THE COAST SUNDAY WITH A DEEP LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEM PASSING BY SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY. BEYOND THAT A
SERIES OF SYSTEMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA TUESDAY THROUGH THE REMAINDER
OF THE WEEK.
&&
.SHORT TERM...RATHER STRONG FRONT OFFSHORE THAT WON'T MOVE ALL THAT
MUCH OVER THE NEXT 12-18 HOURS IS CAUSING SEVERAL ISSUES THIS
EVENING. FIRSTLY...RAIN HAS BEEN FALLING OVER THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA
MOST OF THE DAY AND HAS REALLY STARTED TO PICK UP RECENTLY AS
INDICATED BY AREA OBSERVATIONS...LIKE 0.41 IN THE LAST HOUR AT BLACK
KNOB. THIS COINCIDES WELL WITH THE PLUME OF MOISTURE AIMED AT THE
REGION ON SATELLITE IMAGERY AND THE STRONG SSW WINDS PICKING UP
ALOFT OVER THE OLYMPICS. THIS IS ALSO SHOWN NICELY IN THE PROFILER
DATA AT WESTPORT WHERE WINDS HAVE NOW REACHED 50 KT THROUGH A RATHER
DEEP LAYER WITH NEARLY AN INCH OF PRECIPITABLE WATER WHICH MATCHES
UP NICELY WITH THE SATELLITE DATA. THIS IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
THROUGH TONIGHT FOR CONTINUED HEAVY RAINS OVER THE OLYMPIC
PENINSULA.
ALSO HAVE HAD TO ISSUE A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS
FOR STRONG WINDS ABOVE AROUND 1500 FEET. HURRICANE RIDGE ALREADY
OVER 40 MPH SUSTAINED WITH GUSTS INTO THE MID 60S. IT WILL ONLY GET
STRONGER OVERNIGHT. PARTS OF THE LOWLANDS OF THE NORTHWEST INTERIOR
WILL PICK UP A BIT AND MAY REACH WIND ADVISORY CRITERIA...BUT THAT
WILL BE THE EXCEPTION RATHER THAN THE RULE.
THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SLIDE SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE REGION DURING
THE DAY FRIDAY AS IT GRADUALLY WEAKENS. THIS WILL BE GOOD FOR RAIN
THROUGH MOST OF THE DAY ALTHOUGH WINDS SHOULD NOT BE AN ISSUE.
CONSIDERING THE REGION IS ALREADY RATHER WET...THE EXPECTED RAIN IS
GOING TO CAUSE RISES ON SEVERAL RIVERS OUTSIDE OF THE
OLYMPICS...MAINLY SNOHOMISH COUNTY NORTHWARD. MORE ON THAT IN THE
HYDRO SECTION.
FOR SATURDAY WE WILL BE IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS AS THE FRIDAY FRONT
MOVES OFF TO THE EAST AND THE NEXT STORM IS STILL WELL OFFSHORE.
GUT FEELING TELLS ME THAT IT WILL BE A DECENT DAY THAT SHOULD BE DRY
MOST AREAS FROM THE LOW LANDS WESTWARD. STILL COULD HAVE SOME
SHOWERS LINGERING IF THE FRIDAY FRONT IS A BIT SLOW SO I LEFT A LOW
CHANCE THREAT IN THE FORECAST...JUST IN CASE AND TO MATCH UP WITH MY
NEIGHBORS. TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE TO BE WARMER SLIGHTLY THAN
NORMAL THROUGH THE PERIOD. CERNIGLIA
.LONG TERM...THIS TIMEFRAME WILL BE AN ACTIVE ONE WEATHERWISE. THE
UPPER RIDGE WILL SHIFT WELL EAST OF THE REGION ALLOWING THE PACIFIC
NW TO BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF THE DEEP TROUGH OFFSHORE. THE
RESULT WILL BE A SERIES OF STORM SYSTEMS THE WILL RIDE UP THE EAST
SIDE OF THIS TROUGH AND ACROSS OUR AREA FROM SUNDAY ONWARD...LIKELY
THROUGH ALL OF NEXT WEEK. IT WILL BE A WET PERIOD PROBABLY BEST
DESCRIBED AS...PERIODS OF RAIN WITH SOMEWHAT ABOVE NORMAL
TEMPERATURES. SPECIFICS ARE QUITE LACKING AT THIS POINT BUT ONE OF
THESE STORM SYSTEMS COULD BE GOOD FOR STRONGER WINDS ACROSS PARTS OF
WESTERN WASHINGTON SUNDAY INTO TUE. IT DEPENDS ON JUST HOW CLOSE TO
THE COAST THE STORMS PASS BY SO THIS WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED. THERE
WILL BE ENOUGH RAIN THROUGH NEXT WEEK THAT BESIDE THE NORMAL LOCAL
HIGH WATER ISSUES THE THREAT OF LOCAL LANDSLIDES WILL REMAIN WITH
US. CERNIGLIA
&&
.HYDROLOGY...A PLUME OF UPPER LEVEL MOISTURE WILL CONTINUE TO BE
AIMED AT THE REGION INTO FRIDAY. SATELLITE DERIVED TOTAL PWAT
VALUES INDICATED THAT THIS MOISTURE...EMANATING FROM THE
SUBTROPICS...CONTAINED 1 PLUS INCHES OF WATER. THIS HAS BEEN
VERIFIED BY THE WESTPORT PROFILER. THIS MOIST AIR WHEN COMBINED
WITH AN INCREASINGLY STRONG SOUTH-SOUTHWEST FLOW OF 50KT OR GREATER
WILL GENERATE PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINS OVER THE OLYMPICS TONIGHT AND
EARLY FRIDAY AND A SHORTER PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINS OVER THE CASCADES
NORTH OF SNOQUALMIE PASS.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS ON THE SOUTH FACING SLOPES OF THE OLYMPIC RANGE BY
LATE FRI ARE EXPECTED TO BE IN THE 6 TO 8-INCH RANGE WITH 2 TO 5
INCHES POSSIBLE ON THE SW FACING SLOPES OF THE NRN CASCADES. THIS
AMOUNT OF RAINFALL WILL INCREASE THE POTENTIAL FOR MINOR RIVER
FLOODING ON SEVERAL RIVERS IN WESTERN WASHINGTON INTO SATURDAY. A
FLOOD WATCH THAT HAS BEEN IN EFFECT IS GOING TO BE EXPANDED SHORTLY
TO COVER A LARGER PORTION OF WESTERN WASHINGTON.
EVEN THROUGH WE HAVE A GOOD MOISTURE SOURCE AND A STRONG WIND TO
DRIVE IT...THE SOUTH-SOUTHWEST WIND DIRECTION IS NOT ONE THAT CAUSES
HEAVY RAIN IN THE GREEN RIVER BASIN. THEREFORE...FLOODING IS NOT
EXPECTED ON THE GREEN RIVER.
BEYOND SATURDAY...THE NEXT WEEK WILL FEATURE NUMEROUS FAST-MOVING
WEATHER SYSTEMS THAT WILL BRING MODERATE RAINS...BUT THE DURATION OF
RAINFALL AND BREAKS BETWEEN WEATHER SYSTEMS SHOULD PRECLUDE
LARGE-SCALE FLOODING CONCERNS...ALTHOUGH SELECT...EASY TO FLOOD
RIVERS WILL BE UNDER THREAT OF RENEWED FLOODING THROUGHOUT NEXT
WEEK.
ALL THIS RAIN ALSO BRINGS ABOUT A CONTINUED THREAT FOR SCATTERED
LANDSLIDES. THE USGS LANDSLIDE INDEX INDICATES THAT THE GROUND IS
SUFFICIENTLY WET...BUT THAT RAINFALL 12-24 HR RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE
ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA DON'T EXCEED CRITERIA TO TRIGGER MORE
EXTENSIVE LANDSLIDE PROBLEMS. GIVEN THE CONDITIONS AND THE FORECAST
OVER THE NEXT WEEK...WIDELY SCATTERED LANDSLIDES ARE A POSSIBILITY
THROUGH NEXT WEEK.
FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED ON THE GREEN RIVER FOR THE NEXT 10 DAYS.
CERNIGLIA
&&
.AVIATION...MOIST STABLE AIR MASS WITH STRONG SSW FLOW ALOFT AND A
SLOW MOVING FNTL SYS ARE THE RIGHT RECIPE FOR WIDESPREAD MVFR CIGS
AND VSBY OVERNIGHT. CONDITIONS COULD DROP TO IFR...AND THE BEST
CHANCE FOR THAT IS FRIDAY MORNING WITH THE FROPA. MTNS OBSCD. 19
KSEA...CIGS AND VSBY SHOULD BE THE WORST FRIDAY MORNING WITH THE
FRONT THAT IS NOT LIKELY TO HAVE A DECENT FROPA BUT RATHER DIE OVER
THE AREA. THAT OFTEN GIVES RATHER LOW CIGS AND VSBY BUT PROBABLY
WONT GO LOWER THAN ABOUT 3SM -RA BR OVC012 FOR NOW FRI MORNING. 19
&&
.MARINE...STRONG FRONTAL SYS WILL SLOWLY MOVE THRU WRN WA TNGT AND
FRIDAY MORNING. WINDS WILL EASE WITH THE FROPA WHICH SHOULD BE TO
THE COAST MID MORNING AND INLAND WATERS MIDDAY. GALES IN THE NORMAL
SPOTS...COASTAL WATERS...ENTRANCES...NORTHERN WATERS. WEAK HIGH
PRES BUILDS SATURDAY FOR LIGHT OFFSHORE FLOW...THEN SEVERAL STRONG
SYSTEMS WILL AFFECT THE REGION SUN-WED. NO BIG UPDATES TO THE
FORECASTS EXCEPT TO NOTCH THE WINDS UP TO GALE FORCE NRN WATERS...IT
COULD REACH GALE IN ADMIRALTY INLET AS WELL TONIGHT BUT FOR NOW
20-30KT IS THE FCST. 19
&&
WA...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF WESTERN WASHINGTON.
.HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE OLYMPICS THROUGH FRIDAY.
PZ...GALE WARNING COASTAL WATERS...ENTRANCES TO THE
STRAIT...NORTHERN INLAND WATERS. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CENTRAL
STRAIT AND ADMIRALTY INLET.
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE
FOR AN ILLUSTRATED VERSION OF THE FORECAST DISCUSSION...PLEASE SEE
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE/GAFD/LATEST_WEBAFD.HTML.1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.
Landslides closed sections of Highway 18 between Federal Way and Auburn. A section of the Burke-Gilman trail in Lake Forest Park was also closed due to a mudslide.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, January 2010
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: 210434.