Washington, 2010

Extreme Cold in Washington, November 24, 2010

November 24, 2010 · NWS OTX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

An arctic air mass, fresh snow cover, and clear skies resulted in extremely cold temperatures on the morning of November 24th in the Columbia basin and portions of the immediate surrounding area. Low temperatures reported in degrees Fahrenheit include -25 in Davenport, -24 at Turnbull RAWS in Cheney, -22 in La Crosse, and -19 in Moses Lake.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
4

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 OTX wrote it up.

An arctic air mass, fresh snow cover, and clear skies resulted in extremely cold temperatures on the morning of November 24th in the Columbia basin and portions of the immediate surrounding area. Low temperatures reported in degrees Fahrenheit include -25 in Davenport, -24 at Turnbull RAWS in Cheney, -22 in La Crosse, and -19 in Moses Lake. Ephrata reported a low -14 but a 5 to 10 MPH wind resulted in a wind chill factor of -27 degrees Fahrenheit. Due to the extremely cold temperatures, the main electric breakers became overloaded at the Moses Lake substation.

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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Nov 23, 8:59 PM PST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 23, 8:59 PM PST, 3 hours 1 minute before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Spokane Area

When
November 24, 12:00 AM PST to 9:00 AM PST
Where
Spokane Area forecast zone
Reported by
RAWS
Coordinates
47.599, -117.911 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Moses Lake Area

When
November 24, 12:00 AM PST to 9:00 AM PST
Where
Moses Lake Area forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
47.095, -119.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Washington Palouse

When
November 24, 12:00 AM PST to 9:00 AM PST
Where
Washington Palouse forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.261, -117.463 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Upper Columbia Basin

When
November 24, 12:00 AM PST to 9:00 AM PST
Where
Upper Columbia Basin forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer
Coordinates
47.610, -119.173 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill
Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Washington in 2010Every state in 2010This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, November 2010

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 268359, 268361, 268362, 268364.