A frontal system with its surface low moving inland near the mouth of the Columbia River, along with a cold air mass resident over western Washington, brought widespread heavy lowland snow.
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.
A frontal system with its surface low moving inland near the mouth of the Columbia River, along with a cold air mass resident over western Washington, brought widespread heavy lowland snow.
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 17, 9:45 PM PST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
945 PM PST TUE JAN 17 2012
.SYNOPSIS...A WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT WESTERN WASHINGTON LATE
TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY...WITH SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL ACCUMULATIONS.
A WEAKER SYSTEM ON THURSDAY MAY BRING A LITTLE MORE SNOW BEFORE
PRECIPITATION CHANGES FULLY TO RAIN OVER THE LOWLANDS. AN ACTIVE
WEATHER PATTERN IS EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH THIS WEEKEND.
&&
.SHORT TERM...LATEST MODEL RUNS HAVE SHIFTED THE TRACK OF THE LOW
SOUTH A BIT...WITH MAJOR IMPLICATIONS FOR SNOWFALL AMOUNTS OVER
WESTERN WASHINGTON. HAVE KEPT ALL WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES IN PLACE
BUT LOWERED SNOW TOTALS...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SEATTLE METRO AREA.
HARD TO IGNORE BOTH GFS AND NAM AND ASSOCIATED MM5 RUNS WHICH ALL
SHOW HEAVIEST PCPN OVER THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR BUT CONSIDERABLY LESS
OVER NORTHERN AREAS.
ONSET OF SNOW IS SIMILAR TO BEFORE...THIS EVENING IN THE SOUTHWEST
AND LATE TONIGHT OVER SEATTLE...BUT NOW THE PCPN ESSENTIALLY SHUTS
OFF BY 21Z OR SO FROM SEATTLE NORTH. THIS SHOULD STILL ALLOW STORM
TOTALS OF PERHAPS 4-8 INCHES IN SEATTLE AREA ZONES INCLUDING HOOD
CANAL AND THE EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS. THE SOUTHWEST WILL GET 5-10
INCHES AND COULD GET A FOOT OR MORE IN SPOTS. NORTHERN ZONES MAY GET
VERY LITTLE SNOW THOUGH THE STRAIT ZONES MAY SEE SOME UPSLOPE SNOW
FROM FRASER RIVER OUTFLOW. IN ANY CASE WILL LEAVE THE WARNINGS IN
EFFECT FOR NOW. NO CHANGES BEYOND FIRST THREE PERIODS. BURKE
.LONG TERM...PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...MODEL CONSISTENCY CONTINUES TO
BREAK DOWN BEYOND THURSDAY NIGHT OR FRIDAY. THERE REMAINS ABOUT A 50
PERCENT CHANCE OF VERY WINDY CONDITIONS FRIDAY NIGHT OR SATURDAY AS
A STORM SYSTEM PASSES NEARBY OR OVER THE COASTAL WATERS. ADDITIONAL
STRONG FRONTS OR STORMS MOVE NEARBY OR TO THE WEST THROUGH THE
EXTENDED BUT WILL BE DIFFICULT TO TIME GIVEN MODEL INCONSISTENCIES.
THE LONG RANGE FORECAST IS A BLEND OF RECENT GFS AND ECMWF SOLUTIONS
AND IS A BROAD BRUSH FORECAST THAT SHOWS PERIODS OF RAIN...WINDY
CONDITIONS AT TIMES...AND SNOW LEVELS GENERALLY BETWEEN 2000 AND
5000 FEET. ALBRECHT
&&
.HYDROLOGY...MINOR URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS POSSIBLE
AROUND THURSDAY OR FRIDAY AS THE SNOW MELTS. OF SPECIAL CONCERN ARE
RIVERS IN THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR. THERE IS A CHANCE OF FAIRLY HEAVY
RAIN ON THURSDAY OR FRIDAY...WHICH WOULD BE FALLING ON AROUND A FOOT
OF SNOW THAT IS ALREADY ON THE GROUND. THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO CAUSE
THE CHEHALIS RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES TO RISE RAPIDLY. BURKE
&&
.AVIATION...WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE TONIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY...WITH A DEVELOPING FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST DURING THE PERIOD. SURFACE FLOW WILL BECOME
INCREASINGLY NORTHEASTERLY.
SCATTERED SHOWERS...FALLING MOSTLY AS SNOW...WERE OVER WESTERN
WASHINGTON AT 8 PM. CONDITIONS WERE MAINLY VFR AND LOCALLY MVFR WITH
CLOUD COVER ROUGHLY SCT-BKN025 BKN-OVC045 WITH HIGHER LAYERS ABOVE.
CONDITIONS WILL DETERIORATE LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...BECOMING
WIDESPREAD LOW-END MVFR AND IFR IN SNOW AND REDUCED VISIBILITIES.
KSEA...NORTHWEST WIND 4-10 KT BECOMING NORTHEAST 6-14 KT OVERNIGHT
AND WEDNESDAY. SNOW WILL BEGIN AROUND 4 AM WED...WITH 2 TO 5 INCHES
OF ACCUMULATION LIKELY BY 4 PM WED. THE TEMPERATURE WILL FALL TO
FREEZING AROUND MIDNIGHT...THEN REMAIN AT OR A FEW DEGREES BELOW
FREEZING THROUGH WEDNESDAY. MCDONNAL
&&
.MARINE...A 1009 MB LOW WILL REMAIN NEAR CAPE FLATTERY TONIGHT...
WITH HIGH PRESSURE OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WEST-NORTHWESTERLIES WILL CONTINUE OVER THE
COASTAL WATERS...EAST ENTRANCE STRAIT...AND ADMIRALTY INLET TONIGHT.
A VIGOROUS DEVELOPING FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE REGION FROM
THE WEST LATE TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY...WHILE THE SURFACE HIGH REMAINS
OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA. THIS WILL PRODUCE STRONG NORTHEAST PRESSURE
GRADIENTS ACROSS THE REGION...WITH GALE FORCE WINDS EXPECTED OVER
THE COASTAL WATERS...WEST ENTRANCE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA...CENTRAL
STRAIT...AND NORTHERN INLAND WATERS. A GALE WARNING REMAINS IN
EFFECT. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS ARE LIKELY OVER THE EAST ENTRANCE
STRAIT...ADMIRALTY INLET...AND PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL.
ANOTHER WEAKER SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE COASTAL WATERS...MOST
LIKELY THE OREGON COASTAL WATERS...ON THURSDAY. THEN ANOTHER FAIRLY
VIGOROUS FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY THROUGH
SATURDAY. MCDONNAL
&&
.AVALANCHE...SNOWFALL AND WINDS INCREASING ACROSS THE NW MOUNTAINS
EARLY THIS MORNING WITH LOTS MORE TO COME DURING NEXT 36-48
HOURS...ALONG WITH STRENGTHENING WINDS AND OVERALL VERY SLOW WARMING
TREND. COMBINED WITH HARD CRUSTS AND POOR BOND TO SOME VERY LOW
DENSITY SNOW THAT FELL LAST WEEKEND INTO EARLY MONDAY...THIS SHOULD
PRODUCE AN INCREASINGLY SENSITIVE AND UNSTABLE SNOWPACK THROUGHOUT
THE REGION TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY. AVALANCHE WARNINGS ALREADY IN
EFFECT FOR DEVELOPING HIGH DANGER...AND WITH WARMING AND ADDITIONAL
HEAVY TO VERY HEAVY SNOW...SOME QUITE DENSE...AVALANCHE ACTIVITY
SHOULD BECOME LARGE AND FREQUENT...PROBABLY LEADING TO EXTREME
DANGER ON WEDNESDAY. DUE TO VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS GETTING
WORSE...BACK COUNTRY TRAVEL NOT RECOMMEND TUESDAY AND IT SHOULD BE
AVOIDED WEDNESDAY. SEE NWAC.US FOR MORE INFO. MOORE
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...WINTER STORM WARNING CASCADES AND OLYMPICS THROUGH WEDNESDAY
EVENING.
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR MOST OF THE LOWLANDS LATE TONIGHT
THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NORTH INTERIOR LATE TONIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY EVENING.
WIND ADVISORY FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY FOR WESTERN
WHATCOM COUNTY AND THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THIS MORNING CENTRAL STRAIT OF JUAN DE
FUCA...PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL.
GALE WARNING LATER TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY EVENING COASTAL
WATERS...WEST ENTRANCE STRAIT...CENTRAL STRAIT...NORTHERN
INLAND WATERS.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH BAR CONDITIONS GRAYS HARBOR.
FREEZING SPRAY ADVISORY NORTHERN INLAND WATERS 10 PM TONIGHT
THROUGH 6 PM WEDNESDAY.
YOU CAN SEE AN ILLUSTRATED VERSION OF THE FORECAST DISCUSSION AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE/GAFD/LATEST_WEBAFD.HTML10 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Numerous heavy snow reports from NWS spotters and mesonet sources of 14+ inches of snow over a large portion of the zone.
Numerous heavy snow reports from NWS spotters and mesonet sources of 10 to 14 inches of snow over a large portion of the zone.
Numerous heavy snow reports from NWS spotters and mesonet sources of 6 to 10 inches of snow over a large portion of the zone away from the immediate coast.
Numerous heavy snow reports from NWS spotters and mesonet sources of 6 to 14 inches of snow over a large portion of the zone.
Numerous heavy snow reports from NWS spotters and mesonet sources of 6 to 9 inches of snow over mainly the northern portion of the zone.
Several heavy snow reports from NWS spotters and mesonet sources of 4 to 6 inches of snow over a large portion of the zone.
Numerous heavy snow reports from NWS spotters and mesonet sources of 5 to 10 inches of snow over a large portion of the zone.
Several heavy snow reports from NWS spotters and mesonet sources of 6 to 7 inches of snow over a large portion of the zone.
Numerous heavy snow reports from NWS spotters and mesonet sources of 7 to 11 inches of snow over a large portion of the zone.
Numerous heavy snow reports from NWS spotters and mesonet sources of 6 to 9 inches of snow over a large portion of the zone.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2012Every state in 2012This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, January 2012
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: 364964, 364965, 364966, 364967, 364968, 364969, 364970, 364972, 364973, 364974.