Brief high wind occurred on the north coast and in western Whatcom county.
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.
Brief high wind occurred on the north coast and in western Whatcom county.
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 18, 4:00 AM PST, 4 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
400 AM PST WED JAN 18 2012
.SYNOPSIS...A WINTER STORM WILL AFFECT WESTERN WASHINGTON TODAY WITH
SIGNIFICANT SNOWFALL...ESPECIALLY OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE
AREA. A WEAKER SYSTEM ON THURSDAY MAY BRING A LITTLE MORE SNOW TO
THE SOUTH PART OF THE AREA. WARMER AIR WILL ARRIVE ON FRIDAY WITH A
WEATHER SYSTEM BRINGING RAIN TO THE AREA. AN ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN
IS EXPECTED THROUGH THE WEEKEND INTO THE FIRST PART OF NEXT WEEK.
&&
.SHORT TERM...WSR-88D'S SHOWS SNOW SPREADING NORTH THIS MORNING OVER
WESTERN WASHINGTON. BY 3 AM THE SNOW HAS REACHED THE SEATTLE AREA.
SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS WARM FRONT OFFSHORE WITH THE TRAILING COLD
FRONT BACK NEAR 140W. TPW IMAGERY SHOWS CORE VALUES EMBEDDED IN THE
MOISTURE FIELD AROUND 2.0 INCHES WHICH WILL HELP OUT THE
PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS. ON THE FLIP SIDE...THE INCREASING NORTHERLY
GRADIENTS HAVE DRIED OUT THE LOWER LAYERS OF THE AIR MASS THIS
MORNING WHICH WILL CUT BACK ON THE PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS. SATELLITE
IMAGERY ALSO SHOWS SURFACE LOW NEAR 45N/128W TRACKING EAST. ALL OF
THE MODELS ARE VERIFYING WELL WITH THE TRACK AND LOCATION OF THIS
FEATURE AT THIS POINT. SURFACE LOW WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE EAST AND
MOVE INLAND NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER. FRONT OFFSHORE
MOVING INLAND LATE THIS AFTERNOON. THIS WILL BRING ABOUT AN END OT
THE SNOW OVER THE AREA. WITH THE TRACK OF THE LOW LOCATIONS NORTH OF
EVERETT WILL NOT SEE MUCH IN THE WAY OF SNOW FOR THIS EVENT. THERE
IS A CHANCE THAT IN THE BELLINGHAM AREA WILL NOT SEE ANY
PRECIPITATION AT ALL. INSTEAD OF SNOW THE BELLINGHAM AREA WILL GET
SOME WINDS LATER TODAY AS THE KBLI-CYWL GRADIENT INCREASES TO AROUND
-17 MB. A WIND ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT THROUGH TODAY. HAVE
GONE FOR A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE NORTHERN SECTIONS TODAY
AND ENDED THE WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE NORTH CASCADES. FROM
EVERETT SOUTHWARD SNOW CONTINUING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON HOURS WITH
THREE TO EIGHT INCHES OF NEW SNOW EXPECTED BY LATE AFTERNOON. WITH
THE DRY AIR MASS EXPECT LOWER SNOW DENSITIES SO THE SNOW TO
PRECIPITATION RATIOS WILL BE HIGH SO EVEN WITH LOWER PRECIPITATION
VALUES FORECASTED. MODEL 1000-850 MB THICKNESS VALUES REMAINING
BELOW 1300 METERS FOR THE ENTIRE AREA TODAY. THERE IS THE POTENTIAL
FOR THE PRECIPITATION TO CHANGE OVER TO RAIN OR FREEZING RAIN
BRIEFLY THIS AFTERNOON OVER THE EXTREME SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE AREA
AS WELL AS THE CENTRAL COAST.
BEHIND THE FRONT PRECIPITATION BASICALLY SHUTS OFF. THERE IS STILL A
CHANCE FOR SOME FLURRIES BUT THE MAIN PRECIPITATION WILL COME LATER
THIS MORNING INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON HOURS. HAVE CHOPPED A COUPLE
OF HOURS OFF OF THE WINTER STORM WARNING BUT KEPT IT GOING THROUGH
THE EVENING COMMUTE IN CASE THE SLOWER ECMWF SOLUTION PANS OUT. THE
WARNING EXPIRES AT 8 PM.
NEXT SYSTEM MOVING UP FORM THE SOUTH ON THURSDAY NOW TAKING A MORE
SOUTHERN TRACK AND HEADING MOSTLY INTO OREGON. THE AIR MASS OVER
WESTERN WASHINGTON WILL REMAIN COOL WITH THE 1000-850 MB THICKNESS
VALUES BARELY CREEPING OVER 1300 METERS. HAVE LOWER THE POPS OVER
MOST OF THE AREA INTO THE CHANCE CATEGORY FOR THURSDAY.
A SHORT BREAK IN THE ACTION THURSDAY EVENING BEFORE THE NEXT SYSTEM
ARRIVES IN WESTERN WASHINGTON ON FRIDAY. THE AIR MASS WILL WARM UP
QUICKLY THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY AND THE ALL OF THE PRECIPITATION
FOR THIS SYSTEM FOR THE LOWLANDS WILL BE IN THE FOR OF RAIN. FELTON
.LONG TERM...EXTENDED MODELS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT THAT THE WEATHER
PATTER WILL REMAIN ACTIVE THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. SOME
TIMING DIFFERENCES ON WHEN THE SYSTEMS WILL MOVE THROUGH WESTERN
WASHINGTON BUT THE GENERAL IDEA OF WARMER AND WETTER IS STILL IN
PLACE. THE POSSIBLE VERY WINDY SCENARIO ON SATURDAY THAT WAS
ADVERTISED BY THE ECMWF IS NO LONGER IN THE MODEL WITH THE SURFACE
LOW MOVING INLAND NORTH OF VANCOUVER ISLAND INSTEAD OF OVER WESTERN
WASHINGTON. THE BROAD BRUSH FORECAST THAT SHOWS PERIODS OF
RAIN...WINDY CONDITIONS AT TIMES...AND SNOW LEVELS GENERALLY BETWEEN
2000 AND 5000 FEET WILL CONTINUE. FELTON
&&
.HYDROLOGY...MINOR URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IS POSSIBLE
AROUND FRIDAY AS THE SNOW MELTS. OF SPECIAL CONCERN ARE RIVERS IN
THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR. THERE IS A CHANCE OF FAIRLY HEAVY RAIN ON
FRIDAY...WHICH WOULD BE FALLING IN ADDITION TO THE MELTING SNOW ON
THE GROUND. THIS IS A GOOD WAY TO CAUSE THE CHEHALIS RIVER AND ITS
TRIBUTARIES TO RISE RAPIDLY. THE EXTENDED MODELS ARE HINTING A VERY
WET PATTERN SETTING UP FOR THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. BURKE/FELTON
&&
.AVIATION...MOIST WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH TONIGHT.
SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA AND A FRONTAL SYSTEM
MOVING THROUGH THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST TODAY WILL PRODUCE STRONG
NORTHEAST SURFACE FLOW AND SNOW ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. ANOTHER
FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO THE OREGON OFFSHORE WATERS LATE
TONIGHT.
SNOW HAS BEEN SPREADING NORTHEAST ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA FOR THE
LAST SEVERAL HOURS...REACHING THE SEATTLE AREA AROUND 2 AM.
CONDITIONS ARE VFR NORTH OF THE SNOW...BUT HAVE QUICKLY DETERIORATED
TO IFR OR LOW-END MVFR WHERE SNOW IS FALLING WITH VISIBILITIES
1/2-3SM AND CEILINGS VV003 TO OVC015. SNOWFALL AND ACCOMPANYING POOR
CONDITIONS WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA...WITH
THE POSSIBLE EXCEPTION OF THE EXTREME NORTHWEST CORNER...WITHIN THE
NEXT FEW HOURS.
FOR MUCH OF WESTERN WASHINGTON...THE HEAVIEST SNOWFALL WILL OCCUR
THROUGH AROUND 10 AM. SNOW WILL PROBABLY DECREASE TO FLURRIES LATE
THIS AFTERNOON WITH MODEST IMPROVEMENT IN CONDITIONS.
THE NEXT ROUND OF PRECIPITATION WILL SPREAD INTO THE EXTREME SOUTH
PART OF THE FORECAST AREA THURSDAY MORNING.
KSEA...NORTHEAST WIND 6-10 KT RISING TO 8-16 KT GUSTING 24 KT LATE
THIS MORNING...AND THEN EASING TONIGHT. THE MAIN PERIOD OF SNOWFALL
WILL BE OVER AROUND 2 PM TODAY...AND THE HEAVIEST SNOW WILL PROBABLY
OCCUR THIS MORNING. AN ACCUMULATION OF 3 TO 5 INCHES STILL LOOKS
LIKE A GOOD BET. THE TEMPERATURE SHOULD REMAIN A LITTLE BELOW
FREEZING TODAY AND TONIGHT.
THERE COULD BE ADDITIONAL SNOW FLURRIES LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT WITH LITTLE IF ANY ADDITIONAL ACCUMULATION. THE CORE OF THE
SYSTEM ARRIVING THURSDAY WILL MOVE THROUGH OREGON...AND IT LOOKS
LIKE KSEA WILL BE ON THE NORTHERN FRINGE OF THAT FEATURE.
PRECIPITATION THURSDAY AT KSEA -- IF THERE IS ANY AT ALL -- WILL
LIKELY BE LIGHT SNOW WITH LITTLE OR NO ACCUMULATION. MCDONNAL
&&
.MARINE...A 1036 MB HIGH PRESSURE CENTER OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA AND A
DEVELOPING FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVING ACROSS THE REGION FROM THE
SOUTHWEST WILL PRODUCE STRONG NORTHEAST FLOW ACROSS THE FORECAST
AREA TODAY. A GALE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE COASTAL
WATERS...WEST ENTRANCE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA...CENTRAL STRAIT...
AND NORTHERN INLAND WATERS. SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY WINDS ARE EXPECTED
FOR THE EAST ENTRANCE STRAIT...ADMIRALTY INLET...PUGET SOUND AND
HOOD CANAL. IN ADDITION A FREEZING SPRAY ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR
THE NORTHERN INLAND WATERS...WHERE TEMPERATURES ARE AS LOW AS THE
MID TO UPPER TEENS.
ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM AND ITS SURFACE LOW WILL MOVE INTO THE OREGON
COASTAL WATERS THURSDAY -- A BIT FURTHER SOUTH THAN THE CURRENT
SYSTEM. IN ADDITION THE SURFACE HIGH OVER BRITISH COLUMBIA WILL BE
WEAKENING. SO THE PATTERN WILL MAINTAIN NORTHEAST FLOW...BUT IT WILL
NOT BE NEARLY AS STRONG.
A VIGOROUS FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL SWITCH THE FLOW TO SOUTHERLY AS IT
MOVES THROUGH THE AREA FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. THIS FEATURE WILL
LIKELY BRING GALES TO MOST OF THE MARINE FORECAST ZONES. WE ALSO
EXPECT WESTERLY SWELLS OF 20 TO 23 FT TO MOVE INTO THE COASTAL
WATERS THIS WEEKEND. MCDONNAL
&&
.AVALANCHE...VERY HEAVY SNOWFALL FROM THE NORTH-CENTRAL WA CASCADES
SOUTHWARD PAST 24 HOURS WITH AMOUNTS RANGING FROM AROUND 12 TO OVER
30 INCHES. COMBINED WITH STRONG WINDS THIS HAS OVERLOADED FRAGILE
SNOW LAYERS WEAKLY ATTACHED TO OLD CRUSTS AND PRODUCED INCREASINGLY
LARGE AND SENSITIVE AVALANCHES. FIELD REPORTS LATE TUESDAY ALREADY
INDICATED LOTS OF NATURAL AND HUMAN TRIGGERED SLIDES RANGING FROM
ABOUT 1 TO 3 FEET DEEP. AVALANCHE WARNINGS ALREADY IN EFFECT FOR
HIGH DANGER...AND WITH WARMING...FURTHER WINDS AND ADDITIONAL HEAVY
TO VERY HEAVY SNOW...SOME QUITE DENSE...AVALANCHE ACTIVITY SHOULD
BECOME LARGER AND MORE SEVERE ON WEDNESDAY. THIS SHOULD LEAD TO
EXTREME DANGER ABOVE ABOUT 5000 FEET WITH INCREASING HIGH DANGER
BELOW. DUE TO VERY DANGEROUS CONDITIONS GETTING WORSE...BACK COUNTRY
TRAVEL SHOULD BE AVOIDED WEDNESDAY. DECREASING SHOWERS MOST
LOCATIONS IN WA OVERNIGHT SHOULD HELP EASE THE DANGER BY EARLY
THURSDAY. HOWEVER...ONLY BRIEF DECREASE IN OR SHOULD KEEP AVALANCHE
WARNING GOING THERE FOR CONTINUED HIGH DANGER. SEE NWAC.US FOR MORE
INFO. MOORE
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...WINTER STORM WARNING CENTRAL CASCADES AND OLYMPICS THROUGH THIS
EVENING.
WINTER STORM WARNING FOR MOST OF THE LOWLANDS FROM PUGET SOUND
AREA SOUTHWARD THROUGH THIS EVENING.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY NORTHWEST INTERIOR AND EVERETT AREA
THROUGH THIS EVENING.
WIND ADVISORY WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY AND THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS
THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON.
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.HTMLPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
611 AM PST WED JAN 18 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0610 AM HEAVY SNOW 1 S PE ELL 46.56N 123.30W
01/18/2012 M11.5 INCH LEWIS WA TRAINED SPOTTER
24 HOUR TOTAL. 16.5 INCHES ON GROUND.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
631 AM PST WED JAN 18 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0629 AM HEAVY SNOW CURTIS 46.59N 123.11W
01/18/2012 E15.0 INCH LEWIS WA PUBLIC
ESTIMATED TOTAL SINCE SNOW BEGAN.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
643 AM PST WED JAN 18 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0640 AM SNOW 1 WNW FEDERAL WAY 47.32N 122.36W
01/18/2012 M4.0 INCH KING WA TRAINED SPOTTER
4 INCHES NEW SNOW BETWEEN 1 AM AND 640 AM. 4 INCHES
TOTAL. 29 DEGREES AT OBSERVATION AND SNOWING LIGHTLY.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
648 AM PST WED JAN 18 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0647 AM SNOW 6 WNW OLYMPIA 47.08N 123.02W
01/18/2012 M10.0 INCH THURSTON WA TRAINED SPOTTER
OVERNIGHT NEW SNOW 10 INCHES.
&&
KCOOKPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
658 AM PST WED JAN 18 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0658 AM HEAVY SNOW 2 NNE WINLOCK 46.52N 122.93W
01/18/2012 M15.0 INCH LEWIS WA TRAINED SPOTTER
8 HOUR SNOWFALL TOTAL
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
713 AM PST WED JAN 18 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0712 AM HEAVY SNOW 5 NNW GRAND MOUND 46.88N 123.04W
01/18/2012 M13.0 INCH THURSTON WA TRAINED SPOTTER
OVERNIGHT TOTAL. 21.5 TOTAL ON GROUND
&&2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A location in western Whatcom county recorded sustained wind of 44 mph, from the northeast.
Tatoosh Island, a C-MAN off the north coast, recorded 50 KT sustained wind. This corresponds to gusts of 58 mph on the mainland.
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: 361419, 361421.