A couple of upper level shortwaves of lower pressure moved across the area in an unstable northwest flow pattern. Each disturbance generated some weak isentropic ascent across the Idaho Panhandle.
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The episode as NWS OTX wrote it up.
A couple of upper level shortwaves of lower pressure moved across the area in an unstable northwest flow pattern. Each disturbance generated some weak isentropic ascent across the Idaho Panhandle. Lift across the Central Panhandle Mountains and on the Camas Prairie was enhanced by favorable upslope flow into these areas. The combination of these two factors resulted heavy snowfall accumulations.
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 Jan 27, 4:25 PM PST, 5 hours 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
425 PM PST Sun Jan 27 2013
.SYNOPSIS...
The weather pattern will remain active and wintry through the
first part of next week as a number of storm systems bring
periodic heavy snow accumulations...especially for the mountains
of the Central Idaho Panhandle. This will be especially true
Monday and Monday Night. Snow levels for this event will be down
to the valley floors, producing significant snows also for the
Spokane and Palouse region.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Tonight through Tues: Our primary focus will be on snow amnts for
tonight all the way through Tue. Even though we'll be seeing at
least two short-wave troughs moving east across the region, the
first one will exit tonight and shear/weaken substantially as it
moves into Wrn Montana. Though the amnt of pcpn we're expecting
from this feature is not noteworthy, the pattern does contain a
favorable combination of upslope flow and instability across far
Ern Wa and N Id that may produce localized pockets of significant
snows. The stronger second feature has a more consolidated vort
max tied to a 120kt jet core that actually shows some enhanced
forcing for ascent in the left exit of the speed max. This
combined with very steep mid-level lapse rates above deepening,
but transient, moist isentropic ascent in Nrn Wa and N Id now
through midday Mon, will produce a very efficient convective
snow-producing environment Mon through Tues. The highest threat
area will be all of N Id and extreme Ern Wa, becoming more
favorable Mon as the low level flow begins to veer to the w/nw on
the back side of the cold front. Based on the combination of
instability, moist upslope, brief isentropic ascent and large-
scale forcing for ascent with this second vort max/speed max,
we'll likely see significant heavy snow accumulations for at least
the Cntrl Id Panhandle, and likely even the Camas Prairie of Id.
Warnings have been issued for the Cntrl Panhandle zone, Id Palouse,
and C'da area...with advsys for the Wa Palouse, Spokane area, the
NE Wa zone and the N Id Panhandle zone. bz
Tuesday night through Wednesday night: Unstable northwest flow
will continue to produce showers over the Cascade crest and into
the Idaho Panhandle. Snow levels are expected to rise a bit through
this period over the Central Panhandle Mountains from about 2,000
feet Tuesday night to around 3,000 feet by Wednesday night. So
valleys across the Idaho Panhandle will likely see some snowfall
Tuesday night and then begin to transition over to rain on
Wednesday. This snow will likely extend west into the Palouse and
the Camas Prairie will likely see some snowfall as well. Snow
levels over the Camas Prairie will be around 3,000 to 3,500 feet.
Road temperatures will most likely cool below freezing at night with
snow covered roadways likely. However, we may see roadways warm
above freezing during the day on Wednesday, which may result in
better travel conditions even with snow showers in the area. Near
seasonal normal temperatures are expected with highs in the 30s and
lows in the mid to upper 20s for most valley locations. /SVH
Thursday through Sunday: Models do show a ridge over the western US.
However models differ greatly on a wave moving over the ridge for
Thurs/Thurs night. The GFS and GEM have a weaker open wave moving
over the ridge and mainly impacting north ID and western MT.
Meanwhile the ECMWF takes a cutoff low and plows it through the
ridge and into the Pac NW which would provide a more widespread
event. Both models have been pretty consistent with themselves
over at least the last 24 hrs of runs. Compromise was to increase
chance of precipitation Thursday night across the ID panhandle as
well as southeast WA. By Friday afternoon the ridge is back in
full force for the weekend. Have taken out chance of
precipitation. The ridge pattern tends to promote low clouds and
fog across the valleys and mostly clear skies in the mountains.
Have decreased sky cover in the mountains. Started the trend of
deceasing temps in the valleys due to poor mixing and extensive
cloud cover, and increasing temps in the mountains. /Nisbet
&&
.AVIATION...
00Z TAFS: Snow is expected to develop later this evening, mainly
over the eastern TAF sites. The bigger impacts should remain around
KGEG, KCOE, and KSFF tonight, and then spread south to KPUW and KLWS
late tonight into tomorrow morning. Further west, KEAT and KMWH will
be shadowed by the Cascades, so widespread snow is not expected.
Cloud heights should be mostly in the IFR range, possibly touching
LIFR at times across the east. The one uncertainty to this forecast
is the potential for very light freezing drizzle, which would affect
sites along the I-90 corridor. This is mainly a very near term
issue, first couple of hours, before the snow increases across the
region. ty
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane 26 31 23 32 27 33 / 90 70 80 70 40 10
Coeur d'Alene 26 32 22 32 27 34 / 90 80 90 90 50 40
Pullman 28 32 26 34 28 36 / 90 90 100 100 70 70
Lewiston 30 38 30 41 33 42 / 50 80 90 90 60 60
Colville 25 31 12 32 29 37 / 70 50 40 30 40 20
Sandpoint 27 32 20 33 28 34 / 100 90 90 80 60 50
Kellogg 26 30 22 32 29 36 / 100 100 100 100 80 80
Moses Lake 26 36 26 34 27 36 / 10 10 10 10 10 10
Wenatchee 26 36 26 36 27 39 / 10 10 10 10 20 10
Omak 23 33 23 32 25 36 / 20 20 20 10 10 10
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 4 AM PST
Tuesday for Northern Panhandle.
Winter Storm Warning from 10 PM this evening to 4 PM PST
Tuesday for Central Panhandle Mountains-Idaho Palouse.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 AM Monday to 4 PM PST Tuesday
for Lewis and Southern Nez Perce Counties.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 AM Monday to 4 PM PST Tuesday
for Lewiston Area.
Winter Storm Warning from 10 PM this evening to 10 AM PST
Tuesday for Coeur d'Alene Area.
WA...Winter Weather Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 4 AM PST
Tuesday for Northeast Mountains-Spokane Area.
Winter Storm Warning from 10 PM this evening to 4 PM PST
Tuesday for Northeast Blue Mountains.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 AM Monday to 4 PM PST Tuesday
for Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties.
Winter Weather Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 4 PM PST
Tuesday for Washington Palouse.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA 447 PM PST SUN JAN 27 2013 IDZ003-004-026-027-WAZ031>033-290100- IDAHO PALOUSE-CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS-LEWISTON AREA- LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES-NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS- LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-WASHINGTON PALOUSE- 447 PM PST SUN JAN 27 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH IDAHO... NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON. .DAYS ONE THROUGH THREE...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY BEGINNING TONIGHT AND LASTING THROUGH TUESDAY SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE LIKELY. THE RESULT WILL BE VERY HAZARDOUS MORNING AND AFTERNOON COMMUTES. SNOW WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED. .DAYS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WAZ034-035-038-041>044-290100- MOSES LAKE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS- WENATCHEE AREA-EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES-OKANOGAN VALLEY- WATERVILLE PLATEAU- 447 PM PST SUN JAN 27 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF CENTRAL WASHINGTON...EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON AND NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. IDZ001-002-WAZ036-037-290100- NORTHERN PANHANDLE-COEUR D'ALENE AREA-SPOKANE AREA- NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS- 447 PM PST SUN JAN 27 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH IDAHO AND NORTHEAST WASHINGTON. .DAYS ONE THROUGH THREE...TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY BEGINNING TONIGHT AND LASTING THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING SIGNIFICANT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS ARE LIKELY. THE RESULT WILL BE VERY HAZARDOUS MORNING AND AFTERNOON COMMUTES. SNOW WARNINGS AND ADVISORIES HAVE BEEN ISSUED. .DAYS FOUR THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Storm total snowfall reports ranged between three and six inches across the area.
Storm total snowfall reports ranged from 4.2 inches in Nez Perce to between 6 and 7 inches in Winchester.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Idaho in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Idaho, January 2013
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: 427443, 427444.