A deep fetch of Pacific moisture brought heavy snow to the mountains and moderate to heavy rain to the valleys across the area overnight on January 10th into the 11th. Localized flooding was observed in the northeast mountains of Washington due to a combination of rainfall, snow melt and frozen soils.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 OTX wrote it up.
A deep fetch of Pacific moisture brought heavy snow to the mountains and moderate to heavy rain to the valleys across the area overnight on January 10th into the 11th. Localized flooding was observed in the northeast mountains of Washington due to a combination of rainfall, snow melt and frozen soils. Rainfall amounts were generally up into the half inch to one inch range for this period, which typically would not cause flooding if not in combination with low elevation snow melt and frozen soils preventing water from seeping into the ground. Flooding impacts were minor and limited to low spots in the terrain, in urban areas and along small streams. Rain and heavy snow was followed by a strong cold front passage during the early morning hours of January 11th with strong and damaging winds observed across the much of the area.
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 10, 3:24 PM PST, 3 hours 36 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
324 PM PST Fri Jan 10 2014
.SYNOPSIS...
Mild and windy conditions are expected through the weekend. One of
the strongest wind events in quite some time will be possible on
Saturday. Much of eastern Washington and north Idaho will have the
chance of wind gusts of 50 mph or more. Saturday's storm system
will also bring rain and heavy mountain snow. Breezy and unsettled
conditions will linger into Sunday and Monday.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
***STRONG STORM SYSTEM WITH STRONG WINDS AND VALLEY RAIN AND
MOUNTAIN SNOW EXPECTED SATURDAY...
Tonight through Saturday...Satellite indicates a deep storm
system approaching the northwest Pacific Coast this afternoon. The
tight circulation center in the Gulf of Alaska is hustling a
strong and deep fetch of sub-tropical moisture ahead of it which
will become directed like a dagger into the heart of the forecast
area beginning tonight and continuing through Saturday. Models are
in remarkably good agreement with the evolution of this
system...and a multitude of threats will arise from the passage of
this storm over the next 24 to 36 hours as the fetch hosing occurs
and a deep and strengthening surface low pressure transits
southern British Columbia creating a strong and sustained gradient
and serious gust potential across the region.
Winds...Throughout the period we will have one of the strongest
winter storms we have seen in quite some time concerning the
strength of the winds passing through the region. Upon approach to
the coast, the system splits the main low early tomorrow morning.
Throughout Saturday morning we see our winds increase from the
first low to our north as it passes through south central BC and Alberta.
A strong north to south pressure gradient will bring very gusty
winds out of the south. From current models this first low would
have the best winds at 850mb (55 to 65kts depending on model of
choice) that could lead to the highest gusts, the question is
whether these winds will be able to mix to the surface. Warm
sector winds are often questionable as to whether they will be
able to reach the surface, but in certain cases we have seen these
winds mix to the surface on the topographic upglide into the
Spokane area area and into the Palouse. Right now I am a little
hesitant to bring these winds all the way to the surface, but
regardless it will be quite windy with gusts of 40 to 50kts and
localized higher values for areas in the Basin, Palouse and into
the Spokane area.
The second low of the system will be weaker on approach into the
region, but will have overall better upper air support to mix the
winds to the surface. With a strong cold front and substantial
cold air advection with the front, moderate instability will be
present with the front allowing the winds to better mix down to
the surface. The winds rather than from the south will be westerly
with the cold front and will help to advect in the colder air.
850mb winds will not be as strong (50-60kts), but still will lead to very
windy conditions with similar gusts as before will be expected.
The second low will be much closer to our northern border which
should limit winds in the northern parts of our area and shelter
some of the north/south valleys, but still keep the winds high in the
central and southern parts. Any convection that is able to spark
along the cold front will help to mix the winds aloft down to the
surface.
Snow...The strong southwest flow ahead of the low pressure will
promote rapidly rising snow levels tonight and Saturday morning.
There are minor model differences with how high the snow level
will retreat...but Confidence is high for a valley rain/mountain
snow event. Initially...residual cold air dammed against the
Cascades...noted by the Omak observation of 33/28 T/Td and 39/27
at Winthrop this afternoon will promote snow in these northern
valleys...but overnight after minor accumulations even these
locations will change to rain. The mountains will be a different
story especially the high Cascades and the mountains north of the
basin. Between the initial light isentropic snow and the falling
snow levels with crest slop-over after the cold front passage
early Sunday very heavy amounts of snow are possible in the
Cascade crest area. The current Winter Storm Watch will be
upgraded to a Winter Storm Warning above 3000 feet in the
Cascades. Across the north a Winter Storm warning will be issued
for above 4000 feet...although confidence in this snow level is
only guarded and heavy snow could easily be confined above 4500
feet. None-the-less travelers across the passes will probably face
white knuckle driving due to accumulating wet snow or wheel
gripping slush. The Central Panhandle mountains will not be
included in this warning with higher confidence that snow levels
will rise to well above the I-90 Corridor.
hydrology issues...The valley locations and the eastern basin will
bear the full brunt of a precipitable water fetch approaching 200 percent
of normal for this time of year. A general 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch
of rain over the eastern basin and up to an inch or more in the
northern valleys...Cascades valleys...and Panhandle valleys as
well as expected temperatures well above freezing will promote
melting of existing low level snow pack...while the frozen near surface
dirt retards absorption by the ground. Thus there is a threat of
small stream flooding and ponding on low spots on roads and urban
areas from runoff and clogged storm drains. An Areal Flood
Advisory for small streams...low spots and urban areas has been
issued and will remain in effect through 10PM Saturday. Main stem
rivers are low enough to carry this run-off without any problems.
Saturday night through Sunday...The upper level trough responsible
for Saturday's unpleasantness will pass out of the region by
Sunday morning leaving a moist zonal flow regime with a continued
strong southwest gradient. Cold advection in the wake of the cold
front will bring snow levels back to the surface by Sunday...but
other than the Cascade Crest area and the orographically favorable
Idaho Panhandle mountains precipitation will be waning especially
in the basin. Despite the cold advection a well mixed surface
layer in a continuingly breezy and gusty air mass will allow high
temperatures to recover to above normal readings. /Fugazzi/Fliehman
Sunday night through Friday...Offshore long-wave ridge starts to
amplify and axis starts to move closer toward the coast starting
Sunday night. Initially the Northwest to southeast storm-track
draped across the east edge of this ridge will let in a few more
storm systems Sunday night, Monday and Monday night but since the
lower level air-mass will be generally scrubbed away from cold air
when these systems move through a substantial rain/snow shadow
encompasses a good portion of the lowlands between the Cascade
Crest and the North Idaho Panhandle so the high pops and QPF
remain confined for the most part to the higher terrain. Tuesday
and for most of Tuesday night the ridge axis is essentially
overhead of Northeast Washington and North Idaho which pushes the
storm track further away to the north/northeast into Canada and
Montana so pops drop off dramatically except for some spotty low
pops primarily over higher mountains on the extreme edges of the
forecast area. Wednesday the ridge is flattened by a front with
good dynamics but very limited as to having a good source of
moisture so pops will likely show some slight bump but the primary
effect expected by this passing cold front will be breezy/windy
conditions and cooling going into Thursday. The ridge quickly
comes back in the wake of the cold front passage which allows for
low to no pops to mark remainder of forecast for Thursday and
Friday. Since the forecast is fairly progressive in nature with a
good number of weather features forming and passing in the
interval majority of temperatures are on the warm side of what
would be considered normal for this time of year. /Pelatti
&&
.AVIATION...
00Z TAFS: Upper level jet remains in the vicinity of the aviation
area for much of this interval along with the passage of a very wet
frontal zone. The end result is aviation forecasts with significant
mention of wind, wind gusts, and low level wind shear at times.
Precipitation at lowland aviation locations expected to be rain for
the 24 hour interval primarily producing VFR/MVFR visibilities with
most intense rainfall with ceilings a bit lower into the MVFR/IFR
category. With the air temperatures remaining above freezing through
this interval no snow or freezing precipitation is expected and
the wind will keep fog from forming. /Pelatti
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane 39 47 31 40 36 44 / 100 100 50 30 20 10
Coeur d'Alene 37 47 32 40 35 45 / 100 100 100 60 50 20
Pullman 41 50 34 42 36 46 / 100 100 80 60 50 10
Lewiston 44 56 37 47 39 52 / 80 90 50 50 50 10
Colville 35 41 32 35 34 42 / 100 100 70 50 40 10
Sandpoint 33 42 32 36 32 41 / 100 100 100 70 70 40
Kellogg 33 41 32 35 33 41 / 100 100 100 70 70 50
Moses Lake 40 52 32 45 36 50 / 90 40 10 10 0 0
Wenatchee 39 45 30 42 31 47 / 90 40 10 10 10 10
Omak 33 43 28 36 33 42 / 100 90 10 10 10 0
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Flood Watch through Saturday evening for Central Panhandle
Mountains-Coeur d'Alene Area-Idaho Palouse-Lewis and
Southern Nez Perce Counties-Lewiston Area-Northern
Panhandle.
Winter Storm Warning from 10 PM this evening to Noon PST
Saturday for Northern Panhandle.
Wind Advisory from 4 AM Saturday to 4 AM PST Sunday for Idaho
Palouse-Lewiston Area.
High Wind Warning from 4 AM Saturday to 4 AM PST Sunday for
Coeur d'Alene Area-Lewis and Southern Nez Perce Counties-
Northern Panhandle.
WA...Flood Watch through Saturday evening for East Slopes Northern
Cascades-Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties-Northeast Blue
Mountains-Northeast Mountains-Okanogan Highlands-Spokane
Area-Washington Palouse.
Winter Storm Warning from 10 PM this evening to Noon PST
Saturday for Northeast Mountains-Okanogan Highlands.
Wind Advisory from 4 AM Saturday to 4 AM PST Sunday for Okanogan
Highlands-Okanogan Valley-Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee Area.
High Wind Warning from 4 AM Saturday to 4 AM PST Sunday for
Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties-Moses Lake Area-
Northeast Mountains-Spokane Area-Upper Columbia Basin-
Washington Palouse.
Winter Storm Warning until 10 PM PST Saturday for East Slopes
Northern Cascades.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind, 1 heavy snow, 1 flood, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snowfall above 3,000 feet in elevation with over a foot reported in the mountains, mainly near the Cascade crest.
Minor urban flooding reported in and around Deer Park. Residence living on 2nd Avenue indicated water over the roadway and some water seeping into a basement of a building. Large puddles covering other roads around town, but all were passable without any closures reported. Damage costs were estimated.
A 40 foot cell phone tower collapsed due to high winds at 49 Degrees North Ski Area. The cell tower smashed through the rough of an adjacent building that contained some transmission equipment. A tree also was knocked over into some power lines near the resort at 0948PST; power was later restored at 1135PST.
A ten inch diameter tree snapped off in the Five Mile Prairie area north of Spokane; some houses also lost shingles in the area. There was also a report of an old growth tree that lost four large branches with a girth of eight inches in diameter north of Davenport. One of these branches flew about ten feet away from the tree.
A portion of Highway 24 was closed due to an overabundance of wind-blown tumble weeds onto the highway. Snow plows had to be called out to remove the tumble weeds before the highway could be reopened.
Winds snapped off the top of some trees. Damage cost was estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, January 2014
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: 489582, 489554, 489543, 489539, 489535, 489537, 489538, 489553.