A ridge of high pressure with cold temperatures allowed freezing fog to cause slick roadways. These slick conditions indirectly contributed to numerous accidents on area roadways.
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 ridge of high pressure with cold temperatures allowed freezing fog to cause slick roadways. These slick conditions indirectly contributed to numerous accidents on area roadways.
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 28, 9:36 PM PST, 3 hours 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 936 PM PST WED JAN 28 2015 .SYNOPSIS... Areas of low clouds and fog will persist across portions of Inland Northwest as high pressure remains in place. The ridge of high pressure will begin breaking down Sunday. The next best threat of precipitation, including possible rain and snow, arrives then and continues into at least early next week. && .DISCUSSION... Evening update: A surface high dropping south east of the Continental Divide has increased easterly flow over the region and we are seeing much more clearing across the Palouse, West Plains, and portions of the Columbia Basin then originally thought. In fact, pressure gradients across the CWA from Portland, Oregon to Kalispell, MT have switched from onshore at 4-5mb yesterday at this time to 7 mb offshore. This has led to clearing skies over locations like Lewiston, St Maries, Juliaetta, Pullman, Rosalia, Spokane, Deer Park, Davenport, and Harrington. While the clearing is great for star gazing, it will not be long-lived for many. The lack of clouds will also allow temperatures to drop below freezing and increase the odds of freezing fog developing by morning, especially from Spokane to Deer Park west to Davenport and Odessa. Closer to the WA/ID border, there is a better chance that offshore flow will prevail and keep skies generally clear including most communities from Benewah to Shoshone County and points south. Any fog south of a line from Pullman to Kellogg will be localized and within sheltered valleys. Temperatures have also be lowered across the region to account for current obs and/or areas of clearing. /sb && .AVIATION... 06Z TAFS: Widespread stratus will continue through the next 24 hours over the western Columbia Basin...East Slopes of the Cascades...and Northern Valleys. A bit more challenging fcst for Spokane to Cd'A and points south where stratus cleared out this evening under light E Winds. This is a real light push so clearing will likely lead to dense freezing ground fog which is already setting up vcnty of Felts Field and KCOE. Pullman will stand the best chance for remaining out of restrictions but confidence is below average. High pressure remains anchored overhead on Thur and restrictions from low clouds and fog will persist throughout the TAF period. Fcst is optimistic for some clearing in the late afternoon/early evening near the ID/WA border given lack of snowpack but confidence remains low with ridge aloft. /sb && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Spokane 29 40 30 39 30 37 / 0 0 0 0 0 10 Coeur d'Alene 33 41 30 41 29 39 / 0 10 0 0 0 10 Pullman 33 45 33 44 32 44 / 0 0 0 0 0 10 Lewiston 33 47 35 46 34 47 / 10 0 0 0 0 10 Colville 31 36 27 36 28 36 / 10 10 0 0 10 10 Sandpoint 31 37 28 38 27 37 / 10 10 0 0 10 10 Kellogg 32 41 32 42 28 39 / 10 0 0 0 10 10 Moses Lake 32 41 31 39 31 39 / 0 0 0 0 0 10 Wenatchee 32 40 32 39 32 39 / 10 0 0 0 0 10 Omak 32 37 29 36 29 35 / 10 10 0 0 0 10 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...None. WA...None. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA 558 AM PST WED JAN 28 2015 IDZ001>004-026-027-WAZ031>038-041>044-291400- NORTHERN PANHANDLE-COEUR D'ALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE- CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS-LEWISTON AREA- LEWIS AND SOUTHERN NEZ PERCE COUNTIES-NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS- LOWER GARFIELD AND ASOTIN COUNTIES-WASHINGTON PALOUSE- MOSES LAKE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-SPOKANE AREA- NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS-WENATCHEE AREA- EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES-OKANOGAN VALLEY-WATERVILLE PLATEAU- 558 AM PST WED JAN 28 2015 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTH IDAHO... NORTH CENTRAL IDAHO...CENTRAL WASHINGTON...EAST CENTRAL WASHINGTON...NORTH CENTRAL WASHINGTON...NORTHEAST WASHINGTON AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
1 freezing fog. Local standard time, as filed.
Slick roads and low visibility caused by freezing fog indirectly contributed to a three car accident in South Spokane, WA at 7:45 AM PST. Six people were involved the crash and everyone was reported to be in stable condition.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, January 2015
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: 550260.