Some high wind occurred in a couple of northern zones. Zero lead time warnings were issued.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 SEW wrote it up.
Some high wind occurred in a couple of northern zones. Zero lead time warnings were issued.
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 27, 3:57 PM PST, 4 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
357 PM PST WED JAN 27 2016
.SYNOPSIS...A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT WILL MOVE EAST ACROSS THE AREA
THURSDAY MORNING. IT WILL BE PRECEDED BY A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN
TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING...ESPECIALLY OVER THE OLYMPIC
PENINSULA AND NORTH CASCADES. ANOTHER FRONT WILL QUICKLY SWEEP
ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON ON FRIDAY...FOLLOWED BY LOW SNOW LEVELS
AVERAGING AROUND 1500 FEET THIS WEEKEND. STRONG ONSHORE FLOW WILL
GIVE WINDY CONDITIONS...SHOWERS...AND MOUNTAIN SNOW TO THE AREA
FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. AN UPPER TROUGH ALONG THE
U.S. WEST COAST WILL BRING COOL AND SOMETIMES SHOWERY WEATHER TO
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST SUNDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK.
&&
.SHORT TERM...A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT WILL PASS ACROSS WRN WA ON THU
MORNING. THE WEATHER OF GREATER CONCERN WILL PRECEDE THE FRONT
FROM NOW THROUGH THU MORNING. THE MAIN CONCERNS WILL BE WITH HEAVY
RAIN...WIND AND LANDSLIDES.
RAIN HAS ALREADY OVERSPREAD THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA THIS AFTN...AND
IT WILL CONTINUE TO SPREAD ACROSS THE REST OF THE FORECAST AREA
EARLY THIS EVNG. IN SATELLITE IMAGERY...THE FRONT IS READILY SEEN
OFF OUR COAST THIS MORNING. AN OPEN WAVE HAS DEVELOPED ALONG THE
FRONT WELL WEST OF THE SOUTHERN OREGON COAST. THIS FEATURE WILL
MOVE NE THIS EVNG AND ENERGIZE THE FRONT AS IT IS APPROACHING WRN
WA. SOUTHWESTERLY 850 MB WIND SPEEDS WILL SPIKE INTO THE 50-70 KT
RANGE THIS EVNG. SFC DEWPOINTS OVER WRN WA ARE ALREADY IN THE LOW
TO MID 50S...SIGNIFYING THE RICHLY MOIST AIR MASS IN PLACE.
ALSO...PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES WILL RISE TO NEAR 1.25 INCHES
CONCURRENT WITH THE STRONGEST SW WINDS ALOFT TONIGHT. CURRENT QPF
STILL LOOKS GOOD...WITH 3-6 INCHES OF RAIN FORECAST OVER THE
OLYMPIC MTNS FROM THIS AFTN THROUGH THU MORNING...AND 2-4 INCHES
OVER THE NORTH CASCADES DURING THE SAME TIME. WHILE THESE AMOUNTS
ARE NOT UNCOMMON WITH A SINGLE STORM...THEY WILL OCCUR OVER A
SHORTER TIME PERIOD THAN USUAL...MEANING THERE WILL BE A FEW HOURS
OF INTENSE RAINFALL TONIGHT OVER THE MTNS. THE 00Z KUIL SOUNDING
CURRENTLY SHOWS A FREEZING LEVEL OF 8700 FEET.
IN ADDITION...LOOK FOR WINDY CONDITIONS IN ADVANCE OF THE FRONT
IN SOUTHEAST-WIND PRONE LOCATIONS. A WIND ADVISORY WAS ISSUED LATE
THIS MORNING FOR THE COAST AND NORTH INTERIOR. WIND GUSTS NEAR 50
MPH ARE EXPECTED IN THESE LOCALES TONIGHT AND EARLY THU MORNING.
THE COLD FRONT WILL CROSS EAST OF THE CASCADES AROUND 8 AM THU.
PRECIP WILL TAPER OFF TO SHOWERS...AND SNOW LEVELS WILL FALL TO
4000 FT ON THU AFTN. BEHIND THE FRONT...FLOW ALOFT WILL BECOME
MORE WESTERLY...WITH THE MAIN FOCUS OF JET STREAM ENERGY SLIPPING
TO OUR SOUTH OVER OREGON. LOOKS LIKE A QUICK-MOVING SHORTWAVE
RIDGE ON THU EVNG WILL AFFORD A WELL-DEFINED BREAK IN THE PRECIP
FROM LATE THU AFTN THROUGH EARLY FRI MORNING...DEPENDING ON WHERE
YOU ARE.
ON THU NGT...A LOW WILL QUICKLY SPIN UP ALONG THE JET STREAM OUT
NEAR 140W AND THEN LIFT NE AS A 986 MB LOW TOWARD THE NORTH END OF
VANCOUVER ISLAND ON FRI. A NEGATIVELY TILTED COLD FRONT WILL LIFT
NE THROUGH WRN WA ON FRI...WITH PRECIP OVERSPREADING WRN WA OVER
THE COURSE OF FRI MORNING FROM SW TO NE.
AFTER THE FROPA EARLY FRI AFTN...LOOKING FOR A QUICK INCREASE IN
SOUTHERLY PRESSURE GRADIENTS AND WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT...LEADING TO
BREEZY AND WINDY CONDITIONS. COLD ONSHORE FLOW WILL LEAD TO
SHOWERY WEATHER FROM FRI AFTN THROUGH AT SAT EVNG...WITH THE
STRONG FLOW FOCUSING PRECIP ON THE OLYMPIC AND CASCADE MTNS. A
PUGET SOUND CONVERGENCE ZONE SHOULD ALSO DEVELOP OVER SNOHOMISH
COUNTY AT TIMES. COLDER AIR WILL ADVECT INTO THE AREA FRI
PM...WITH 850 MB TEMPS DROPPING INTO THE -3C TO -5C RANGE ON FRI
NGT. THIS WILL RAISE THE CONCERN OF HEAVY SNOW IN THE CASCADE
PASSES FROM FRI AFTN THROUGH SAT. HANER
.LONG TERM...A LARGE UPPER TROUGH WILL PROGRESS ACROSS THE WRN
U.S. ON SUNDAY AND MON. FOR WRN WA...WE WILL BE TOO FAR NORTH TO
SEE ORGANIZED SHOWER ACTIVITY WITH THIS SYSTEM...BUT THE
COOL...MOIST AND SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE AIR MASS WILL CONTINUE TO
SUPPORT SHOWERY WEATHER. HOWEVER...ONSHORE FLOW WILL HAVE WEAKENED
BY SUNDAY...SO SNOW OVER THE MTNS WILL LIGHTEN UP. SO SUNDAY AND
MONDAY WILL BE MARKED BY MILDLY UNSETTLED NW FLOW ALOFT AND SNOW
LEVELS HOVERING NEAR 1500 FEET.
UPPER HEIGHTS AND TEMPS ALOFT RISE ON TUE...SO SHOWER ACTIVITY
SHOULD DECREASE FURTHER. A TRANSIENT UPPER RIDGE AXIS WILL PASS
WRN WA NEXT WED...FOLLOWED BY A RETURN TO MOISTER SW FLOW ALOFT.
HANER
&&
.AVIATION...STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON
WILL STRENGTHEN FURTHER THROUGH TONIGHT...AS A VIGOROUS PACIFIC
FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH THE REGION. THE FLOW ALOFT WILL EASE
AND VEER TOWARD WESTERLY THURSDAY. SOUTHERLY FLOW WILL INCREASE
AT LOW LEVELS AS WELL TONIGHT. THE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN MOIST
BELOW 10000 FT TODAY...WITH INCREASING DEEP MOISTURE TONIGHT.
LOCAL BKN015-020 IN THE CENTRAL PUGET SOUND AREA...AND CONDITIONS
HAVE BEGUN TO DETERIORATE ALONG THE COAST WITH THE ARRIVAL OF WARM
FRONTAL RAIN. OTHERWISE WE HAVE MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS ACROSS THE
AREA FOR THE TIME BEING. WIDESPREAD DETERIORATION IS EXPECTED TONIGHT
TO MVFR AND LOCAL IFR IN AREAS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN. AREAS
OF LLWS ARE ALSO LIKELY LATE TONIGHT AS WINDS AT 2000 FT INCREASE
TO 45 TO 50 KT. THERE SHOULD BE MARGINAL IMPROVEMENT THURSDAY
AFTERNOON.
KSEA...SOUTH TO SOUTHEAST WIND 5-10 KT...RISING TO 8-14 KT GUSTING
22 KT THIS EVENING. LLWS IS LIKELY BEGINNING AROUND 10 PM TONIGHT
AS WINDS AT 2000 FT INCREASE TO 45-50 KT. CONDITIONS DETERIORATING
LATER TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING IN HEAVIER RAIN. MCDONNAL
&&
.MARINE...A VIGOROUS PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MOVE THROUGH
WESTERN WASHINGTON AND ITS COASTAL WATERS LATE TODAY THROUGH EARLY
THURSDAY MORNING...FOLLOWED BRIEFLY BY STRONG ONSHORE FLOW
THURSDAY. THE FRONT SHOULD PRODUCE SOUTHERLY GALES FOR THE COASTAL
WATERS...ENTRANCES TO THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA...ADMIRALTY
INLET...NORTHERN INLAND WATERS TONIGHT WITH SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY
WINDS ELSEWHERE. GALE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT. THERE IS A GOOD
CHANCE OF POST-FRONTAL WESTERLY GALES IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN
STRAIT THURSDAY...AND THE GALE WATCH THERE HAS BEEN UPGRADED TO A
GALE WARNING.
A NEGATIVELY TILTED OCCLUDED FRONT WILL MOVE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE
FORECAST AREA FRIDAY...FOLLOWED BY A STRONG SURFACE TROUGH ON
SATURDAY. THESE FEATURES COULD ALSO PRODUCE GALES...ESPECIALLY
OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND IN THE CENTRAL AND EASTERN STRAIT OF
JUAN DE FUCA ROUGHLY FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY. MODEL
TIMING AND OTHER DETAILS WITH THIS SYSTEM ARE STILL FAIRLY
UNCERTAIN THOUGH. ONSHORE FLOW SHOULD EASE ON SUNDAY.
A LARGE SWELL TRAIN OF 18 TO 22 FT WILL REACH THE COAST
TONIGHT... SUBSIDING SLIGHTLY TO 17 TO 20 FEET THURSDAY. A HIGH
SURF ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH AND CENTRAL COAST...
ESPECIALLY TO ADDRESS THE POSSIBLE BEACH EROSION AROUND THE OCEAN
SHORES NORTH JETTY. A SWELL TRAIN OF 20-25 FEET COULD ARRIVE LATE
FRIDAY NIGHT OR SATURDAY. MCDONNAL
&&
.HYDROLOGY...AN INTENSE BURST OF RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TONIGHT AND
THURSDAY MORNING IN ADVANCE OF A VIGOROUS COLD FRONT. FORECAST
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 3-6 INCHES OVER THE OLYMPIC MTNS PRACTICALLY
GUARANTEE A FLOOD...POSSIBLY A MAJOR FLOOD...FOR THE SKOKOMISH
RIVER. THE SATSOP RIVER IS NOT CURRENTLY EXPECTED TO FLOOD...BUT
WITH UP TO 6 INCHES OF RAINFALL ON THE SOUTH SLOPES OF THE
OLYMPICS TONIGHT INTO EARLY THU...IT WILL NEED TO BE WATCHED.
OVER THE NORTH CASCADES...2 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED. THIS
AMOUNT OF RAIN WOULD NOT NORMALLY CAUSE MUCH FLOODING CONCERN...BUT
THE UNIQUE ASPECT OF THIS EVENT WILL BE HOW QUICKLY THAT RAIN
OCCURS...IN A MATTER OF 6 HOURS OR SO. WITH THE RAIN BEING
CONCENTRATED IN A SHORT TIME...IT COULD CAUSE A FASTER RISE AND
HIGHER CREST THAN WOULD NORMALLY BE EXPECTED WITH THIS RAINFALL
AMOUNT SPREAD OVER 24 HOURS. WHILE FLOODING ON RIVERS IS FAR FROM
CERTAIN...THE EXPECTED RAINFALL INTENSITY HAS DRIVEN THE DECISION
TO ISSUE AND MAINTAIN A FLOOD WATCH FOR WHATCOM...SKAGIT...SNOHOMISH
AND GRAYS HARBOR COUNTIES. HAVE RECENTLY EXPANDED THE WATCH TO
INCLUDE CLALLAM COUNTY AS A PRECAUTION FOR THE BOGACHIEL RIVER.
HEAVIEST RAIN WILL BE OVER THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA LATE THIS
EVENING...THEN OVER THE NORTH CASCADES OVERNIGHT. WILL SEE THE
RIVER RESULTS DURING THE WEE HOURS ON THU MORNING.
OTHER RIVERS IN WESTERN WASHINGTON ARE NOT EXPECTED TO FLOOD WITH
THIS RAINFALL EVENT. A WELL-DEFINED BREAK IN THE RAIN ON THU
NIGHT WILL GIVE RIVERS THE OPPORTUNITY TO RECEDE.
OUTSIDE OF THE FLOOD WATCH AREA...RIVERS ARE NOT EXPECTED TO
FLOOD FOR THE NEXT 7 DAYS. HANER
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY
EVENING FOR CASCADES OF PIERCE AND LEWIS COUNTIES-CASCADES
OF SNOHOMISH AND KING COUNTIES-CASCADES OF WHATCOM AND
SKAGIT COUNTIES.
FLOOD WATCH THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT FOR BELLEVUE AND
VICINITY-CASCADES OF SNOHOMISH AND KING COUNTIES-CASCADES
OF WHATCOM AND SKAGIT COUNTIES-CENTRAL COAST-EAST PUGET
SOUND LOWLANDS-EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-EVERETT AND
VICINITY-LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AREA-NORTH COAST-OLYMPICS-
WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY-WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-
WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM PST THURSDAY FOR ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-
SAN JUAN COUNTY-WESTERN SKAGIT COUNTY-WESTERN WHATCOM
COUNTY.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 8 AM PST THURSDAY FOR CENTRAL COAST-NORTH
COAST.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL NOON PST THURSDAY FOR CENTRAL COAST-
NORTH COAST.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH BAR UNTIL 6 PM PST THURSDAY FOR
GRAYS HARBOR BAR.
GALE WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST THURSDAY FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM
CAPE FLATTERY TO JAMES ISLAND 10 TO 60 NM-COASTAL WATERS
FROM CAPE FLATTERY TO JAMES ISLAND OUT 10 NM-COASTAL WATERS
FROM JAMES ISLAND TO POINT GRENVILLE 10 TO 60 NM-COASTAL
WATERS FROM JAMES ISLAND TO POINT GRENVILLE OUT 10 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM POINT GRENVILLE TO CAPE SHOALWATER 10
TO 60 NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM POINT GRENVILLE TO CAPE
SHOALWATER OUT 10 NM.
GALE WARNING UNTIL 3 AM PST THURSDAY FOR ADMIRALTY INLET-EAST
ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-NORTHERN INLAND
WATERS INCLUDING THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS-WEST ENTRANCE U.S.
WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
GALE WARNING FROM 6 AM TO 3 PM PST THURSDAY FOR CENTRAL U.S.
WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-EAST ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS
STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL 6 AM PST THURSDAY FOR CENTRAL U.S.
WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY UNTIL NOON PST THURSDAY FOR PUGET SOUND AND
HOOD CANAL.
&&
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE
YOU CAN SEE AN ILLUSTRATED VERSION OF THIS DISCUSSION AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE/GAFD/LATEST_WEBAFD.HTMLThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Lopez Island reported 42g50 mph.
A CWOP observation site on a bluff west of Bellingham reported 43g60 mph 805 PM to 106 AM; KBLI ASOS had a peak wind of 50 KT (58 mph) at 1120 PM and 106 AM.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, January 2016
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: 609951, 609952.