A warm front laying across eastern Washington enhanced a feed of Pacific moisture into widespread snow during the afternoon and overnight hours of March 7th and 8th. Generally 1 to 3 inches of snow accumulated in the lower elevations but in the valleys of the Cascades where cold air was slower to erode heavy accumulations were noted.
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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 warm front laying across eastern Washington enhanced a feed of Pacific moisture into widespread snow during the afternoon and overnight hours of March 7th and 8th. Generally 1 to 3 inches of snow accumulated in the lower elevations but in the valleys of the Cascades where cold air was slower to erode heavy accumulations were noted. Also the Spokane area received 3 to locally 6 inches of snow accumulations as well as the southern valleys of the Northeast Washington mountains. The higher elevations of the northeast Washington mountains received nearly two feet with 22 inches noted at the 49 North Ski 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 Mar 7, 12:11 PM PST, 49 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1211 PM PST Tue Mar 7 2017
.SYNOPSIS... The weather will remain active for the week. More
snow is expected over the region Tuesday and Wednesday as a warm
front moves north. Snow will change to rain for most low land
locations south of Spokane to Coeur d'Alene. The weather will
remain unsettled and wet through the work week and weekend.
Temperatures will generally remain near or below average.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Early afternoon update: The winter weather advisory for the
Washington palouse has been cancelled. Temperatures are at or
slightly above freezing as of noon and with temperatures
continuing to slowly rise into the evening the threat for
accumulating snow is low. For points north and east of the
Washington palouse as well as the Blue Mountains and Cascades the
winter highlights remain on track. For the bulk of NE Washington
into N Idaho the bulk of the impacts from the snow will not occur
until late afternoon or early evening with snow intensity
increases and road temperatures cool with the setting sun. JW
&&
.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS: Expect lowering CIGS and visibilities into the afternoon
as a warm front brings widespread rain and snow. The best chance
for accumulating snow will be KGEG/KCOE but warm pavement
temperatures from the early March sun angle may limit accumulation
on runways...until after sunset. KPUW is expected to change to
rain while KLWS/KMWH will see primarily rain. Precipitation will
taper off from west to east tonight. Drying in the boundary layer
from increasing west-southwest boundary layer winds behind a cold
front should result in MVFR/VFR conditions becoming more common
by early Wednesday morning. JW
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane 33 29 38 28 39 34 / 100 100 10 60 60 90
Coeur d'Alene 32 29 39 27 39 33 / 100 100 10 70 60 90
Pullman 39 34 42 33 44 40 / 100 100 70 90 90 100
Lewiston 43 38 49 37 49 43 / 90 90 60 80 90 90
Colville 32 26 40 24 39 31 / 100 100 10 20 30 60
Sandpoint 31 27 38 24 37 28 / 100 100 20 40 50 90
Kellogg 32 28 36 29 39 33 / 100 100 40 80 80 100
Moses Lake 41 28 44 27 41 33 / 100 80 10 20 60 80
Wenatchee 33 27 42 27 39 32 / 100 80 10 20 60 90
Omak 31 24 39 23 38 30 / 100 100 10 30 30 60
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST Wednesday for Coeur
d'Alene Area-Northern Panhandle.
Winter Storm Warning until 10 AM PST Wednesday for Central
Panhandle Mountains.
Winter Weather Advisory until 7 PM PST this evening for Idaho
Palouse.
WA...Winter Storm Warning until 10 AM PST Wednesday for Northeast
Blue Mountains.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Wednesday for locations
south of lake chelan for East Slopes Northern Cascades.
Winter Weather Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening above 2000
feet for Spokane Area.
Winter Weather Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening for
Northeast Mountains.
&&Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Spokane WA 548 AM PST Tue Mar 7 2017 IDZ001>004-026-027-WAZ031>033-036-037-081400- 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- SPOKANE AREA-NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS- 548 AM PST Tue Mar 7 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North Idaho... North Central Idaho...Northeast Washington and Southeast Washington. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT Snow will spread north during the day and be heavy at times before tapering off in the evening. Higher elevations will see snow or slush covered roads. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY Expect a continued active weather pattern with the next widespread rain and snow event impacting the region Thursday and Thursday night. WAZ034-035-038-041-043-044-081400- MOSES LAKE AREA-UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS- WENATCHEE AREA-OKANOGAN VALLEY-WATERVILLE PLATEAU- 548 AM PST Tue Mar 7 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of Central Washington...East Central Washington and North Central Washington. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT Snow and rain will spread north during the day and then taper off from west to east during the evening. Also expect gusty southwest winds behind making travel difficult for high profile vehicles. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY Expect a continued active weather pattern with the next widespread rain and snow event impacting the region Thursday and Thursday night. WAZ042-081400- EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES- 548 AM PST Tue Mar 7 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North Central Washington. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT Snow...heavy at times...will impact the east slopes of the Cascades today. Precipitation will shut off quickly this evening as winds increase from the west. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY Expect a continued active weather pattern with the next widespread rain and snow event impacting the region Thursday and Thursday night.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
An observer near Davenport reported 5 inches of new snow accumulation.
An observer in northwest Spokane received 4 inches of new snow accumulation.
An NWS employee in northwest Spokane received 4 inches of new snow accumulation.
The observer at the Spokane International Airport reported 4.2 inches of new snow accumulation.
A member of the public 3 miles southwest of Deer Park reported 6 inches of new snow accumulation.
Holden Village received 10.1 inches of new snow accumulation.
The Leavenworth Fish Hatchery received 7.8 inches of new snow accumulation.
The observer at Plain received 7.4 inches of new snow accumulation.
The observer at Stehekin received 10 inches of new snow accumulation.
An observer 12 miles north of Leavenworth received 7.5 inches of new snow accumulation.
An observer 5 miles south of Peshastin received 9.5 inches of new snow accumulation.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, March 2017
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: 683423, 683424, 683425, 683426, 683428, 683416, 683417, 683418, 683419, 683420, 683422.