Wet conditions during the month of March produced isolated debris flows in the steep terrain of the Cascade mountains.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Wet conditions during the month of March produced isolated debris flows in the steep terrain of the Cascade mountains.
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 8, 8:13 PM PST, 1 hour 47 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
813 PM PST Wed Mar 8 2017
.SYNOPSIS...
The weather will remain active through the remainder
of the work week. Rain and snow will spread north during the
evening hours resulting in more light snow accumulation overnight
for northern valley locations. A potent storm arrives Thursday
spreading rain and snow throughout the region. Strong winds will
accompany the system early Friday. The combination of rain and
snow melt will bring a threat for localized flooding. A break in
the action by Friday night into early Saturday while temperatures
are expected to moderate closer to normal values Friday into early
next week.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Evening update: forecast updated to makes adjustments to start to
Winter Weather Advisories now, instead of waiting until 10 PM.
Snow has been falling at times already in the advisory areas,
especially toward the Idaho Palouse and portions of the central
Panhandle. I also made adjustments to overnight PoPs and coverage,
decreasing PoPs a little over the north but still left them in the
likely category. I also adjusted overnight lows and winds. Some
areas to the south, however, should be near their lows and should
either remain steady or rise through the night if only slowly. The
area that will be the troublesome spot tonight will be around the
higher Washington Palouse. Still have a couple inches near the
WA/ID border, but if warm air is slower to enter the precipitation
may remain snow longer which could translate to a little more
accumulation.
There is still expected to be a decrease in the overall
precipitation threat for a brief time Thursday morning, before
precipitation increases again through Thursday afternoon and
Thursday night as the next more robust low moves in. /J. Cote'
&&
.AVIATION...
00Z TAFS: Light snow and rain over southern WA/lower ID will
increase in coverage late this evening and overnight, with areas
of MVFR/IFR conditions around eastern TAF sites. The precipitation
should abate through the morning, but another resurgence of
precipitation is expected Thursday afternoon. /J. Cote'
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane 29 40 34 48 32 44 / 90 80 100 10 10 40
Coeur d'Alene 30 39 34 46 31 45 / 90 70 100 30 10 30
Pullman 32 43 40 50 35 50 / 100 100 100 30 10 10
Lewiston 37 48 42 56 37 55 / 90 100 90 10 10 10
Colville 26 39 32 44 29 42 / 70 30 100 60 10 30
Sandpoint 26 39 30 41 29 42 / 60 40 100 80 10 30
Kellogg 29 38 33 42 32 43 / 100 90 100 80 20 10
Moses Lake 30 45 36 55 30 45 / 30 80 100 0 0 30
Wenatchee 28 39 33 53 31 44 / 30 80 100 0 0 40
Omak 27 37 31 45 26 42 / 30 40 100 30 10 40
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM PST Thursday above 2500 feet
for Idaho Palouse.
Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM PST Thursday above 2000 feet
for Coeur d'Alene Area.
Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM PST Thursday for Central
Panhandle Mountains.
WA...None.
&&Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Spokane WA 307 PM PST Wed Mar 8 2017 IDZ002>004-091600- COEUR D'ALENE AREA-IDAHO PALOUSE-CENTRAL PANHANDLE MOUNTAINS- 307 PM PST Wed Mar 8 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North Idaho. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT Snow will continue across the central and southern Idaho Panhandle this evening through Thursday morning. A few more inches of snow is expected, especially south of I-90. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY Strong southwest winds will increase on Friday. Winds will peak in the afternoon and then decrease through the evening hours. Temperatures will warm through the next week. These warmer temperatures in combination with additional rainfall will lead to the erosion of low elevation snow. Ponding of water across the low lands along with small streams, creeks and culverts filling is expected. IDZ026-027-WAZ031>036-041-042-044-091600- 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-WENATCHEE AREA-EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES- WATERVILLE PLATEAU- 307 PM PST Wed Mar 8 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North Central Idaho...Central Washington...East Central Washington...North Central Washington...Northeast Washington and Southeast Washington. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY Very strong southwest winds will increase early Friday. Winds will peak in the afternoon and then decrease through the evening hours. Temperatures will warm through the next week. These warmer temperatures in combination with some breezy conditions and additional rainfall will lead to the erosion of low elevation snow. Ponding of water across the low lands along with small streams, creeks and culverts filling is expected. IDZ001-WAZ037-038-043-091600- NORTHERN PANHANDLE-NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS-OKANOGAN HIGHLANDS- OKANOGAN VALLEY- 307 PM PST Wed Mar 8 2017 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North Idaho... North Central Washington and Northeast Washington. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY Southwest winds will increase on Friday across the mountains. Winds will peak in the afternoon and then decrease through the evening hours. Temperatures will warm through the next week. These warmer temperatures in combination with additional rainfall will lead to the erosion of low elevation snow. Ponding of water across the low lands along with small streams, creeks and culverts filling is expected.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.
A debris flow consisting of rocks and mud 30 feet deep cut State Route 971 near Manson.
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: 686481.