Heavy snow fell at Paradise on Mount Rainier.
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.
Heavy snow fell at Paradise on Mount Rainier.
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 Feb 19, 10:51 AM PST, 9 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
1051 AM PST Tue Feb 19 2019
.UPDATE /TODAY/...Light snow in Western Whatcom County has
generally turned to a rain-snow mix or all rain. It appears that
additional snowfall today, if it occurs, will not be heavy enough
to result in accumulations on area roadways. Hence the winter
weather advisory for this area is being cancelled. Albrecht
&&
.SYNOPSIS...A frontal system will bring rain and mountain snow
later today and tonight. A cool upper level trough will keep
showers in the forecast on Wednesday. Drier northerly flow aloft
will develop Thursday with an upper ridge offshore. A second
frontal system will reach the area on Friday followed by an upper
low later on Saturday. Cool upper level trough remaining over the
area Sunday and Monday.
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 908 AM PST Tue Feb 19 2019/
AVIATION...Northwest flow aloft becoming westerly today as an
upper level trough shifts southward along the British Columbia
coast. The air mass is moist and stable. Widespread low MVFR and
areas of IFR are expected today into Wednesday morning. Scattered
showers this morning will become more numerous this afternoon and
evening. A Puget Sound Convergence Zone is expected to form over
the northern part of Puget Sound this evening and shift southward
overnight. Showers taper off during the day Wednesday.
KSEA...Low MVFR and periods of IFR expected through the forecast
period. Showers will become more numerous later this afternoon into
this evening before tapering off Wednesday. Surface winds S-SW 5 to
15 knots. CEO
MARINE...A frontal system will bring small craft
advisory strength winds to all waters later today into Wednesday
morning. Rough bar expected this evening into Wednesday for Grays
Harbor Bar. The flow will turn more northerly on Wednesday and then
northeasterly Wednesday night and Thursday as high pressure moves
over southern British Columbia. Another frontal system will drop
down from the northwest on Friday with a trailing weak low moving
over the area on Saturday. CEO
PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 431 AM PST Tue Feb 19 2019/
SYNOPSIS....A frontal system will bring rain and mountain snow
later today and tonight. A cool upper level trough will keep
showers in the forecast on Wednesday. Drier northerly flow aloft
will develop Thursday with an upper ridge offshore. A second
frontal system will reach the area on Friday followed by an upper
low later on Saturday. Cool upper level trough remaining over the
area Sunday and Monday.
SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...Satellite imagery shows
cloudy skies over Western Washington early this morning. Doppler
radar has a few light rain showers along the Central Coast and
over the Puget Sound area. Temperatures at 3 am/11z were in the
30s.
Leading edge of the precipitation out ahead of the next frontal
system to reach the area over Central Vancouver Island at 3 am.
Precipitation spreading over the area late morning into the
afternoon hours. Increasing onshore flow ahead of the front will
push the snow levels up to at least 500-1000 feet. The exception
to this will be in Whatcom county where the increasing onshore
flow will not arrive until late in the day keeping the snow levels
near the surface for the onset of the precipitation especially
over the interior of Whatcom county. Have issued a winter weather
advisory for up to 3 inches of snow for the county with the
higher accumulations away from the water and toward the Canadian
border. Snow increasing in the mountains this afternoon with
increasing snow amounts later this afternoon into the evening as
the orographic flow picks up. Models have 850 mb winds rising to
west northwesterly 20-30 knots by late in the day. The air mass
is already somewhat cold so expect this system to be a good snow
producer with higher than normal snow to water ratios. Heaviest
precipitation over the Central and Southern Cascades. Have issued
a winter storm warning for the Cascades from Snohomish to Lewis
counties for 8 to 18 inches of new snow this afternoon and
tonight and a winter weather advisory for the Cascades of Whatcom
and Skagit counties. Highs today in the lowlands will range from
the mid 30s in Whatcom county to the mid 40s over the southern
interior.
Front moving through the area tonight with a quick convergence
zone developing over Central Puget Sound area late tonight into
the early morning hours. Enhanced precipitation rates possible
with the convergence zone which could lower the snow level down to
300-500 feet. For now will leave the mention of snow out of the
forecast for the central Sound. With the low level onshore into
Wednesday morning and plenty of cloud cover over the area. Lows
will remain in the mid 30s for the most part.
Cool upper level trough behind the front moving over the area on
Wednesday. Snow levels will remain low, around 500 feet or so, but
showers will be widely scattered and precipitation amounts will be
light. Highs on Wednesday mostly in the lower 40s.
Upper level trough moving south of the area Wednesday night with
showers confined to the extreme southern portion of the area in
the evening. Drier northerly flow aloft will help reduce the cloud
cover a little which in turn will allow temperatures to drop into
the mid 20s to lower 30s by Thursday morning.
Drying trend continuing on Thursday with north northeasterly flow
aloft over the area. Some weak Fraser river outflow winds possible
in Whatcom county with the Bellingham to Williams Lake gradient
in the -10 to -12 mb range. Highs on Thursday in the lower to mid
40s.
LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...Some minor differences in the
extended models early on with the 00z GFS speeding up the timing
of the next system moving down out of the northwest starting the
precipitation over western Washington in the morning on Friday.
The ECMWF is about 6 hours slower with the onset of the
precipitation with most of it beginning in the afternoon. The
earlier precipitation start on the GFS brings up the possibility
of a rain snow mix with snow levels low, 500 feet or less, in the
morning. Same scenario as the system for today with snow levels
rising in the afternoon with increasing low level onshore flow.
Have used a model blend on Friday and gone for chance pops in the
morning. The precipitation currently looks pretty light so even if
it does start out as snow no significant accumulations expected.
Front moving through the area later Friday night into Saturday.
Cool upper level low settling over the area for Saturday night for
another showers and low snow levels forecast. Models try to bring
in some drier northerly flow aloft on Sunday but then develop
another upper level trough over the area Sunday night into Monday.
With the trofiness will have to keep a chance of showers in the
forecast as well as the continuation of the low, 1000 feet or
less, snow levels. Highs through the period will remain well below
normal, mostly in the lower 40s. Felton
AVIATION...Northwest flow aloft becoming westerly today as an upper
level trough shifts southward along the British Columbia coast. The
air mass is moist and stable. Widespread low MVFR and areas
of IFR are expected today. Scattered showers this morning will
become more numerous this afternoon and evening. A Puget Sound
Convergence Zone is expected to form over the northern part of Puget
Sound this evening and shift southward overnight.
KSEA...Low MVFR and periods of IFR expected through the forecast
period. Showers expected through the day though the flow
aloft favors some rain shadowing by the Olympics. Surface winds S-SW
7 to 15 knots. 27
MARINE...A frontal system will bring westerly small craft
advisory strength winds to all waters later today into Wednesday
morning. The flow will turn more northerly on Wednesday and then
northeasterly Wednesday night and Thursday as high pressure moves
over southern British Columbia. Another frontal system will drop
down from the northwest on Friday with a trailing weak low moving
over the area on Saturday. Schneider
HYDROLOGY...River flooding is not expected for the next 7 days.
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Winter Storm Warning until 6 AM PST Wednesday for Cascades of
Pierce and Lewis Counties-Cascades of Snohomish and King
Counties.
Winter Weather Advisory until 6 AM PST Wednesday for Cascades of
Whatcom and Skagit Counties.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM PST Wednesday for Coastal
Waters From Cape Flattery To James Island 10 To 60 Nm-
Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville 10 To
60 Nm-Coastal Waters From Point Grenville To Cape
Shoalwater 10 To 60 Nm.
Small Craft Advisory for rough bar from 10 PM this evening to 4
PM PST Wednesday for Grays Harbor Bar.
Small Craft Advisory until 10 AM PST Wednesday for Coastal
Waters From Cape Flattery To James Island Out 10 Nm-Coastal
Waters From James Island To Point Grenville Out 10 Nm-
Coastal Waters From Point Grenville To Cape Shoalwater Out
10 Nm-Northern Inland Waters Including The San Juan Islands.
Small Craft Advisory until 7 AM PST Wednesday for Central U.S.
Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-East Entrance U.S. Waters
Strait Of Juan De Fuca-Puget Sound and Hood Canal.
Small Craft Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 4 AM PST
Wednesday for West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De
Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory from 7 PM this evening to 10 AM PST
Wednesday for Admiralty Inlet.
&&
www.weather.gov/seattle1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Paradise had 14 inches in 12 hours, 11 AM 2/19 to 11 PM 2/19, then collected 26 inches total through 5 PM 2/20.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, February 2019
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: 799102.