There was brief high wind in susceptible locations.
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.
There was brief high wind in susceptible locations.
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 2, 9:40 PM PST, 2 hours 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
940 PM PST Wed Jan 2 2019
.UPDATE...
Previous forecast looks good this evening as a warm front lifts
across the region ahead of the next Pacific storm system.
Widespread rain in the vicinity of the frontal boundary will
continue to spread across the majority of the CWA overnight
tonight. Rain is expected to linger thru much of Thursday with
the system's cold front expected to sweep across the region
Thursday night, bringing with it more rain to the area. Winds
will also increase from the south late tonight through Thursday.
Current headlines addressing winter weather potential look good
for the northern Cascades, and the wind advisory for tonight
through tomorrow evening will be left as is.
Refer to the previous discussion for more details.
Kovacik
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 313 PM PST Wed Jan 2 2019/
.SYNOPSIS...A frontal system will bring rain, mountain snow, and
wind at times through Friday. An upper trough will maintain
somewhat unsettled weather through the weekend. Another wet system
will arrive the first part of next week.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY/...Weather change happening
this afternoon as frontal system approaches and impacts the area
through Friday. Precipitation has begun north of a line from
around La Push to Bellingham. As the warm front sticks around into
Thursday, expect rain to move in elsewhere tonight into early
Thursday, continuing throughout the day. Cold front will then
approach the coast Thursday afternoon and move inland, impacting
the area through early Friday with another round of
precipitation. Heaviest precipitation is expected across the
Olympics and North Cascades. Flood Watch continues for rivers in
that area with more details in Hydrology section below.
Snow levels initially around 2500-3500 feet this evening will
rise to around 5000 feet Thursday before falling again to around
3500 feet Thursday night into Friday. A winter weather advisory
remains in effect for the north Cascades this evening - early
Thursday as snow accumulations of 6 to 11 inches may make for
difficult travel. In addition, a winter storm watch has been
issued for Thursday evening into Friday afternoon for the north
and central Cascades as snow levels fall again. Those with
mountain travel plans should keep an eye on the forecast and check
WSDOT road conditions before they go.
Along with the rain and snow, breezy to strong winds will
accompany the system. Winds will pick up along the coast and north
interior tonight and spread into the Puget Sound lowlands on
Thursday. More northern track of the low and corresponding
gradients support wind advisory criteria along the coast and north
interior. Therefore the high wind watch has been updated to a
wind advisory. Southeast winds 25 to 35 mph with gusts to 50-55mph
possible. Cannot rule out a spot or two seeing gusts to 60 mph
but not expecting widespread observations at that level.
Elsewhere, it will be breezy with gusts of 20-40 mph. We're not
expecting this storm to be nearly as strong as the December 20th
windstorm still fresh in people's minds. Regardless, localized
tree damage and power outages are possible through Thursday
evening. Winds will begin to diminish Thursday afternoon at the
coast and Thursday evening inland as cold front moves through.
Heavier precipitation will turn to showers Friday as cold front
exits. Will need to monitor the possibility of some convection
Friday afternoon near the coast if we see a few sunbreaks behind
the front. Confidence too low for inclusion of thunder into the
forecast this time. May still be a bit breezy across the area as
well but winds will be lighter than Thursday.
.LONG TERM /SATURDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...Models remain in pretty
good agreement for the start of the extended period. Upper level
low moving into Northern California will open up into a longwave
trough Saturday night into Sunday and move across western
Washington. We may see a bit of a break in precipitation early
Saturday before wave moves through and brings some light showers
through the day on Sunday. With cooler air in place, snow levels
may hover around 2000 feet. Differences remain past Sunday with
next system approaching for Monday into Tuesday. Until
track/strength of low are better resolved, details remain
uncertain. Regardless, looks like a good shot of precipitation and
perhaps some breezy winds.
CEO
&&
.AVIATION...Rain associated with a warm front will continue to
move across the region overnight tonight and through much of
Thursday. Most TAF sites are VFR as of 03z aside from HQM but so
expect ceilings to fall down to MVFR and even potentially IFR as
the heavier rain moves in. Winds will begin to pick up overnight
from the south and continue thru much of Thursday. Still evidence
of wind shear later tonight and into Thursday, and will have to
see how this plays out as surface winds begin to increase
KSEA...VFR conditions tonight should deteriorate overnight as rain
moves into the area. MVFR should be the predominate category as
rain begins. Low level wind shear will be a concern overnight into
Thursday as winds off the sfc increase to 40-50kts. Sfc winds
should begin to gust near 20-25kts Thursday morning thru the
afternoon as rain showers continue.
Kovacik
&&
.MARINE...Marine package looks good this evening as gale force
winds are likely for the coast, West Strait, Northern Inland
Waters, East Strait, and Admiralty Inlet. SCA for the remaining
waters. A warm front will continue to lift across the area
tonight, bringing with it a swath of moderate rainfall. Winds will
pickup in the vicinity of this boundary and carry into much of
Thursday. Although winds will drop off in the wake of a cold front
Thursday night, small craft winds will still be likely. Still
seeing evidence of seas building between 20-25ft on Friday so will
continue to monitor this for high surf. An active pattern still
looks likely into next week.
Kovacik
&&
.HYDROLOGY...A wet weather system is forecast to reach the area
late tonight and linger into Thursday night. Recently, model
rainfall amounts have increased. The ensemble mean of rainfall in
the WRF 4km ensembles is actually higher than the WRF 4km control
run. Have increased QPF in the grids, and the result is higher
flows on area rivers. Three rivers are most likely to flood--the
South Fork Nooksack near Saxon Bridge, the Bogachiel near La Push,
and the Skokomish near Potlatch. Minor flooding is forecast
Thursday night and Friday.
There is a slight chance of flooding on other rivers flowing off the
Olympics and the North Cascades, including the Skagit, Samish,
Stillaguamish, and Satsop, and other reaches of the Nooksack. Any
flooding on these rivers is also expected to be minor.
A flood watch remains effect for rivers flowing off the Olympics
and North Cascades Thursday through Saturday.
The system for the first part of next week also has the potential
to cause minor flooding problems for the rivers flowing off the
Olympics. Burke
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Flood Watch from Thursday morning through Saturday morning for
Admiralty Inlet Area-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-Hood Canal Area-
Lower Chehalis Valley Area-North Coast-Olympics-Western
Skagit County-Western Strait of Juan De Fuca-Western
Whatcom County.
Winter Storm Watch from Thursday evening through Friday
afternoon for Cascades of Snohomish and King Counties-
Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit Counties.
Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST Thursday for Cascades of
Whatcom and Skagit Counties.
Wind Advisory until 7 PM PST Thursday for Admiralty Inlet Area-
San Juan County-Western Skagit County-Western Whatcom
County.
Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST Thursday for Central Coast-North
Coast.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory for rough bar until 4 PM PST Friday for
Grays Harbor Bar.
Gale Warning until 4 PM 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-West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of
Juan De Fuca.
Gale Warning until 10 PM PST Thursday for Admiralty Inlet-East
Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-Northern Inland
Waters Including The San Juan Islands.
Small Craft Advisory until 4 PM PST Thursday for Central U.S.
Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM PST Thursday for Puget Sound
and Hood Canal.
&&
www.weather.gov/seattleThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Lopez Island recorded 43 mph sustained wind.
The ASOS at Hoquiam recorded 43 mph sustained wind.
Sandy Point Shores recorded a 64 mph gust.
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, January 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: 799147, 799148, 799146.