Washington, 2019

Heavy Snow and Winter Weather in Washington, January 8 to 9, 2019

January 8 to 9, 2019 · NWS OTX · 19 events in 6 counties and zones

A warm front with abundant moisture welled up from south to north over eastern Washington bringing snow and freezing rain beginning during the afternoon and evening hours of January 8th. Heavy snow was noted in the East Slopes of the Cascades with moderate to locally heavy accumulations over the mountains north of the Columbia Basin.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
19

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS OTX wrote it up.

A warm front with abundant moisture welled up from south to north over eastern Washington bringing snow and freezing rain beginning during the afternoon and evening hours of January 8th. Heavy snow was noted in the East Slopes of the Cascades with moderate to locally heavy accumulations over the mountains north of the Columbia Basin. In the basin and the valleys of the northeast mountains initial light snow turned to freezing rain from the Moses Lake area to the Deer Park area during the afternoon and evening hours with generally around one tenth of an inch of ice accumulation and locally higher amounts, creating slick driving conditions on area roads.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 heavy snow, 7 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, East Slopes Northern Cascades

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to January 9, 2:00 AM PST
Where
East Slopes Northern Cascades forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer

The observer at the Entiat Fish Hatchery recorded 6.5 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Heavy Snow, East Slopes Northern Cascades

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to January 9, 2:00 AM PST
Where
East Slopes Northern Cascades forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer

The observer at Holden Village recorded 19.2 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Heavy Snow, East Slopes Northern Cascades

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to January 9, 2:00 AM PST
Where
East Slopes Northern Cascades forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer

The observer at Mazama recorded 7.1 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Heavy Snow, East Slopes Northern Cascades

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to January 9, 2:00 AM PST
Where
East Slopes Northern Cascades forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer

The observer at Plain recorded 7.2 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Heavy Snow, East Slopes Northern Cascades

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to January 9, 2:00 AM PST
Where
East Slopes Northern Cascades forecast zone
Reported by
COOP Observer

The observer at Stehekin recorded 19.0 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Heavy Snow, Wenatchee Area

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to 10:00 PM PST
Where
Wenatchee Area forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
47.802, -120.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An observer in West Wenatchee recorded 4.8 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Heavy Snow, Wenatchee Area

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to 10:00 PM PST
Where
Wenatchee Area forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
47.802, -120.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An observer in Wenatchee recorded 4.3 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Heavy Snow, Wenatchee Area

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to 10:00 PM PST
Where
Wenatchee Area forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS
Coordinates
47.802, -120.155 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

An observer in Wenatchee Heights recorded 4.2 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Heavy Snow, East Slopes Northern Cascades

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to January 9, 2:00 AM PST
Where
East Slopes Northern Cascades forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter

A spotter 2 miles south of Leavenworth reported 7.0 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Heavy Snow, East Slopes Northern Cascades

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to January 9, 2:00 AM PST
Where
East Slopes Northern Cascades forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS

An observer 5 miles northwest of Ardenvoir recorded 7.6 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Heavy Snow, East Slopes Northern Cascades

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to January 9, 2:00 AM PST
Where
East Slopes Northern Cascades forecast zone
Reported by
CoCoRaHS

An observer near Peshastin recorded 8.9 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Winter Weather, Moses Lake Area

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to 9:00 PM PST
Where
Moses Lake Area forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
47.095, -119.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Grant County Airport ASOS sensor recorded 0.05 inches of freezing rain accumulation.

Winter Weather, Moses Lake Area

When
January 8, 9:00 AM PST to 9:00 PM PST
Where
Moses Lake Area forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
47.095, -119.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A spotter in Moses lake reported 0.08 inches of ice accumulation from freezing rain and his driveway a sheet of ice.

Heavy Snow, Waterville Plateau

When
January 8, 10:00 AM PST to 11:00 PM PST
Where
Waterville Plateau forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
47.471, -119.572 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A spotter near Waterville reported 5.0 inches of snow accumulation from this storm.

Winter Weather, Northeast Mountains

When
January 8, 1:00 PM PST to January 9, 4:00 AM PST
Where
Northeast Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
48.184, -117.511 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Deer Park Airport ASOS weather sensor recorded 0.17 inch of freezing rain during the evening and overnight hours of January 8th. During the afternoon of the 8th before changing over to freezing rain nearby observers reported 0.5 to 1.0 inch of snow accumulation.

Winter Weather, Spokane Area

When
January 8, 1:00 PM PST to January 9, 5:00 AM PST
Where
Spokane Area forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
47.599, -117.911 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Spokane International Airport ASOS weather station recorded 0.25 inch of freezing rain during the afternoon and overnight hours of January 8th. The frrezing rain fell on top of an initial 0.6 inch of snow accumulation.

Winter Weather, Spokane Area

When
January 8, 1:00 PM PST to 10:00 PM PST
Where
Spokane Area forecast zone
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
47.599, -117.911 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Spokane Felts Field Airport ASOS weather station recorded 0.08 inch of freezing rain during the afternoon and evening hours of January 8th.

Winter Weather, Spokane Area

When
January 8, 1:00 PM PST to January 9, 5:00 AM PST
Where
Spokane Area forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
47.599, -117.911 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer at the Spokane NWS office recorded 0.10 inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain during the afternoon and evening of January 8th. Freezing rain fell on 0.5 inch of initial snow accumulation.

Winter Weather, Spokane Area

When
January 8, 1:00 PM PST to January 9, 5:00 AM PST
Where
Spokane Area forecast zone
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
47.599, -117.911 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The observer at the Spokane NWS office recorded 0.10 inch of ice accumulation from freezing rain during the afternoon and evening of January 8th. Freezing rain fell on 0.5 inch of initial snow accumulation.

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Washington in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, January 2019

Sources

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: 794570, 794571, 794572, 794573, 794574, 794575, 794576, 794577, 794578, 794579, 794580, 794582, 794583, 794581, 794231, 794564, 794565, 794566, 794567.