Heavy snow fell in the Cascades on the evening on March 11 and continued through the day on March 12.
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 in the Cascades on the evening on March 11 and continued through the day on March 12.
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 Mar 11, 2:00 PM PST, 4 hours earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
300 PM PDT Mon Mar 11 2019
.SYNOPSIS...An approaching front will bring rain tonight. Snow in
the mountains will become heavy at times this evening into early
Tuesday. A convergence zone is likely to form Tuesday with showers
decreasing late. Drier weather will begin Wednesday, with gradual
warming through Sunday. Highs could reach the low 60s this weekend.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY/...Radar shows precipitation
off the coast and perhaps just edging into the north interior. Rain
will develop this evening everywhere as a frontal system moves into
the region from the northwest. The front will move into the Cascades
09Z-12Z. A convergence zone will develop late tonight and persist
into Tuesday. Northwest flow aloft and forecast pressure gradients
indicate the PSCZ will likely move south Tuesday.
Steady rain and mountain snow overnight will taper to showers by
Tuesday morning. Moderately strong westerly flow aloft will support
orographically enhanced snowfall along the west slopes of the
Cascades and passes. Snow will be heaviest tonight just ahead of the
front but the passes and Paradise on Mt. Rainier will get some
additional snowfall Tuesday as the convergence zone adds to the
precipitation amounts. Total liquid QPF through Tuesday should run
about a half inch to an inch in the lowlands, and over an inch in
the mountains. Snow amounts are forecast to be a foot or so in the
north Cascades, and possibly two feet in the central and south
Cascades. A winter storm warning is now in effect for the Cascades
from Snohomish County south, while a winter weather advisory remains
in effect for the Cascades north of Snohomish County.
A ridge of high pressure aloft will build rapidly off the coast
Wednesday. Residual showers over the mountains should end in the
afternoon, and there will be some sun Wednesday. This will be the
start of a stretch of dry weather and gradual warming. A weak front
off the coast could keep clouds over the region Thursday, but there
will be warm advection and the weather will remain dry. Highs on
Tuesday will be in the upper 40s in rain, then will rise to around
50 Wednesday, and into the low to mid 50s Thursday. If KSEA can
manage to reach 54 degrees on Thursday, that will mark the first day
the temperature has reached its normal high value since February 1.
Burke
.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH MONDAY/...A series of weak fronts make a
run at Washington in the models through the weekend, but an upper
ridge keeps them mostly at bay. The GFS does have a little rain from
one of them on Saturday night. Have kept pops mainly in the low
chance or less category, with sun at times. The temperature will
keep rising. Model guidance indicates highs near 60 by Saturday, and
maybe even the mid 60s by Monday. This pattern change is most
welcome. Burke
&&
.AVIATION...A strong frontal system is currently moving
onshore along the coast this afternoon and will work its way into
the interior during the evening hours. Flow aloft will become
westerly, while southerly surface winds will increase ahead of the
cold front. Increasing moisture will continue to lower ceilings
throughout the afternoon allowing for VFR conditions to lower to
MVFR this evening into Tuesday. Heavier rain will taper off Tuesday
morning and become more showery in nature. Should see slight
improvement in conditions.
KSEA...VFR conditions will continue through this afternoon, with
ceilings lowering to MVFR during the evening hours ahead of the
frontal boundary. Rain looks to approach the terminal during the
evening hours, continuing into Tuesday morning before becoming more
showery/hit or miss during the day Tuesday. South/southwest winds 5
to 12 knots. A few gusts to 20 kts not out of the question late
tonight into Tuesday. CEO
&&
.MARINE...A low pressure system and associated cold front will move
through the coastal waters by early this evening and through the
inland waters overnight. A gale warning remains in effect for the
coastal waters from James Island northward and for the Northern
Inland Waters. Small craft advisories are in effect for the
remainder of the waters.
Behind the front, strong northwesterly winds will produce small
craft advisory conditions across most of the waters into Tuesday
or Tuesday night. Steep waves will also develop over the coastal
waters in the strong northwesterly flow.
High pressure will build into the waters on Wednesday with lighter
winds. A weak front may brush the waters late Thursday. Albrecht/CEO
&&
.HYDROLOGY...Flooding is not expected for the next 7 days.
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Winter Storm Warning until noon PDT Tuesday for Cascades of
Pierce and Lewis Counties-Cascades of Snohomish and King
Counties.
Winter Weather Advisory until noon PDT Tuesday for Cascades of
Whatcom and Skagit Counties.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 5 AM PDT Wednesday for Admiralty
Inlet-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-East Entrance U.S.
Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory for rough bar until 5 AM PDT Wednesday for
Grays Harbor Bar.
Small Craft Advisory from 11 PM this evening to 5 AM PDT
Wednesday for Coastal Waters From Cape Flattery To James
Island 10 To 60 Nm-Coastal Waters From Cape Flattery To
James Island Out 10 Nm.
Gale Warning until 11 PM PDT this evening for Coastal Waters
From Cape Flattery To James Island 10 To 60 Nm-Coastal
Waters From Cape Flattery To James Island Out 10 Nm.
Gale Warning until 2 AM PDT Tuesday for Northern Inland Waters
Including The San Juan Islands.
Small Craft Advisory until 11 PM PDT Tuesday for West Entrance
U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory from 5 AM Tuesday to 5 AM PDT Wednesday for
Central U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory until 5 AM PDT Tuesday for Puget Sound and
Hood Canal.
&&
www.weather.gov/seattle1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy snow fell in the Cascades at Paradise at Mt Rainier. Snowfall of 20 inches fell over a period of 24 hours from March 11 thru March 12.
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, March 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: 807026.