An additional round of impactful snowfall was recorded at the end of the month.
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.
An additional round of impactful snowfall was recorded at the end of the month.
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 27, 7:14 PM PST, 4 hours 46 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
714 PM PST Thu Feb 27 2020
.UPDATE...With the exception of some stratus along the immediate
coastline, mostly clear skies prevail across the region this
evening for an opportunity to catch the tandem of the crescent
Moon and Venus in the evening sky before they set around 10 PM
PST. Clouds will increase on Friday with rain reaching the coast
in the afternoon and spreading into the interior during the
evening hours. Showers and breezy conditions continue into
Saturday with several inches of snow expected in the Cascade
passes. Current forecasts look on track and no updates planned
this evening. 27
&&
.SYNOPSIS...High pressure will shift eastward tonight and a
weather system will move into the area on Friday evening with
lowland rain, mountain snow and breezy conditions through
Saturday. A brief break in the weather is still expected on
Sunday, before another series of systems move through early next
week.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/...The rest of this evening
and into midday Friday looks to be mild and relatively inactive.
More sunshine will prevail as weak ridging builds into the area.
Temperatures in the mid 50s are expected on Friday. Patchy fog is
possible again on Friday morning as the clear conditions persist
overnight.
Rain should arrive at the coast by late Friday afternoon into the
evening and spread inland overnight into Saturday morning as the
frontal system approaches. Showers will likely persist throughout
the day on Saturday in the unstable air behind the cold front.
This instability is still meager at best, but could be enough to
produce a few thunderstorms and flashes of lightning at the coast.
The main impacts from this system seem to be confined to the
Cascades and the passes as snow levels drop to around 1200-2000 feet
on Saturday with decent accumulations that may impact travel. Anyone
with travel plans across the passes this weekend should continue to
monitor the forecast and be checking WSDOT road conditions before
travel. Conditions will also need to be monitored for possible
convergence zone development with a westerly push down the Strait of
Juan De Fuca occurring.
.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...The next system will
arrive on Monday into Tuesday and again yield lowland rain and
possibly impactful mountain snow. Model ensemble guidance suggest
the winds picking up in this timeframe and will need to be
monitored for changes. Wednesday and Thursday also look to be
fairly active with not much of a break in sight between systems.
Confidence in additional details past this point is low.
Kristell/Pullin
&&
.AVIATION...Low clouds persist along the coast while inland areas
are seeing VFR conditions. The flow aloft is westerly. Patchy low
clouds or fog may form near the sound early Friday morning. A cold
front will bring rain and gusty winds Friday afternoon and
evening. MVFR cigs possible Friday night as onshore flow
increases. 33
KSEA...VFR conditions expected this evening. Light N/NE winds
developing 00-06Z to 5 kt. Patchy low clouds or fog may form near
the sound by 12z. Rain developing Friday afternoon or early
evening with a cold front. 33
&&
.MARINE...Weak high pressure will keep winds generally light
tonight. Seas will remain around 10 feet at the Coastal Waters.
Winds will increase on Friday with a stronger frontal system. This
system will bring Small Craft Advisory winds to all waters.
Strong onshore flow will follow Friday night into Saturday.
Another strong cold front will arrive on Monday. 33
&&
.HYDROLOGY...Due to the progressive nature of the storms entering
the area this weekend into early next week, no river flooding is
forecast at this time.
Kristell/Pullin
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...None.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 4 PM PST Saturday 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.
Small Craft Advisory until 10 AM PST Friday for Grays Harbor Bar.
Small Craft Advisory from 6 PM Friday to 10 AM PST Saturday for
Central U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-East Entrance
U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-Northern Inland Waters
Including The San Juan Islands.
Small Craft Advisory from 10 AM Friday to 4 AM PST Saturday for
Admiralty Inlet-Puget Sound and Hood Canal-West Entrance
U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
&&
www.weather.gov/seattle1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Another quick shot of heavy snowfall commenced across the Northern Cascades during the evening hours of the 28th. By daybreak the next morning, 12 new inches of snow were reported at Mount Baker Ski Area. Snow then quickly tapered through the morning hours of the 29th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, February 2020
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: 878768.