After a period of light snow at the very beginning of the month, a more significant winter storm brought heavier snowfall accumulations to the mountains beginning January 4th and continuing through January 8th, prompting the issuance of a Winter Storm Warning.
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.
After a period of light snow at the very beginning of the month, a more significant winter storm brought heavier snowfall accumulations to the mountains beginning January 4th and continuing through January 8th, prompting the issuance of a Winter Storm Warning.
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 3, 9:15 PM PST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
915 PM PST Fri Jan 3 2020
.UPDATE /THIS EVENING/...It was a record warm day for several
sites across the area today with Bellingham, SeaTac, and Hoquiam
all breaking daily record highs. Forecast largely on track this
evening so no major updates required. Cold front, currently
approaching the coast, will move inland over the next few hours
with steady rain and gusty winds continuing until frontal passage.
Peak gusts so far have been found along the coast, northern
inland waters, and interior north of Everett with gusts of 35 to
50 mph. Winds will peak over the next several hours except for
Admiralty Inlet area where a westerly push down the Strait will
bleed over with gusty winds continuing through early Saturday.
While winds will peak, it will still be fairly breezy into
Saturday. As steadier rain tapers off, precipitation will become
more showery over the lowlands with snow continuing in the
mountains. Snow levels will continue to drop to 2000 feet behind
the cold front with hazardous winter travel conditions across the
Cascade passes at times through the weekend. Previous discussion
follows with updates to the aviation and marine sections. CEO
&&
.SYNOPSIS...A cold front will bring more rain and mountain snow to
western Washington tonight. The air mass will remain cool on
Saturday with additional showers expected. The next front will
bring another round of wind, rain and mountain snow on Sunday. The
weather pattern will remain active through next week as a series
of fronts cross the region.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY/...It's been windy along the
coast and north interior today and windy conditions will continue
into this evening. The only change is to extend the Wind Advisory
for the Admiralty Inlet Area overnight due to a westerly surge
through the strait. Up in the mountains, snow levels will drop to
around 2000 ft behind the cold front tonight with snow showers
affecting all passes. Highest snow amounts will likely occur at
Mount Baker and Paradise at Mount Rainier. Lastly, with the cold
front passage, the air mass will be cool and unstable which may
trigger a thunderstorm along the coast. It's possible we could see
a thunderstorm if a convergence zone forms (in Snohomish county)
early Saturday but confidence is low at this point.
The air mass will remain cool and showery on Saturday under post-
frontal onshore flow. Showers, for the most part, will continue
to impact the west slope of the Cascades with more snow expected.
Showers will decrease toward the afternoon and evening as onshore
flow weakens.
Our next frontal system will arrive on Sunday brining more wind,
rain and mountain snow. We may need another round of Wind
Advisories for the coast and north interior. Snow levels will
remain low, around 2000 feet, with more snow adding to the
mountain snowpack.
More wet weather is on its way Monday as a warm front clips the
area. East winds will keep the passes cold with a wintry mix
possible (snow and/or freezing rain). Heavy rain in the Olympics
may push the Skokomish River into flood stage (the river is
already running high). 33
.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...The parade of storms
continues next week as a series of Pac frontal systems roll
through western WA. Overall, the period remains active with more
rain and possible heavy mountain snow. Snow levels will remain
low. Temperatures in the lowlands will be close to normal. 33
&&
.AVIATION...A cold front is approaching the region at this hour,
with RA spreading inland over all terminals. Gusty southerly winds
will continue to veer to the west over the next few hours with the
approach of the front. Expect winds to decrease gradually behind the
front overnight with CIGS decreasing to MVFR levels Saturday. Low
level wind shear will continue over the Puget Sound region this
evening with strong southerly winds above the surface.
KSEA...Breezy southwesterly to westerly conditions will continue at
the terminal through this evening, with strong southerly winds above
the surface yielding low level wind shear. RA will continue through
much of the overnight before diminshing late tonight. Strong, gusty
southwesterly winds will persist through Saturday with CIGS
gradually lowering to MVFR conditions through the day.
&&
.MARINE...A vigorous cold front will move through the area
tonight with decreasing onshore flow behind the front on
Saturday. Gales are up for most waters - southerly winds ahead of
the front, then westerly winds behind the front.
The pattern will remain active through the middle of next week
with additional weather systems crossing the area every 24 to 36
hours. Additional headlines will be needed. West swell over the
Coastal Waters will remain above 10 feet into next week.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...Weather systems the next few days will be
progressive with lower snow levels. This will keep rises on area
rivers limited through the weekend. The active pattern will
continue into the next week. There is some model disagreement on
the intensity of the warm front timed into the area later Monday.
If the stronger model solutions verify there is a chance for more
river flooding along the Skokomish river.
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Winter Weather Advisory until 4 PM PST Saturday for Cascades of
Pierce and Lewis Counties-Cascades of Snohomish and King
Counties-Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit Counties.
Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening for Central Coast-
North Coast-San Juan County-Western Skagit County-Western
Whatcom County.
Wind Advisory until 4 AM PST Saturday for Admiralty Inlet Area.
Winter Weather Advisory until 4 PM PST Saturday for Olympics.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 4 PM PST Saturday for Grays Harbor
Bar.
Gale Warning until 10 AM 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-East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of
Juan De Fuca-Northern Inland Waters Including The San Juan
Islands-West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Gale Warning until 10 AM PST Saturday for Central U.S. Waters
Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM PST Saturday for Admiralty Inlet.
Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM PST Sunday for Puget Sound and
Hood Canal.
&&
www.weather.gov/seattle4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Snow began to fall around midnight on the 4th and continued through the morning hours of the 7th, with total snowfall near Hurricane Ridge around 22 inches.
Snow began falling during the very early morning hours of the 4th, with the snow depth near Mount Baker at 58 inches. By 12 am on the 5th, the snow depth deepened to 73 inches. Total snow depth by January 7th reached 95 inches, with snowfall gradually tapering through the day on the 8th.
Snow started in the central Cascades during the morning hours of the 4th and began to accumulate quickly. Snowfall affected both Stevens Pass and Snoqualmie Pass, with snowfall accumulation at Stevens Pass significantly higher than at Snoqualmie Pass. New snowfall at Stevens Pass of around 49 inches by January 8th and around 22 inches at Snoqualmie Pass. Stevens Pass was closed on January 6th.
Snow began to fall late in the evening hours on the 4th, with 13 inches of fresh snow at Paradise by the afternoon of the 4th. Thereafter, periods of heavy snow persisted across the southern Cascades into the early afternoon hours on the 8th, bringing the storm total snowfall to around 65 inches for Paradise and nearby locations.
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, January 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: 873195, 873193, 873196, 873194.