Scattered snow showers tracked across the region as low pressure edged inland and disturbances round it. There were some intense snow showers across portions of the Palouse to the Spokane - Coeur d'Alene area and accompanied by strong, gusty winds.
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 OTX wrote it up.
Scattered snow showers tracked across the region as low pressure edged inland and disturbances round it. There were some intense snow showers across portions of the Palouse to the Spokane - Coeur d'Alene area and accompanied by strong, gusty winds.
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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 26, 10:38 AM PST, 4 hours 7 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
1038 AM PST Sun Dec 26 2021
.SYNOPSIS...
Look for periodic snow showers, with the potential for localized
heavy snow through Sunday night. The weather will turn
significantly colder Monday, continuing through this week, with
some of the coldest values we've seen in 10 years or more.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Morning update: isolated to scattered snow showers continue to
track across the region as low pressure over the west coast edges
inland and disturbances round it. These have been most numerous
across portions of the Palouse into the central Panhandle, as
well as across the northeast mountain. Some are slipping into
southeast Spokane county into the C'dA area too. Others linger
near the Cascades through Okanogan. But winds and cold
temperatures are more notable there, which is leading to bitter
wind chills and blowing snow. There has even been a bit of
drifting snow reported on the Palouse near US-195 though overall
winds are not that strong there. The forecast remains on track,
which features continued snow showers through the day in isolated
to scattered fashion. The parent trough and shortwave moving in
later this afternoon into tonight will further ramp up the snow
for some spots, which the forecast continues to depict with some
modest rates depicted in some of the region late this evening into
the early overnight. /Cote'
&&
.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS: An unstable low over the region and disturbances
pivoting around it bring periodic snow showers this afternoon and
again this evening into the overnight, before starting to wind
down for Monday. The best chances will be over GEG/SFF/COE/PUW/LWS
with periodic MVFR conditions with snow, locally near IFR. Then
the lower cigs continue into Monday even as that dissipates. Winds
will remain strong down the Okanogan Valley, with some blowing and
drifting snow. We could also see some localized blowing/drifting
snow in the more exposed TAF sites (GEG) and near COE. /Cote'
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane 27 9 16 3 14 -1 / 50 60 20 0 10 10
Coeur d'Alene 27 9 16 6 16 3 / 60 50 30 0 10 10
Pullman 27 11 18 6 17 5 / 30 40 20 0 10 20
Lewiston 33 19 24 14 24 15 / 20 30 20 0 10 20
Colville 27 1 13 -4 12 -8 / 50 70 10 0 0 0
Sandpoint 24 8 14 7 14 5 / 80 60 30 10 10 20
Kellogg 25 10 19 8 17 7 / 90 70 30 20 30 40
Moses Lake 26 4 15 2 17 3 / 20 20 0 0 0 10
Wenatchee 21 4 14 4 16 2 / 20 30 0 0 0 10
Omak 14 0 9 0 14 0 / 30 20 0 0 0 0
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory until 8 AM PST Monday for Central
Panhandle Mountains.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Monday for Northern
Panhandle.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 8 AM PST
Monday for Coeur d'Alene Area.
WA...Wind Chill Advisory until noon PST Monday for Moses Lake Area-
Okanogan Valley-Waterville Plateau.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Monday for Northeast
Mountains.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 8 AM PST
Monday for Spokane Area.
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
914 AM PST SUN DEC 26 2021
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 AM SNOW 9 N METALINE FALLS 48.99N 117.35W
12/26/2021 M6.0 INCH PEND OREILLE WA CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION BDDW1 9.1 N METALINE
FALLS.
0800 AM SNOW 9 W LUCERNE 48.20N 120.77W
12/26/2021 M6.0 INCH CHELAN WA CO-OP OBSERVER
CO-OP OBSERVER STATION HLDW1 8.6 W LUCERNE.
0538 AM SNOW 5 E OROVILLE 48.94N 119.33W
12/26/2021 E5.0 INCH OKANOGAN WA PUBLIC
0730 AM SNOW 1 ENE KELLOGG 47.54N 116.12W
12/26/2021 M4.2 INCH SHOSHONE ID COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION ID-SH-1 0.6 ENE KELLOGG.
0700 AM SNOW 6 ESE MAZAMA 48.56N 120.26W
12/26/2021 M4.0 INCH OKANOGAN WA COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION WA-OK-16 6.8 NNW WINTHROP.
0700 AM SNOW LEAVENWORTH 47.59N 120.67W
12/26/2021 M3.8 INCH CHELAN WA COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION WA-CH-50 LEAVENWORTH 0.4 W.
0700 AM SNOW 4 W BOYDS 48.72N 118.20W
12/26/2021 M3.7 INCH FERRY WA COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION WA-FY-8 10.2 NW KETTLE
FALLS.
0700 AM SNOW 4 N REPUBLIC 48.71N 118.72W
12/26/2021 M3.0 INCH FERRY WA COCORAHS
COCORAHS STATION WA-FY-1 4.2 N REPUBLIC.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy, blowing snow led to white out conditions throughout Spokane Valley. The sudden snow squall and hazardous driving conditions led to stranded cars and multiple accidents, especially along Interstate 90.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, December 2021
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: 997134.