Heavy snow bands brought heavy snow to the portions of the Cascades.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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.
Heavy snow bands brought heavy snow to the portions of the Cascades.
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 29, 3:58 AM PST, 6 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
358 AM PST Thu Dec 29 2022
.SYNOPSIS...
Back to back weather systems will arrive today with the first in
the Cascades and the second spreading east covering much of the
region. A mix of rain and snow is expected at first in the lower
elevations before transitioning to all snow with the exception of
the LC Valley. Temperatures will be near average to ring in the
new year.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Today through Friday: We are starting to see the next system come
onshore tonight and it will continue to move east throughout the
morning. Precipitation will begin in the Cascades late this morning,
spreading eastward this afternoon. Most of the snow with this
initial system will remain in the Cascades, okanogan Valley and
northern Mountains before the second stronger wave pushes into the
rest of the region. Total snow amounts will range from 8 to 12
inches in the Cascades and Idaho Panhandle to 1 to 4 inches in the
lower elevations. Spokane specifically will see 2 to 3 inches on the
higher hills (think west plains, five mile, and south hill) with 1
to 2 inches more likely in the metro area. Low temperatures will be
hovering around 31 degrees tonight which if the temperatures stay a
little warmer, could keep the lower elevations as rain. Additional
Winter Weather Advisories have been issued for the northern
mountains, Idaho Panhandle and the Spokane/CDA/Palouse area for
Thursday night through Friday.
With the second wave, there is a chance of freezing rain between
Moses Lake and Ritzville but the chance is slim. Accumulations if
any will be light before changing over to snow. Locations that see
freezing rain could have slick roads under new snow. /KM
Friday afternoon through Saturday: A shortwave trough will cross
over the Northwest bringing a mixture of precip types Friday. Snow
levels will gradually rise to ~2500' by Friday afternoon as warm
air inches its way north. Central Washington and the Cascades
will see Friday morning's snowfall taper off throughout the day
and overnight into Saturday. West-southwesterly upper-level flow
will bring continued snow to the ID Panhandle Mountains through
Saturday morning.
Saturday night through Wednesday: Following Friday's shortwave,
another shortwave will make landfall further south in California Saturday
evening, resulting in a relatively dry northwesterly flow pattern
for us. The Camas Prairie and the ID Panhandle Mountains can
expect light snow showers overnight into Sunday. Snow amounts
will be less than an inch with minimal impacts. Heading into
Monday, a strong but brief shortwave ridge will position itself
over us, keeping us dry throughout the day. Yet another shortwave
trough enters Washington Monday evening but models diverge
greatly from here onward. Models are suggesting a continued active
troughy pattern, though the details are uncertain at this point.
/Fewkes
&&
.AVIATION...
12Z TAFS: Localized MVFR conditions around KGEG are expected
through 15Z before conditions improve for the afternoon. Light
snow showers will move into Cascades this afternoon and will
spread east as the day progresses. Snow will reach all terminals
except for the LC Valley (KLWS) by late tonight reducing
conditions to IFR. /KM
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane 35 31 36 29 35 26 / 20 60 90 10 20 10
Coeur d'Alene 36 31 37 31 36 27 / 10 50 90 20 20 10
Pullman 35 31 38 29 37 27 / 20 60 80 20 20 10
Lewiston 42 36 45 33 41 31 / 10 50 60 20 20 10
Colville 34 26 36 25 35 20 / 30 60 90 10 20 10
Sandpoint 35 30 35 31 35 27 / 10 50 90 30 30 10
Kellogg 36 31 36 33 37 28 / 10 40 90 50 30 20
Moses Lake 35 28 36 24 33 22 / 40 100 50 10 10 10
Wenatchee 30 27 35 26 32 24 / 60 100 50 10 10 0
Omak 30 28 34 25 32 20 / 50 80 80 10 10 0
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 10 PM PST
Friday for Northern Panhandle.
Winter Weather Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 7 PM PST
Friday for Coeur d'Alene Area-Idaho Palouse.
Winter Weather Advisory from 1 AM to 10 PM PST Friday for
Central Panhandle Mountains.
WA...Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 10 PM PST
Friday for Northeast Mountains-Okanogan Highlands.
Winter Weather Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 7 PM PST
Friday for Spokane Area-Washington Palouse.
Winter Weather Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 11 AM PST
Friday for Central Chelan County-Okanogan Valley-Waterville
Plateau-Wenatchee Area-Western Okanogan County.
Winter Weather Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 4 PM PST
Friday for Western Chelan County.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Observer reported 10 inches of snow near Plain. Another report of 5.8 inches was recorded near Ardenvoir.
Observer reported 7.4 inches 9 miles west of Lucerne.
Observer reported 6 inches of snow southeast of Ardenvoir. Other reports for Wenatchee and Cashmere were 5.5 inches.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, December 2022
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: 1073352, 1073354, 1073359.