A convergence zone lingering over Camano Island the morning of February 21 led to significant lowland snow accumulation. The convergence zone was forecast to affect mainly the Olympic Peninsula, but shifted east and heavily affected areas on the island.
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.
A convergence zone lingering over Camano Island the morning of February 21 led to significant lowland snow accumulation. The convergence zone was forecast to affect mainly the Olympic Peninsula, but shifted east and heavily affected areas on the island.
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 21, 2:58 AM PST, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
258 AM PST Mon Feb 21 2022
.SYNOPSIS...Cold and drier air is expected to filter into the area
beginning tonight and lasting through at least mid week. The upper
level ridge will build offshore for increasing offshore flow and
strong Fraser outflow winds through Tuesday morning. A system will
skirt the area on Wednesday ahead of a stronger system arriving by
next weekend.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...The vorticity ribbon
separating the trough from the strengthening ridge is still
forecast to develop a weak surface wave feature that will commence
the onset of strong Fraser Outflow as it moves into NW Washington.
Strong high pressure continues to push south this morning with a
modified backdoor cold front approaching the International Border.
Winds will begin to pick up across the North Interior this
morning with some precipitation in the form of snow redeveloping,
enhanced by the surface wave feature. Areas to watch will be
primarily from Skagit county northward and along the eastern
Strait of Juan de Fuca as the cold air filters in from the north,
as well as in the current band of precipitation currently over the
northern Olympic peninsula, extending across Whidbey Island and
into Skagit County. Traffic cameras in the area do show snow
covered roads in places early this morning, so have opted to issue
a winter weather advisory through mid morning. The winter weather
advisory for the lowlands of the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca
will still go into effect at 7AM this morning.
In addition to the wind advisories that are in place for the north
coast and northern interior areas due to Fraser outflow, overnight
lows tonight and Tuesday morning will be in the low 20s. Not only
are daily low temperature records in jeopardy, but coupled with
strong Fraser outflow, wind chill values may be in the low teens.
This type of cold can be dangerous, and proper precautions should
be taken to protect vulnerable populations, sensitive plants,
pipes and pets.
The PoPs should be drier into Tuesday afternoon as the ridge has a
more firm hold on the region. A very weak wave will act to
slightly increase the chances for precip in areas on Wednesday,
but should be largely dry. A very cold start to the day on
Wednesday is forecast, with lows in the teens along the Cascade
foothills, and low to mid 20s throughout Western Washington.
.LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...The models are in a little
bit more agreement over the ridge pattern breaking down some by
Thursday to allow for more moisture to return but it may be spotty
at best. As the ridge axis moves onshore, Friday will likely be
mostly dry, but a stronger system is expected to arrive over the
weekend. Timing is expected to vary, but as of now, it is progged
to arrive sometime on Saturday afternoon, lasting through Sunday.
The breakdown of the ridge pattern into generally more zonal to
quasi-zonal flow opens the door to more typical precipitation
patterns into the extended forecast.
Kristell
&&
.AVIATION...Flow north-northwest aloft for most of today and tonight
with an upper trough over the area. Mainly MVFR early this morning
for most areas, with some VFR. MVFR/IFR this morning with
potentially some LIFR, cigs improving to MVFR/VFR this afternoon.
Areas of showers this morning will taper off through today. Slight
chance for a rain/snow mix in these showers, with no impacts for
most and a chance for light accumulating snow at KCLM today. VFR
this evening and tonight. Winds will be increasing northerly this
morning, with breezy north winds through today. Gusts of 25-35 kts
for KBLI, with gusts of 20-25 kts for most areas into tonight and
Tuesday. JD
KSEA...MVFR cigs with IFR cigs possible through the morning. Slight
chance for LIFR cigs. A chance for showers this morning, with slight
chance for a rain/snow mix, no accumulations expected. VFR cigs into
this afternoon and tonight. Increasing north winds with gusts of 25
kts possible through today. JD
&&
.MARINE...Increasing offshore flow with Fraser Outflow through
Tuesday. Gales for the Northern Inland Waters through Tuesday. Gales
for the Strait of Juan de Fuca this morning, slight chance for
tapering of winds this afternoon, with gales this evening and
tonight. There is a chance for gales for areas of the central/north
coast this evening and into Tuesday. Small Craft Advisory for the
other waters. Drier weather with lighter winds on
Wednesday/Thursday. Increasing south flow over the area this weekend
with a front moving through the area. Seas 10-11 feet today will
subside to 6 to 8 feet this evening. JD
&&
.HYDROLOGY...No river flooding is expected in the next 7 days.
&&
.CLIMATE...Record lows for Wednesday morning along with the
current forecasts. Seattle record 24 in 2018, forecast 22, Olympia
16 in 2018, forecast 18, Bellingham 19 in 2018, forecast 19,
Hoquiam 24 in 2018 forecast 24 and Quillayute 24 in 2018,
forecast 22. Felton
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST early this morning for
Cascades of Pierce and Lewis Counties.
Wind Advisory from 6 AM this morning to 4 PM PST Tuesday for San
Juan County-Western Skagit County-Western Whatcom County.
Wind Advisory from 6 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Tuesday for
North Coast.
Winter Weather Advisory from 7 AM this morning to noon PST today
for Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening for Grays
Harbor Bar.
Small Craft Advisory until 4 PM PST Tuesday for Coastal Waters
From Point Grenville To Cape Shoalwater 10 To 60 Nm-Coastal
Waters From Point Grenville To Cape Shoalwater Out 10 Nm.
Gale Watch from this evening through Tuesday morning 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.
Small Craft Advisory until 7 PM PST 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-
Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville 10 To
60 Nm-Coastal Waters From James Island To Point Grenville
Out 10 Nm.
Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM PST early this morning for
Central U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-East Entrance
U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-West Entrance U.S.
Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory from 4 AM to 4 PM PST Tuesday for Central
U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-East Entrance U.S.
Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-West Entrance U.S. Waters
Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Gale Warning until 4 AM PST Tuesday for Central U.S. Waters
Strait Of Juan De Fuca-East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of
Juan De Fuca-West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De
Fuca.
Gale Warning until 10 AM PST Tuesday for Northern Inland Waters
Including The San Juan Islands.
Small Craft Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 4 AM PST Tuesday
for Admiralty Inlet-Puget Sound and Hood Canal.
&&
www.weather.gov/seattle1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Local CoCoRAHs observations showed an average of 3-5 inches of new snow accumulation across Camano Island after a strong convergence zone helped drag snow levels locally to the surface to produce a several hour period of heavy snowfall.
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, February 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: 1009810.