A strong and persistent upper-level low-pressure system developed over the northern Rockies and southern Canada and then slowly migrated westward while continuously directing the jet stream and primary storm track at Washington State. This strong low-pressure system resulted in a 21-day period of a series of winter storms, wind storms, and atmospheric rivers that battered Washington State in…
Every event with a place to put it. 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 SEW wrote it up.
A strong and persistent upper-level low-pressure system developed over the northern Rockies and southern Canada and then slowly migrated westward while continuously directing the jet stream and primary storm track at Washington State. This strong low-pressure system resulted in a 21-day period of a series of winter storms, wind storms, and atmospheric rivers that battered Washington State in rapid succession. First there was lowland snow the last week of December. Then a wind and rainstorm Jan 3 to 4. That was followed by two atmospheric river events from Jan 5 - 7 and Jan 11- 13 that resulted in heavy rain, minor to major flooding, and landslides. 2 flood fatalities occurred, and possibly a third from a landslide.
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 6, 10:19 AM PST, 1 hour 41 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
1019 AM PST Thu Jan 6 2022
.SYNOPSIS...A warm front will stall over the area today and
tonight, bringing rain, heavy at times, and milder temperatures.
A trailing cold front will arrive on Friday with showers
decreasing. An upper ridge will bring mostly dry weather this
weekend. Weak fronts will bring a chance of rain at times the
first half of next week.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...No major changes to be made
to the forecast. Previous discussion still stands.
Kristell
A warm front is currently pushing into the area. Temperatures
are starting to creep up and highs will eventually top out in the
mid 40s to lower 50s today. The warmer air should continue to
work its way north and east this morning. Fraser outflow will
weaken today with Western Whatcom County the last place to scour.
Heavy snow will continue in the Cascades today but snow levels
will be rising above 4000 feet so the passes should eventually
change over to rain. Easterly winds in the passes will keep the
weather snowy through this morning.
The warm front will stall over the area today, shift slightly
north this evening, then a cold front will push through the area
Friday morning. Heavy snow will continue over the Cascades above
4000 feet.
Rain will change to showers behind the front on Friday and become
largely confined to the mountains in the afternoon with a Puget
Sound Convergence Zone possible. With the front stalling over the
area today and tonight, numerous rivers could see flooding
starting tonight, especially over the south Sound and Southwest
Interior. See the hydrology section below for more details.
An upper ridge will build in from the west on Saturday. A weak
warm front coming over the top of the ridge will maintain a chance
of rain but overall it should be a much drier day. Snow levels
will dip to 500-1000 feet Saturday morning so the higher hills
might see some flakes but lowland accumulations are not expected
at this time. 16
.LONG TERM /SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...An upper ridge will bring
a dry day on Sunday. The ridge will remain over the area for the
first part of next week but weaken, allowing a couple of weak
fronts to reach the area. This is reflected in the ensembles
which show a mix of dry and wet solutions. 16
&&
.AVIATION...West/Northwest flow today with a stalled warm front
over the region. Mainly IFR/MVFR cigs today with rain except
light snow or mixed precip in the vicinity of KBLI with Fraser
outflow winds. Locally heavy rain will reduce surface visibilities
to 1-3 miles at times. Increasing gusty southerly winds developing
across most of the area through tonight as warm front gradually
lifts northward.
KSEA...Moderate to occasionally heavy rain persisting through the
period under MVFR to IFR ceilings and surface vsbys reduced to
1-4 miles at times. Surface wind southerly 10-15 gusting 25 knots.
27
&&
.MARINE...A warm front continues to lift northward this morning,
with small craft advisory conditions persisting across offshore and
inland waters through the day as southerly winds increase in the
wake of the front. Another system will approach and move across area
waters tonight, bringing a period of southerly gales offshore,
before a significant westerly push of wind spreads across area
waters Friday into Friday night. Widespread gales are expected, with
the potential for Storm Force conditions in the Central and Eastern
Strait of Juan de Fuca Friday afternoon. Winds will diminish Friday
night, remaining below advisory levels until Sunday night when the
next system approaches area waters.
Offshore, westerly swells will increase above 10 feet once again by
this afternoon, remaining above this threshold through early
Saturday morning. Seas will rise again early next week.
See the forecast section for information regarding coastal flooding
along the interior coast today.
Pullin
&&
.HYDROLOGY...
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Flood Watch through Saturday afternoon for Bellevue and Vicinity-
Cascades of Pierce and Lewis Counties-Cascades of Snohomish
and King Counties-Central Coast-East Puget Sound Lowlands-
Everett and Vicinity-Hood Canal Area-Lower Chehalis Valley
Area-Olympics-Seattle and Vicinity-Southwest Interior-
Tacoma Area.
Coastal Flood Advisory until 11 AM PST this morning for
Admiralty Inlet Area-Bremerton and Vicinity-Everett and
Vicinity-Hood Canal Area-San Juan County-Seattle and
Vicinity-Southwest Interior-Tacoma Area-Western Skagit
County-Western Whatcom County.
Winter Storm Warning until noon PST Friday for Cascades of
Pierce and Lewis Counties-Cascades of Whatcom and Skagit
Counties.
Winter Storm Warning until noon PST today for Cascades of
Snohomish and King Counties.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 4 PM PST Friday
for Grays Harbor Bar.
Small Craft Advisory until 10 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-Coastal Waters From Point Grenville To Cape
Shoalwater 10 To 60 Nm-Coastal Waters From Point Grenville
To Cape Shoalwater Out 10 Nm.
Gale Warning from 10 PM this evening to 1 PM PST Friday 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.
Storm Watch from Friday morning through Friday afternoon for
Central U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-East Entrance
U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory until 10 AM PST Friday for Admiralty Inlet-
Central U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-East Entrance
U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Gale Watch from Friday morning through Friday afternoon for
Admiralty Inlet-Northern Inland Waters Including The San
Juan Islands.
Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM PST Friday for Northern Inland
Waters Including The San Juan Islands.
Gale Watch from Friday morning through Friday afternoon for West
Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory until 4 PM PST Friday for Puget Sound and
Hood Canal.
&&
www.weather.gov/seattlePRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
851 AM PST THU JAN 6 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0850 AM SNOW SUDDEN VALLEY 48.72N 122.35W
01/06/2022 M5.8 INCH WHATCOM WA TRAINED SPOTTER
TOTAL OVER THE PAST 10 HOURS.
&&
27PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
948 AM PST THU JAN 6 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0947 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 NNE LA CONNER 46.93N 123.00W
01/06/2022 M2.95 INCH Thurston WA TRAINED SPOTTER
24 HOUR TOTAL
&&
27PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
1053 AM PST THU JAN 6 2022
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1053 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 N CENTRALIA 46.74N 122.96W
01/06/2022 M2.00 INCH Lewis WA TRAINED SPOTTER
11 HOUR TOTAL
&&
27The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy rain, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain and snow melt on saturated soils caused a landslide in this residential neighborhood, believed to have swept away or buried a man. The slide area is the size of multiple football fields and 15 feet deep.
Heavy rainfall of 6 to 10 inches, along with melting of remaining snow at lower elevations, lead to river flooding, significant urban and small stream flooding, and landslides. The peak of the rainfall was January 5 through January 7. Major flooding occurred on the Chehalis River and moderate flooding on the Satsop River. A motorist was stranded trying to cross a flooded road along the Chehalis River and was swept away when he left his vehicle. He was missing and presumed dead. Another man fatality occurred when an man tried to move his car out of flood danger and the car was swept away by flooding on the North River. Damages are reported and estimated; not all damages have been identified. Crop damages are unknown.
Heavy rain on top of saturated soils triggered a landslide that knocked a house off it's foundation, collapsing one level - destroying it and trapping the inhabitants. One man was trapped under debris and injured and had to be extricated by Seattle Fire Department. A woman was also pinned under debris but was able to escape. One dog was killed and another was found a week later in the debris and extricated. At the time, 1 to 2 inches of rain had fallen in the area in the previous 48 hours with the Seattle Antecedent Rainfall Index already high, above the threshold for heavy rain-induced landslides.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heavy Rain, King | 2022-01-06 | Male | Other | Direct | |
| Flood, Grays Harbor | 2022-01-06 | 72 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
| Flood, Grays Harbor | 2022-01-07 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
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, January 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: 994392, 1005540, 994380.