An active weather pattern continuing through early April brought a round of windy conditions, mountain snow, and heavy lowland rain to Western Washington.
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.
An active weather pattern continuing through early April brought a round of windy conditions, mountain snow, and heavy lowland rain to Western Washington.
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 Apr 8, 2:55 AM PST, 5 hours 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
355 AM PDT Sat Apr 8 2023
.SYNOPSIS...A weakening front will move over Western Washington
today then dissipate tonight. An atmospheric river sets up Sunday
sagging south of the area Monday. Another upper level low drops
southeast from the Gulf of Alaska off the coast Tuesday moving
south of the area Tuesday night. Another weak front will try to
move into Western Washington late in the week.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/...Satellite imagery shows
cloudy skies over Western Washington early this morning. Doppler
radar has rain out ahead of an approaching weak front already
along the coast. Temperatures at 3 am/10z were in the 40s.
Weak front offshore slowly moving eastward today. Current
satellite imagery not showing any warming of the cloud tops yet
indicating the front is remaining intact. Satellite imagery also
shows the coldest cloud tops moving inland north of the area. Rain
will gradually move inland later this morning into the afternoon
hours. Rainfall amounts are forecast to be on the light side, a
quarter of an inch or less, except along the north coast where
more than a half inch is expected. Breezy southeasterly winds
over the Northwest interior as well today with gusts as high as 40
mph. Highs will only be a few degrees warmer than the current
readings, in the lower 50s.
Front dissipates over Western Washington tonight keeping rain in
the forecast. Winds easing a little over the Northwest Interior.
Lows tonight in the mid 40s.
Atmospheric river taking aim at Western Washington Sunday.
Initially the heaviest rain will move inland over Vancouver Island
Sunday morning with the core of the river sagging south over
Western Washington in the afternoon. Snow levels near 5000 feet at
the start of the day rising to 6000 feet in the north and near
8000 feet in the south in the afternoon. Winds picking up again
in the usual locations, north coast and Northwest Interior. This
system a little a stronger than the one today so have gone ahead
and issued a wind advisory for Sunday in these locations.
Southeast winds gusting as high as 50 mph. Highs in the mid 50s.
Atmospheric river sagging south Sunday night with the heavier rain
moving over Western Oregon. River not far enough away to take the
rain chances out of the forecast. Lows in the mid 40s.
Deep cold upper level trough offshore digging south behind the
atmospheric river late Sunday night into Monday. This will push
the river back up to the north over Western Washington again
Monday as the band becomes more north south oriented. With the
area on the cool side of the jet Mondays highs will be a little
cooler, near 50.
.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...Upper level low forming in
the cool trough moving south off the British Columbia coast Monday
night. This will kick the atmospheric river out of Western
Washington. Upper level low continuing to move south Tuesday
ending up west of the area by late Tuesday afternoon. Showers
spinning around the low moving over Western Washington. Snow
levels taking a dramatic drop behind the river Monday night, down
to near 2000 feet by early Tuesday morning changing the
precipitation type to snow in the passes.
Low continuing to slowly move south Tuesday night and Wednesday,
ending up over Oregon Wednesday afternoon. Return flow around the
low sending additional rounds of showers into Western Washington.
Low dissipating and moving east Wednesday night. This time frame
looks like the best chance for a little dry spell with the flow
aloft turning northwesterly. While the operational runs are dry,
enough of the ensemble solutions, about a third, continue show
light precipitation so will leave some spotty showers in the
forecast. Models having a hard time with the timing and strength
of the next system embedded in the northwesterly flow aloft. The
GFS bring the front into the area while the ECMWF is weaker with
the system and keeps it off to the northwest. Will show a little
optimism and go for a mostly dry forecast late in the period.
Temperatures cool Tuesday and Wednesday warming up to near normal
by Friday. Felton
&&
.AVIATION...Mostly VFR conditions are currently observed at the time
of this writing. However, things are on tap to deteriorate as the
day progresses. A frontal boundary will push precipitation across
the area, bringing down ceilings and visibilities from west to east.
A mix of low-end VFR and MVFR flight categories are expected through
Saturday for area terminals. Can't rule out instances of IFR under
heavier precipitation. Southwesterly flow looks to prevail aloft.
Winds breezy out of the S 8-12 kt with occasional gusts near 20 kt.
KSEA...VFR ceilings in the latest observation as a frontal system
looms offshore. VFR conditions are to remain for much of the morning
before a frontal boundary cross the terminal this afternoon bringing
rain and breezy winds. NBM guidance has a 35-40% chance of MVFR
categories between 19z Saturday and 00z Sunday. Afterwards, VFR
conditions are to return this evening as the front pushes off but
ceilings could lower again into early Sunday. Winds SSW 8-12 kt,
with a few gusts to 20 kt through the period.
McMillian
&&
.MARINE...The next frontal system in line is taking aim at area
waters today. Latest surface analysis indicates a 976mb surface low
over the offshore waters of BC near Haida Gwaii. Its associated
fronts will cross the area this afternoon into the evening. Breezy
southerly winds will accompany it as gale warnings are posted over
the coastal waters and into parts of the interior waters including
Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca and Northern Inland waters.
Elsewhere, SCA are posted with the exception of the Central Strait
as the Olympics should help to shield the zone from southerly winds.
No break in the action will be felt on Sunday as a stronger system
is expected to enter with an additional round of gales and more
widespread SCA. Active weather looms into the beginning of next week
but surface high pressure may return around midweek.
Seas are to remain between 10 to 15 feet this weekend before
decreasing slightly into the middle of next week. But, not too far
from the 10 feet threshold.
McMillian
&&
.HYDROLOGY...The Skokomish River has receded below flood stage
this morning and the warning was ended. Heavy rain over the south
slopes of the Olympics combined with the the already high running
river Sunday will result in more flooding along the Skokomish
later Sunday into Monday. Other rivers will be on the rise later
Sunday into Monday across the area but outside of the Skokomish no
additional river flooding is in the forecast. Felton
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Wind Advisory from 6 AM to 6 PM PDT Sunday for Admiralty Inlet
Area-Central Coast-North Coast-San Juan County-Western
Skagit County-Western Whatcom County.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 3 AM PDT Sunday for Grays Harbor Bar.
Small Craft Advisory until 2 PM PDT this afternoon for West
Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Gale Warning until 5 PM PDT this afternoon for East Entrance
U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory from 5 PM this afternoon to 2 AM PDT Sunday
for East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory until 8 AM PDT this morning for Northern
Inland Waters Including The San Juan Islands.
Small Craft Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 8 AM PDT Sunday
for Northern Inland Waters Including The San Juan Islands.
Gale Warning from 8 AM this morning to 2 PM PDT this afternoon
for Northern Inland Waters Including The San Juan Islands.
Small Craft Advisory until 8 AM PDT Sunday for Admiralty Inlet.
Small Craft Advisory until 3 PM PDT this afternoon for Puget
Sound and Hood Canal.
Gale Warning until 2 PM PDT this afternoon 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.
Small Craft Advisory from 2 PM this afternoon to 2 AM PDT Sunday
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.
&&1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
An ASOS on Whidbey Island recorded a wind gust of 58 mph at 12 PM and 62 mph at 1PM on April 9. Nearby locations through Northern Puget Sound, Admiralty Inlet, the San Juan Islands, and Western Whatcom and Skagit Counties reported breezy conditions, however, this ASOS site recorded the highest wind gusts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, April 2023
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: 1094324.