On February 20, a warm front pushed through the region bringing strong winds across portions of the Inland Northwest. On February 21, an Arctic cold front moved through the area bringing another round of strong winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
On February 20, a warm front pushed through the region bringing strong winds across portions of the Inland Northwest. On February 21, an Arctic cold front moved through the area bringing another round of strong winds. It also brought brief heavy snow that reduced visibility and created hazardous travel conditions to Eastern 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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 20, 2:24 PM PST, 1 hour 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
224 PM PST Mon Feb 20 2023
.SYNOPSIS...
Big changes are coming though care of a pair of cold fronts. The
first will move through the region overnight which will deliver
strong west winds to much of the area. A much colder arctic cold
front will pass through the region on Tuesday and Tuesday night
dropping temperatures significantly, producing some snow and
delivering brisk northeast winds. By Wednesday and Thursday we
will see highs in the teens and 20s with some record cold
temperatures expected on Thursday. Meanwhile low temperatures will
plummet into the single digits with sub zero wind chills
expected. Temperatures will begin to moderate by the weekend.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Tonight through Wednesday: A very dynamic period of weather will
occur over the next 36 hours. So we will break it down 12-18
hours at a time.
Tonight: A deep surface low of around 992 mb will track the
central BC coast this afternoon into SE British Columbia by 12z
Tuesday. As it does so strong NW flow aloft will be over the
region with a 140 kt jet, which will sag south of the area
overnight as a Pacific cold front tracks in from the west. A belt
of strong winds at 850mb tracks from about US2 southward with
speeds of 50-65 kts. This combined with cold advection with the
cold front raises concerns for high winds mixing down into the
lower elevations. However given that it will be a night time
passage forecast soundings are showing these winds likely having a
hard time mixing down for most areas. Exception is down around the
Blue Mountains including the Palouse where gusts to 60 mph are
most likely. Wind Advisories and High Wind Warnings remain in
place. The strong northwest jet in combination with embedded
moisture will produce heavy snow for Stevens Pass, as well as
Lookout Pass where Winter Storm Warnings are in effect.
Tuesday through Tuesday evening: A high amplitude ridge sets up
in the eastern Pacific carving out a deep trough over the region.
This will allow an arctic boundary to sag south. The models show
this boundary reaching Metaline Falls, and Bonners Ferry areas
between 8-10 am Tuesday, gradually shifting south to near Deer
Park and Coeur d'Alene around 2-4 pm, the Spokane area around 5
pm, and finally the Upper Basin and Palouse between 7 pm and
midnight. Models continue to show a burst of snow with the front
along with falling temperatures. Strong frontogenesis along the
front may allow for locally heavy snow rates with rapidly
decreases in visibilities. Roads will also freeze up following the
arctic front passage. METRO model shows this happening late
afternoon for the northern valleys into the N Idaho Panhandle, and
Tuesday evening for the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene area. Models
continue to favor snow totals in the valleys mainly from 1-3
inches, with local amounts to 4-5 inches possible between
Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene as well as the Silver Valley. Lighter
amounts are still favored over the valleys in Central WA as well
as the Columbia Basin and LC Valley with up to 1 inch. With the
late afternoon/evening timing will hold off on winter highlights
for Spokane/Coeur d'Alene down through the Palouse. But with snow
starting earlier for the NE WA valleys and N Idaho Panhandle will
issue an advisory with the afternoon forecast package.
Overnight Tuesday Night into Wednesday: As the arctic front
continues to sag south cold northeast winds will be on the
increase. Gusts up to 40 MPH through the Purcell Trench into the
West Plains and Upper Columbia Basin will result in patchy blowing
snow. Temperatures will plummet with highs on Wednesday mainly in
the upper teens and 20s. The winds will bring in drier air as
well, with areas of snow near the Cascades, Blue Mountains,
Palouse, and Camas Prairie coming to an end. JW
Wednesday evening through Thursday: The main story through Thursday
is cold and breezy conditions. Temperatures will bottom out to as
low as 0-10F in most places Wednesday night. The coldest locations
Wednesday night will be Deer Park, Bonners Ferry, and Lookout Pass
with a 44, 28, and 99 % chance of below 0F temperatures
respectively. With winds still gusting as high as 40 mph in spots
Wednesday night, wind chills could be as low as -15F to
-20F (especially in the Purcell Trench to the Upper Columbia Basin).
Temperatures Thursday will only reach into the teens as cold air
advection from the northeast continues. Wind gusts wane below 25 mph
Thursday night as the pressure gradient relaxes, allowing for
another night of cold temperatures. The coldest spot Thursday night
will be Northern Idaho, particularly Bonners Ferry. The probability
of less than 0F for Bonners Ferry Thursday night is 72 %. Deer Park
has a 43 % chance of temperatures less than 0F again as a stronger
surface inversion will form with less surface wind. Luckily Spokane
has a 0 percent chance of being below zero because this forecaster
is over winter.
Friday through Monday: Temperatures moderate Friday, but still
mostly below freezing as a saddle point develops in the mid-levels
flow. Another disturbance over the weekend will bring a round of
mountain snow and warmer temperatures closer to normal. Stevens Pass
currently has a 71 % chance for more than 6 inches of snow through
Monday afternoon. Lookout Pass comparatively is 17 %. /DB
&&
.AVIATION...
18z TAFS: The main aviation concerns over the next 24 hours are
gusty southwest winds and LLWS. Stubborn MVFR stratus and light
showers will linger (60 to 80 percent confidence) for KCOE through
the period as a weather system moves through the area. Winds will
pick up between now and 06Z. Winds will peak between 03Z and 14Z
for the TAF sites and be the most intense south of Interstate 90
gusting up to 50kt. KEAT/KPUW/KLWS will have peak gusts around 40
to 50 kt between 06Z and 10Z Tuesday. Elsewhere, winds gusts will
be below 40kt. LLWS as high as 60kt in the lowest 2kft will peak
before the arrival of gusty winds at KSFF/KCOE/KPUW/KEAT between
01Z and 06Z Tuesday. /db
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane 34 39 13 22 5 18 / 40 70 70 0 0 0
Coeur d'Alene 33 37 12 20 5 16 / 80 90 60 0 0 0
Pullman 34 38 19 25 9 22 / 80 80 80 20 0 0
Lewiston 41 47 25 33 15 28 / 60 60 50 10 0 0
Colville 33 38 12 21 4 17 / 30 80 50 10 0 0
Sandpoint 34 35 11 17 4 13 / 90 100 60 0 0 0
Kellogg 32 35 8 15 1 12 / 90 100 80 0 0 0
Moses Lake 35 47 19 28 11 24 / 0 10 50 20 0 0
Wenatchee 37 43 21 25 10 19 / 40 10 40 20 0 0
Omak 32 38 20 25 9 19 / 20 40 80 10 10 0
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory from 7 AM to 10 PM PST Tuesday for
Northern Panhandle.
Wind Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 10 AM PST Tuesday for
Central Panhandle Mountains-Coeur d'Alene Area-Lewis and
Southern Nez Perce Counties-Lewiston Area.
High Wind Warning from 6 PM this evening to 10 AM PST Tuesday
for Idaho Palouse.
Winter Storm Warning from 6 PM this evening to 4 AM PST
Wednesday for Central Panhandle Mountains.
WA...Winter Weather Advisory from 7 AM to 10 PM PST Tuesday for
Northeast Mountains.
Wind Advisory from 6 PM this evening to 10 AM PST Tuesday for
Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties-Moses Lake Area-Spokane
Area-Upper Columbia Basin-Waterville Plateau-Wenatchee Area.
High Wind Warning from 6 PM this evening to 10 AM PST Tuesday
for Washington Palouse.
Winter Weather Advisory from 1 AM Tuesday to 10 AM PST Wednesday
for Northeast Blue Mountains.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 AM PST Wednesday for Western Chelan
County.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind, 2 heavy snow, 2 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Station DW7538 located 5 miles SSW of East Wenatchee recorded a gust of 59 MPH.
Pullman airport recorded gust of 61 mph. Other gusts in the area were in the low 50 mph range.
Observer 10 miles E of Colville measured 8.5 inches. Other reports including Tiger, Tum Tum, and Clayton ranged from 5 to 8 inches.
Snow squall moving through the area with gusty winds, low visibility of a quarter mile, and heavy snow.
Snow squall moved through the Chattaroy area with gusty winds, low visibility of a quarter mile, and half an inch inch accumulation past hour.
Observer 4 miles SW of East Wenatchee reported 7.2 inches.
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, February 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: 1082571, 1082570, 1082882, 1082569, 1082543, 1082884.