A storm system brought strong winds to the WA Coast on January, with the central coast experiencing the strongest winds.
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 storm system brought strong winds to the WA Coast on January, with the central coast experiencing the strongest winds.
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 21, 9:41 AM PST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
941 AM PST Sat Jan 21 2023
.UPDATE...A potent surface low is offshore this morning with
widespread precipitation spreading inland along the Olympics and
towards the interior. Brief rain/snow mix is possible in some
isolated areas as temperatures warm above freezing. Fog also across
portions of the central Puget Sound will improve the morning as
winds increase with the incoming frontal system. In addition, strong
winds will accompany the surface low this afternoon and this
evening, particularly along the coast, and into the Southwest
Interior.
&&
.SYNOPSIS...A quick-moving surface low and attendant cold front
will move across Western Washington today, bringing lowland rain,
mountain snow, and breezy winds. Ridging will build into the
Pacific Northwest next week with only a couple of weak systems
north of the area Monday into Tuesday.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/...Current observations showing
mostly clear skies still this morning, which has led to patchy dense
fog centered mainly over the Southwest Interior this morning. As
of 7 AM, the fog has shifted north into southern Seattle, so
expanded the Dense Fog Advisory into King County through 9 AM.
Visibility is mostly above a quarter of a mile at this time so
have opted to hold off on any advisories for dense fog at this
time. It is chilly out there as well with many locations at to
just below freezing. This may lead to some slick conditions with
freezing fog over the aforementioned areas so allow extra travel
time around Olympia this morning.
High clouds are beginning to move onshore and will quickly shift
eastward as a potent, negatively-tilted shortwave trough drives a
1015 mb surface low and cold front over the region this afternoon.
Low-level dynamics remain pretty energetic with this system, with
850 mb wind speeds from 50 to 70 knots over a narrow corridor just
south of the low. Breezy southeasterly winds ahead of the low will
really pick up after 8-9 am, with a quick shift to westerly winds
along the front around the 4-5 pm timeframe. Issued a Wind Advisory
for the coast and opted to convert the High Wind Watch to a Wind
Advisory for the Admiralty Inlet region given current HREF and other
deterministic hi-range forecast winds. Wouldn't be surprised to see
a quick burst of wind over 50 knots over areas such as Whidbey
Island with the front given the surge that is likely to move down
the Strait. Winds may also warrant expansion of the Advisory into
Whatcom (and possibly, Skagit) County with northwesterly flow down
the Strait of Georgia. Confidence is not high enough with current
forecast wind gusts slightly lower around Bellingham than areas
directly down the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
Rain will move onshore over the next few hours, with quick
progression east over the area given the more zonal motion of the
system rather than a northeast direction seen in some previous storm
tracks. This looks to be a quick-hitter with most locations seeing a
solid 4-5 hours of rain before things taper off. Light snow will
linger a bit longer in the Cascades, where the Winter Weather
Advisory is in effect for areas over 2500 feet for 4-12 inches of
snow. There are suggestions that the convergence zone may set up
more northwest to southeast given the low to mid-level northwest
flow behind the shortwave in portions of Snohomish and Skagit
Counties with two main areas of continued showers into Saturday
night. Highs today will be similar to yesterday in the mid 40s.
Another chilly night tonight with lows in the low 30s.
Another weak system looks to skirt to our north Sunday night into
Monday amidst the northwest flow around the building ridge to our
west. Ensemble guidance is still pretty spread on how how much
moisture accompanies this feature, so didn't deviate from the NBM
too much, though it may be a bit bullish in PoPs with some members
of the GEFS/GEPS/EC ensemble staying completely dry over Seattle.
Impacts from this will be minimal regardless.
King Tides continue today with the concern being mostly along the
coast, where Coastal Flood Advisories remain in effect for the
North and Central Coast from 9 AM through 3 PM. Tide levels may be
enhanced with the onshore flow with the cold front this afternoon.
Total inundation of up to one half of a foot is possible above
ground level. We may see another round of potential minor coastal
flooding on the coast Sunday, though forecast tide levels will be
a few tenths of a foot lower than today.
.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...Similar set up for
Tuesday with no significant weather feature but rather another
weak impulse traveling north of the area a chance for light rain
and mountain snows, mostly north of Seattle.
The mid-level ridge holds strong through the rest of the
workweek, not breaking down until this weekend. The next chance
for rainfall mostly Saturday and Sunday as a cold front shifts
south out of BC and Alberta. Highs look to hold pretty persistent
in the mid to upper 40s Wednesday through Saturday with partly
cloudy skies.
Davis
&&
.AVIATION...Southwest flow aloft this morning ahead of a strong cold
front that will move onshore midday then into the Cascades late this
afternoon. Few lingering areas of fog should continue to scatter
this morning toward 19z with increasing low-level winds to aid
mixing. However, clouds associated with front will also spread
onshore with ceilings trending toward lower MVFR most terminals
through the balance of the morning. Ceilings will improve slightly
behind the front this evening. Gusty southerly winds will accompany
the front, with gusts of 25 to 35 mph common this afternoon and
evening with locally higher gusts.
KSEA...Low fog should mix out toward 1830-19z, but increasing mid-
level clouds should bring ceilings from VFR to MVFR around the same
time as rain spreads into the terminal area. Slight improvement in
the ceilings is expected behind the front after 00z. Southerly winds
increasing to around 15 kt with gusts 30 knots after 18z through
evening. Cullen
&&
.MARINE...A strong cold front will move through today. Onshore
flow behind the front this afternoon and evening will ease late
tonight and Sunday. Another front will dissipate as it reaches
the area on Monday. High pressure will build over the waters Tuesday.
Gale force winds will develop over the coastal waters by
this afternoon. A strong westerly push is expected behind the front
down with gales also expected in the strait and Admiralty Inlet.
For the remainder of the waters, small craft advisory winds
are expected just ahead, with and behind the front. Winds ease
late tonight into Sunday.
In addition to the winds, seas will build to the 13 to 17 foot range
over the coastal waters. Seas will not subside to less than 10 feet
until later Sunday. 27/12
&&
.HYDROLOGY...No river flooding is expected through the next seven
days.
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening for Admiralty Inlet
Area.
Coastal Flood Advisory until 3 PM PST this afternoon for Central
Coast-Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca-North Coast.
Wind Advisory until 7 PM PST this evening for Central Coast-
North Coast.
Winter Weather Advisory until 4 AM PST Sunday for West Slopes
North Central Cascades and Passes-West Slopes South Central
Cascades and Passes.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM PST Sunday for Grays Harbor Bar.
Gale Warning 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-West Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of
Juan De Fuca.
Gale Warning until 1 AM PST Sunday for Central U.S. Waters
Strait Of Juan De Fuca-East Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of
Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory until noon PST today for Admiralty Inlet-
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-East Entrance U.S.
Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory until 6 AM PST Sunday for Northern Inland
Waters Including The San Juan Islands.
Gale Warning until midnight PST tonight for Admiralty Inlet.
Small Craft Advisory until midnight PST tonight for Puget Sound
and Hood Canal.
&&1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A station at Westport along the central WA Coast reported a sustained win of 54 mph and a gust of 67 mph around 2pm on 1/21.
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, January 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: 1079901.