Strong gap winds developed across the Cascades on January 9th. Winds in the gaps were gusting to 40-45 mph, including in Fall City, WA where a tree was downed and created a fatality.
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.
Strong gap winds developed across the Cascades on January 9th. Winds in the gaps were gusting to 40-45 mph, including in Fall City, WA where a tree was downed and created a fatality.
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 9, 3:17 AM PST, 2 hours 43 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
317 AM PST Mon Jan 9 2023
.SYNOPSIS...Active weather will continue over the next 7 days as
troughing continues over the Pacific. After a brief break this
morning, a slightly stronger system will spread moderate rain
across the area this morning and bring breezy winds. Rain tapering
to showers later today will then eventually give way to an overall
dry day Tuesday and Wednesday. An atmospheric river may then
impact the area Thursday and possibly Friday, with more
widespread, heavier rain across the area. Wet weather then likely
to continue through next weekend. Temperatures will overall be
slightly above normal the next week.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY/...Broad cyclonic
flow/longwave troughing continues to encompass the majority of the
far NE Pacific this morning, with water vapor imagery confirming
numerous shortwave vort maxes rotating within the broader scale
flow. Quasi-zonal flow is noted downstream of the trough over the
Western US, with weak ridging over the Great Plains and troughing
over the Eastern CONUS. Near the surface, a weak trough of low
pressure is moving across W WA, with a more substantial frontal
system depicted off the coast of CA. High pressure still dominates
much of the Western US and into the central part of the country,
with a few frontal boundaries noted.
Several vort maxes are noted offshore of the West US Coast this
morning, which will continue to advect more moisture into WA
throughout the course of the day today. Much of the moisture
associated with yesterday's system is moving north into BC, with
just a few lingering areas of rain noted around the North Coast
eastward towards the East Entrance of the Strait of Juan de Fuca
(as of 230AM). A break in the precip is expected through about 15z
this morning or so. Around this time, a potent/compact vort max
will skirt the WA Coast, with a potent sfc cyclone in close
association with it. As it skirts up the coast this morning, the
pressure gradient will tighten and the easterly winds will quickly
pick up. This is expected to result in breezy conditions area-
wide, with gusty conditions across the Cascade gaps/foothills
(gusts to 45 mph) and the North and Central WA Coast. This feature
will then rapidly dampen by the afternoon as it moves into
Vancouver Island. This feature, along with another vort max just
upstream from it over the Pacific, will also spread the next round
of rain across the area later this morning, with rain giving way
to numerous showers through the afternoon and evening. There
appears to be enough MUCAPE to support isolated thunderstorm
development along the coast and over the open Pacific this
afternoon and evening. Shower coverage and intensity will then
gradually subside into the overnight period tonight. High
temperatures today in the upper 40s to around 50 with snow levels
generally 3000-4000 ft. Light snow possible across the Passes with
new totals of generally an inch or less.
After a few nuisance showers continue into the early part of
Tuesday, will see a dry day for the area as most of the Pacific
activity and deepest moisture impact CA and a weak ridge develops
over WA. Skies may scatter for an overall pleasant day with highs
around 50. Dry conditions may even carry into much of Wed as weak
troughing looks to slide just to our south over OR. A persistence
forecast would argue for similar high temps on Wed as compared to
Tues. Thereafter, we see a return to potentially much wetter
weather for the extended.
Kovacik
.LONG TERM /THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...The extended forecast
period will begin with a rapid reamplification/intensification of
the longwave NE Pacific trough, where most ensemble solutions
appear to be in good agreement with both the pattern and the
general intensity of the trough. This lends high confidence in an
active pattern continuing over the US West Coast, including W WA.
On Thursday, the first in yet another series of shortwave
perturbations will round the base of the longwave trough and eject
eastward towards the West Coast. The current trajectory of this
wave still appears to provide a favorable placement for W WA to be
impacted by an atmospheric river. While confidence is quite high
in Thursday being a wet day for most, if not all, of the area,
there still remains some discrepancy as to where to the deepest
moisture and the heaviest rain will set up. Regardless, this
system will likely cause area rivers to begin to rise. High temps
will creep a degree or two higher from previous days into the low
50s, with snow levels rising quickly to 6000-7000 ft. Again, with
some uncertainty into where the axis of heaviest moisture will
reside, it's possible the snow levels in the Cascades could hover
more in the 3000-4000ft range, which may enough snow to at least
Stevens Pass to cause travel impacts.
Additional shortwave activity just off the West Coast will likely
reinforce the deep Pacific moisture feed into W WA on Friday.
Friday does not currently look near as wet as Thursday and then,
too, remains the question of where the axis of heaviest moisture
resides. If the local area receives another round of heavy rain on
Friday, river flooding could become an issue. Snow levels look to
rise to near 7000 ft for most of the area, including at least the
southern half of the Cascades, with highs temps again the low 50s
to possibly the mid 50s.
The longwave trough then weakens some into the next weekend and
becomes a bit more progressive, which argues for a continued
active pattern, but perhaps more showery. Temps will fall a few
degrees through the weekend, with snow levels also dropping back
down to about 4000ft by Sunday.
Kovacik
&&
.AVIATION...A shortwave perturbation within broad upper-level
troughing over the NE Pacific will traverse across the area today.
South-southwesterly flow aloft should emanate from this as yet
another frontal system swings through. Rain and showers will
increase across area terminals through the morning/afternoon.
Generally VFR for today but can't rule out instances of MVFR under
heavier precipitation. Locations such as KOLM will continue to see
LIFR criteria for most of the morning as fog is present. But, any
lingering fog should dissipate by 18z. Precipitation will decrease
in coverage tonight and any clearing could lead to more patchy fog
developing for KOLM, KPWT, etc. Breezy southerly winds are likely
during the afternoon.
KSEA...VFR skies expected for most of the TAF period. Showers are
slated to begin around 17-19z as another frontal systems swings up
from the south. MVFR categories are possible under heavier
precipitation. Breezy E/SE winds will become more southerly this
afternoon at 10 to 15 kt with gusts up to 20 to 25 kt. Can't rule
out sporadic gusts up to 30 kt. Winds should decrease in magnitude
and turn more SE into the evening.
McMillian
&&
.MARINE...A 975mb surface low over the offshore waters will bring
another round of headlines to the area today. Gales look to develop
this morning for the coastal waters and Western/Central sections of
Strait of Juan de Fuca. Small Craft Advisories are posted for the
remainder marine zones as breezy south-southeasterly winds spread
across the region. Wind related headlines should be allowed to
expire tonight and into first half of Tuesday. But, high seas are to
remain over coastal waters where SCA should continue. A brief lull
is expected as Tuesday progresses (minus the seas) but the next deep
965-970mb surface low is in line to track towards the region
Wednesday into Thursday prompting the issuance of more
warnings/advisories. Afterwards, the pattern looks to remain active
into the weekend.
McMillian
&&
.HYDROLOGY...An active weather pattern will continue over the
upcoming week, resulting in periods of rain. A river flood warning
still remains in effect for the Skokomish River in Mason County
given recent rains. With another period of rain expected today,
the river is likely to remain above minor flood stage or hover
right around flood stage. The river may fall below flood stage
Tuesday and Wednesday before rising above flood stage again
Thursday.
There still remains the potential for an atmospheric river to
impact area rivers on Thursday and Friday. While the chance for
widespread heavier rain remains high, there is still some
uncertainty as to where the axis of heaviest moisture will reside,
which decreases confidence in the extent of river flooding. For
now, emphasizing the potential will be there. Flooding around the
Bolt Creek burn scar is even lower during this timeframe, as snow
levels may be slower to rise across the Cascades until the end of
the week, which may not coincide will residual deep layer moisture
over the area.
Kovacik
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Wind Advisory from 6 AM this morning to noon PST today for East
Puget Sound Lowlands.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM PST Tuesday 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-Grays Harbor Bar-West Entrance U.S.
Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory until 4 PM PST this afternoon for Central
U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
Small Craft Advisory until 10 PM PST this evening for East
Entrance U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-Northern Inland
Waters Including The San Juan Islands.
Small Craft Advisory until 4 AM PST early this morning for
Admiralty Inlet.
&&1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Fire Training Academy RAWS station near Fall City, WA reported a peak gust of 45 mph the morning of the 9th. The gusts downed a tree which killed a women as she walking on her property.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind, East Puget Sound Lowlands | 2023-01-09 | Female | Permanent Home | Direct |
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: 1079900.