Cold air spilling out of the interior of British Columbia combined with moisture moving inland from the Pacific to produce accumulating lowland snowfall across Western Washington.
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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.
Cold air spilling out of the interior of British Columbia combined with moisture moving inland from the Pacific to produce accumulating lowland snowfall across 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 Feb 1, 3:39 AM PST, 2 hours 21 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Seattle WA
339 AM PST Sat Feb 1 2025
.SYNOPSIS...Cool upper level trough over Western Washington for
the next week producing showers at times with low snow levels. Fraser
river outflow winds starting Sunday night and continuing into the
first half of next week for possible dangerous wind chills in
Whatcom county. Temperatures will cool even more early next week before
a slight warming trend late next week.
&&
.SHORT TERM /TODAY THROUGH MONDAY/...Satellite imagery shows large
cold upper level trough along the British Columbia coast sagging
down over Western Washington this morning. Convergence zone over
Snohomish and Southern Skagit county. Heavier precipitation rates
within the zone producing snow showers. Post frontal onshore
pressure gradients easing with wind gusts at NAS Whidbey Island
down below 40 mph. Temperatures at 3 am/11z were in the mid 30s to
lower 40s.
For you snow fans out there, there is going to be a lot of
disappointment this weekend. Like last night lets take a look at
the variables for the weekend. Is the air mass aloft cold enough
for snow? Yes, model 850 mb temperatures are already in the -6/-7C
range early this morning and will only get colder from here in the
next few days. Same with 1000-850 mb thickness values. We like to
see this below 1300 meters and it is right now and like the 850
mb temperatures it will remain below 1300 meters for the next few
days. Now for the killer, like early morning yesterday the 925 mb
winds are west southwesterly and the surface gradients remain
onshore through Sunday afternoon. This is a real snow killer for
the lowlands especially for the Puget Sound lowlands. So...
Today, first off the convergence zone will remain intact until mid
morning remaining stationary. Locations above about 500 feet in
Snohomish and Southern Skagit county could see an inch or so of
snow. It will not last long with temperatures well above freezing
by late morning. Other locations under the zone will see a rain
snow mix even down to near sea level. Outside of the convergence
zone satellite imagery shows plenty of cold cumulus offshore.
These showers will move in over the area during the day. With the
onshore flow at the lower levels, snow levels will be a few
hundred feet. Like what is going on the in the convergence zone
right now, heavier showers could briefly drive the snow level
down closer to the surface but with the air temperature well above
freezing these conditions will not last very long. End result
little if any snow accumulations in the lowlands today.
Tonight, little change in the pattern with the upper level trough
slowly drifting south cooling the air mass over Western Washington
slightly. Temperatures overnight dropping to near freezing
increasing the chances for snow showers in the early morning
hours. This will be a hit and miss situation with most places not
getting any snow and the locations that do get a shower getting an
inch or so of snow. Lows tonight in the mid 20s to lower 30s.
Sunday, there is a vort max that will clip the North Coast and
Northwest Interior in the morning. This feature has the potential
to drop an inch or two of snow in these locations. For the
remainder of the area a colder start to the day makes for a better
chance of snow showers in the morning hours but accumulations
will mostly be an inch or less and daytime highs near 40 in the
afternoon will melt whatever snow accumulates in the morning.
Sunday night, the scenario changes Sunday night as the onshore
flow pattern comes to an end and cold Fraser River outflow winds
make their way into Whatcom county. Snow levels dropping down to
the surface. Like the weekend showers rotating around the upper
level trough moving through the area. This will be the best time
to see accumulating snow for most of the lowlands. Once again
though, there is not an organized system moving through so some
folks will get the snow showers and some folks will not.
Accumulations with the showers 1 to 2 inches.
Monday, with the low level flow offshore snow levels will be near
the surface most of the day. Showers for the most part will be in
the form of snow. Fraser River outflow winds in Whatcom county
but with most of the cold air bottled up over British Columbia at
this point it looks like the winds will stay under the advisory
criteria and be in the 15 to 25 or 30 mph range. With highs only
near 30 in Whatcom county this puts wind chill values in the
teens. For the remainder of the area highs in the mid to upper
30s.
For the Cascades, post frontal orographics good but not great.
Another 4 to 8 inches of snow will keep the winter storm warning
going through today. Tonight through Monday snow showers
continuing through the period with 3 to 6 inches of new snow
every 12 hours through Monday.
Will take down the winter weather advisory in place for portions
of the lowlands through 10 pm tonight and covert the winter storm
watch for this evening through Monday morning to a winter weather
advisory.
.LONG TERM /TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/...Good agreement in the
extended models with the very cold for us upper level trough
remaining over the area through the period. There are some
differences in how far the trough digs southwest offshore. If the
trough digs too far to the southwest will dry out towards the end
of the period. While some solutions indicate this the ensemble
solutions to not indicate a dry period through Friday. For now a
broad brush mostly cloudy chance of snow showers forecast will
dominate the extended period. High temperatures bottoming out
Tuesday and Wednesday in the mid to upper 30s with a very slight
warming trend Thursday and Friday. Fraser River outflow winds
continuing in Whatcom county at least through Wednesday. Felton
&&
.AVIATION...Westerly flow aloft will continue today as the
region remains under the influence of a broad upper trough over
British Columbia. Low level onshore flow will gradually ease this
morning. The air mass will be cool and somewhat unstable with a mix
of rain and wet snow showers. Ceilings will be generally VFR except
within the convergence zone this morning and in the vicinity of
heavier showers.
KSEA...VFR or occasional high end MVFR with passing showers expected
today. Overall shower coverage is expected to increase somewhat
later today as another upper disturbance offshore moves across the
area. Showers may mix with or turn to snow at times this evening.
Light snow accumulation of an inch or less possible 09Z-18Z Sunday.
Surface winds southwesterly 10-15 knots gusting 20-25...easing to
southerly 8 to 11 knots by evening. 27
&&
.MARINE...A weak trough will remain over the waters into Sunday with
onshore flow gradually easing. A strong surface ridge over the
interior of British Columbia will lead to northerly or offshore flow
along with Fraser River outflow winds across the north interior
waters Monday into the middle portion of the coming week.
Coastal seas of 10 to 12 feet will subside back below 10 feet late
tonight and Sunday and are expected to remain below 10 feet well
into the coming week. 27
&&
.HYDROLOGY...No river flooding is expected over the next seven
days.
&&
.CLIMATE...Seattle ended up with 0.71 inches of rain Friday, 37
percent of the January monthly rain total of 1.92 inches. January
2025 is the 4th driest January in 81 years of records at Seattle-
Tacoma airport. The top 3 0.58 inches 1985, 0.77 inches 1949 and
1.77 inches in 1977. Felton
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...Winter Weather Advisory from this evening through Monday
morning for Central Coast-East Puget Sound Lowlands-Lower
Chehalis Valley Area-North Coast-San Juan County- Western Strait
of Juan De Fuca- Western Whatcom County.
Winter Storm Warning until 4 PM PST this afternoon for West
Slopes North Cascades and Passes-West Slopes North Central
Cascades and Passes-West Slopes South Central Cascades and
Passes.
PZ...Small Craft Advisory until 4 PM PST this afternoon for Grays
Harbor Bar.
Small Craft Advisory until 10 AM PST this morning for Central
U.S. Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-East Entrance U.S.
Waters Strait Of Juan De Fuca-West Entrance U.S. Waters
Strait Of Juan De Fuca.
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.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
19 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Six inches of snowfall reported at Newhalem, WA. Five inches of snowfall was recorded at Diablo, WA. Five inches of snow was recorded 1 mile south-southwest of Concrete, WA.
Three inches of snowfall was reported 1 mile north-northeast of Neah Bay, WA.
Three and a half inches of snowfall was reported 1 mile west-northwest of Ferndale, WA.
Seven inches of snowfall was reported at Neah Bay, WA.
Two inches of snowfall was recorded 3 miles east-northeast of Diablo, WA.
Three inches of snowfall was recorded 5 miles east-northeast of Cedar Falls, WA.
Two inches of snowfall was recorded 1 mile southeast of Arlington, WA.
Two inches of snowfall was recorded 2 miles west-northwest of Anacortes, WA.
One and eight tenths of an inch of snowfall was recorded 1 mile south-southeast of Port Angeles, WA.
One and one half inches of snowfall was recorded in Seabeck, WA.
One and one half inches of snowfall was recorded 1 mile south-southeast of Central Park, WA.
One and two tenths of an inch of snowfall was recorded 8 miles east-southeast of Friday Harbor, WA.
Eleven inches of snowfall was recorded 2 miles south-southeast Quillayute, WA.
One inch of snowfall was recorded at Sea-Tac airport. One inch of snowfall was recorded at the National Weather Service Seattle forecast office.
Three inches of snowfall was recorded 3 miles east-southeast of Bellevue, WA.
Two inches of snowfall was recorded 7 miles south-southeast of Everett, WA.|Five and seven tenths of an inch of snowfall was reported 1 mile west of Maltby, WA.|Four and one tenth of an inch of snowfall was recorded in Mill Creek, WA.
Two inches of snowfall was recorded in Bremerton, WA.
Nine inches of snowfall was reported 1 mile west-southwest of Sultan, WA.
Three and one half inches of snowfall was reported in Brier, WA.|Six and one half inches of snowfall was reported 3 miles east-southeast of Mukilteo, WA.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2025Every state in 2025This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, February 2025
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: 1236035, 1236045, 1236048, 1236050, 1236053, 1236054, 1236056, 1236057, 1236058, 1236059, 1236060, 1236062, 1236081, 1236073, 1236075, 1236076, 1236085, 1236082, 1236083.