A strong Arctic front pushed through the region with ample moisture. Temperatures were sub freezing across the region.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 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.
A strong Arctic front pushed through the region with ample moisture. Temperatures were sub freezing across the region. It brought widespread snow showers to the eastern Washington. Mountain peaks ranged from 8 to 12 inches of snow. Most low land areas received 3 to 7 inches. An observer near Anatone reported 10 inches.
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 4, 4:36 AM PST, 1 hour 24 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
436 AM PST Tue Feb 4 2025
.SYNOPSIS...
Snow will spread across southeast Washington and the Idaho
Panhandle this morning producing light accumulations primarily
across extreme eastern Washington and into the Idaho Panhandle.
Light snow will also occur across the east slopes of the Cascades.
Another round of more significant snow is expected Tuesday night
into Wednesday across eastern Washington and the Idaho Panhandle.
Temperatures will remain below average through next weekend.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
...WINTER STORM WITH MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW OVER EXTREME
SOUTHEASTERN WASHINGTON INTO THE SOUTHERN TO CENTRAL IDAHO PANHANDLE
TUESDAY NIGHT INTO WEDNESDAY MORNING...
Today: A relatively weaker shortwave disturbance moving across
region will spread light snow this morning. Best isentropic lift,
albeit weak, will be over primarily the Spokane Area into the Coeur
d'Alene Area. Snow ratios are higher than previously forecast at
over 20/1 and snow accumulations have overachieved up through
midnight to around an inch. Based on the model progs for early this
morning, I expect an additional one to two inches of snow, which
will make conditions slick for morning commuters today. A winter
weather advisory is in effect for the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene areas
that covers the morning commuting period today. Those waking up
should prepare for longer than expected commuting times, and use
extra caution while driving this morning. A dry slot will push in
around late morning into this afternoon with this first wave
winding down and break in snowfall expected.
In addition, a fairly tight northerly pressure gradient will
continue to produce gusty north winds down the Okanogan Valley and
the Purcell Trench with gusts up to around 30 mph. These winds may
produce patchy blowing snow, especially in the Purcell Trench south
of Sandpoint to Post Falls where new light, dry snow will more
likely want to blow around; although, I don't expect enough new snow
to fall for much in the way of impacts from blowing snow today.
Tonight through Wednesday night: The next shortwave disturbance that
is currently rounding the base of the upper level low pressure
system just off of the coast of southern BC is set to deliver
moderate to heavy snow to portions of the region. This next
disturbance will pack a stronger vorticity maximum with good
dynamics aloft able to support cyclogenesis at the surface. Models
depict this surface low spinning up over southeast Oregon this
evening and taking a northeast track into the southern Idaho
Panhandle by early Wednesday morning. A baroclinic leaf looks to
form and stretch across southeast Oregon into southeast Washington,
the Idaho Panhandle and western Montana. A warm front with good
isentropic ascent will take place across much of the eastern half of
the forecast area, but the strongest forcing looks to take place
over northeast Oregon into southeast Washington and the southern to
central Idaho Panhandle. The triple point of the low pressure system
where the low will pass through looks be between Grangeville to
McCall in the southern Idaho Panhandle Tuesday night. It will be in
this general area where heavy snowfall rates of over 1 inch per hour
may occur. This heavy snow looks to extend as far north as at least
the Camas Prairie where ten plus inches of snow is possible. The
Lewiston-Clarkston Valley will see significant snowfall as well with
4 to 7 inches expected once all said and done by Wednesday morning.
These areas are now under a Winter Storm Warning that goes into
effect at 4:00 PM this evening. A sharp gradient in snow
accumulations is expected across the Palouse with 4 to 7 inches
across Pullman/Moscow to around 2 to 4 inches up across the Spokane-
Coeur d'Alene corridor. These areas are under a winter weather
advisory. The low pressure system will pack breezy northwest winds
across the Camas Prairie for late tonight into Wednesday morning
where patchy blowing snow is possible that may result in reduced
visibility along Highway 95. Below is probabilistic guidance of
24 hour snowfall accumulations for 4:00 PM Tuesday through 4:00
PM Wednesday off of the NBM model for at least 1 inch, 4 inches,
and 8 inches:
Chance of 1+” of snow from Tuesday evening through Wednesday
afternoon: Lewiston/Clarkston = 100%, Pullman/Moscow = 100%,
Kellogg = 100%, Spokane = 60%, Coeur d'Alene = 70%, Sandpoint = 50%
Chance of 4+” of snow from Tuesday evening through Wednesday
afternoon: Lewiston/Clarkston = 70%, Pullman/Moscow = 70%, Kellogg =
50%, Spokane = 20%, Coeur d'Alene = 25%, Sandpoint = 30%
Chance of 8+” of snow from Tuesday evening through Wednesday
afternoon: Lewiston/Clarkston = 15%, Pullman/Moscow = 15%, Kellogg =
5%, Lookout Pass = 40%
Cold Canadian air will continue to spill in with dropping
temperatures. Expect widespread low temperatures in the single
digits and teens by Wednesday morning. /SVH
Thursday through Monday: Unsettled conditions with cold and below
normal temps will persist through the extended forecast. Our
sheltered northern valleys will some of the colder overnight temps.
Areas farther south including Wenatchee, Spokane, Pullman, and Moses
Lake will see lows ranging from near 10 to 20 with highs in the
upper 20s to low 30s. Chances for showers will persist through the
period, but most will be generally light with the best chances
across northern ID and the mountains. Some occasional bursts of
moderate snow can't be ruled out to impact metro areas through the
period, but model consistency/agreement is not yet high enough to
have confidence in any particular period at this time - something to
watch in the coming days. /KD
&&
.AVIATION...
12z TAFS: Light snow will continue through this morning over
primarily extreme eastern Washington into the Idaho Panhandle.
Snow will result in IFR conditions at KDEW-KGEG-KSFF-KCOE-KPUW and
at times at KLWS. Snow is expected to diminish around late morning
into afternoon with improvements with MVFR conditions expected.
The exception will be at KPUW where mist/snow showers will
continue to produce IFR conditions. A stronger winter storm will
push north out of eastern Oregon this evening into Tuesday night.
Moderate to heavy snow is expected at KLWS and KPUW terminals by
01Z with low IFR conditions possible. This band of snow will also
push across the Spokane/Coeur d'Alene corridor with lighter snow
rates expected across KGEG-KSFF-KCOE.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: High confidence
for IFR to MVFR conditions at KGEG-KSFF-KCOE with snow this
morning and low IFR conditions at KPUW with a mix of light snow
and fog. There is a 60% chance that fog with visibility down to at
least 1/2 mile to persist into the afternoon at KPUW. There is
moderate to high confidence for moderate to at times heavy snow at
KPUW and KLWS Tuesday night. /SVH
-----------------------
Confidence descriptors:
Low - Less than a 30 percent chance
Moderate - 30 to 70 percent chance
High - Greater than a 70 percent chance
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane 25 14 28 15 30 11 / 60 80 70 30 20 10
Coeur d'Alene 24 14 27 17 31 14 / 60 80 70 30 30 10
Pullman 31 17 29 19 31 18 / 70 90 80 30 40 30
Lewiston 34 25 33 23 36 25 / 70 90 80 20 20 30
Colville 27 10 26 8 28 6 / 50 50 50 20 10 10
Sandpoint 21 14 23 16 29 14 / 70 80 80 40 40 20
Kellogg 24 17 26 20 31 17 / 80 90 80 50 60 20
Moses Lake 30 17 32 18 33 17 / 20 40 20 10 20 10
Wenatchee 28 16 28 16 29 17 / 70 20 10 20 10 10
Omak 25 10 24 10 27 10 / 60 10 10 10 10 10
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM PST Wednesday for Central
Panhandle Mountains-Coeur d'Alene Area.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM PST
Wednesday for Idaho Palouse.
Winter Storm Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM PST
Wednesday for Lewis and Southern Nez Perce Counties-
Lewiston Area.
WA...Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM PST Wednesday for Northeast
Blue Mountains-Spokane Area.
Winter Weather Advisory from 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM PST
Wednesday for Washington Palouse.
Winter Storm Warning from 4 PM this afternoon to 10 AM PST
Wednesday for Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Observer reported an estimated 5 inches of snow fell 7 miles northwest of Mallot.
Observer reported 10 inches of snow 2 miles south of Anatone.
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: 1239544, 1239566.