A series of shortwave weather systems pushed through the region bringing widespread precipitation. Snow levels fluctuated between 3000 to 3500 feet bringing a mountain snow and wintry mix to the valleys and lowlands.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 series of shortwave weather systems pushed through the region bringing widespread precipitation. Snow levels fluctuated between 3000 to 3500 feet bringing a mountain snow and wintry mix to the valleys and lowlands. Reported accumulations across the region ranged from 6 to 8 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 Jan 3, 4:19 AM PST, 5 hours 41 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Spokane WA
419 AM PST Fri Jan 3 2025
.SYNOPSIS...
A low pressure system will bring moderate mountain snow and
valley rain or snow today. There is a threat of brief freezing
rain this morning stretching from Wilbur east to Coeur d'Alene.
Rain across the Columbia Basin, Spokane area, and Palouse will
result in rises on small creeks and streams. Light mountain snow
looks to continue through Monday before an anomalous ridge of high
pressure develops over the Inland Northwest.
&&
.DISCUSSION...
Today through Saturday Night: Trough is nearing the west coast
with precipitation just moving into the southern most Washington
counties as of 230AM. This is a very tricky forecast with much of
the Spokane Couer d'Alene area temperatures ranging from 31 to 35
degrees. Further west along Highway 2 temperatures are generally
at or below freezing. We will be watching the precipitation
spread north through the morning and the threat of freezing
increase across portions of the northern Columbia Basin east
towards the Coeur d'Alene area. Spokane city itself is currently
above freezing, and am not expecting freezing rain for downtown,
the valley, etc. It is the higher elevations around Spokane, like
the West Plains, south hill, 5 mile, Valleyford/Mica that there is
the threat for some brief freezing rain this morning. The
snow/freezing rain will transition to rain late this morning and
afternoon across the region. There is also a small threat for
brief freezing rain across some of the east Cascade valleys as
well later this morning and afternoon. Ice accumulation will be a
light glaze up to a tenth...but most locations will see 0.05 or
less.
Further north and across the Cascades....temperatures will remain
cold enough for snow or rain/snow mix as the elevated warm
temperatures are not expected to reach those areas. Current
advisories look good, and will continue them. Most valleys will
see anywhere from 1 to 2 inches along the rivers...and 3 to 6
inches elsewhere.
Precipitation will come to an end this evening for central WA,
with the backedge of the precipitation moving east through the
evening and overnight so that by early Saturday morning the best
chance of mountain snow and valley rain or snow will be confined
to Idaho. Showers will continue to the ID Panhandle through the
day.
Saturday night another wave will move into the region bringing
another round of mountain snow and valley rain or snow. This
system doesn't have the same moisture fetch and so lighter rain
and snow amounts are forecast.
Temperatures continue to be at or above average with lows in the
20s to mid 30s and highs in the 30s...up to mid 40s for the LC
Valley. /Nisbet
Sunday through Friday: A weak shortwave feature will slide through
the PacNW Sunday ahead of large scale ridging that begins to build
off the West Coast. Ridging that extends far north into Alaska will
become very positively tilted over the Northwest corner of the CONUS
through late next week. Given the trajectory of the ridge, moisture
plumes will slide up and over the ridge, leaving the Inland
Northwest mountain valleys socked in with cold air at least through
mid week.
The threat of precipitation Sunday into Monday will mostly be
confined to the Cascade mountains and adjacent valleys as well as
portions of the Columbia Basin and West Plains of Eastern
Washington. Amounts on the order of one to two tenths of an inch of
rain for the southern Idaho Panhandle and WA/ID Palouse with amounts
tapering off less as we head north. Snow levels in the North
Cascades and northern mountains will be slow to rise, keeping snow
amounts confined to these areas with amounts around 1-2 inches.
There remains potential (20%) of freezing rain Sunday morning for
areas around 3000 to 3500 ft in the eastern slopes of the Cascades
and north-central Washington (Okanogan, Ferry, Stevens counties)
though amounts look very light (less than 0.10 inches). The
temperature profile just above the surface will remain mild (near
0C) until late Monday before dropping a few degrees at 850mb with
clearing skies and light to calm winds under the ridge. Under the
influence of the ridge, daily temperature trends will little
fluctuation. However, the coldest day is looking to be Tuesday with
clearing skies and snow cover on the ground. So far this Winter, low
temperatures have been quite mild (speaking strictly to the Eastern
WA/Northern ID valleys) not dropping below the mid 20Fs and that
could be in jeopardy this week with a 15-20% chance of overnight low
temps dipping below 23F. /Dewey
&&
.AVIATION...
12Z TAFS: Wintry precipitation and low stratus continue
regionwide. Widespread MVFR to IFR conditions are expected over
the TAF period. A period of freezing rain is expected at KGEG
from 15-20z before surface temperatures warm above freezing. The
potential for freezing rain also exists for KCOE from 16-18Z, tho
confidence is lower in this occurring and have it covered with
prob30.
FORECAST CONFIDENCE AND/OR ALTERNATE SCENARIOS: Alternate scenario
is the northeast winds will reinforce the cold air at the surface
and freezing rain could be more widespread and last longer for
KGEG/KSFF/KCOE. Confidence is high that precip type will be rain
for KPUW/KLWS/KMWH.
-----------------------
Confidence descriptors:
Low - Less than a 30 percent chance
Moderate - 30 to 70 percent chance
High - Greater than a 70 percent chance
For additional probabilistic information for NWS Spokane airports,
please refer to the Aviation Dashboard on our webpage:
https:/www.weather.gov/otx/avndashboard
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane 36 32 36 34 38 29 / 100 90 10 70 60 10
Coeur d'Alene 36 31 38 34 40 30 / 100 90 20 70 80 20
Pullman 40 33 38 35 40 34 / 100 90 10 80 80 40
Lewiston 46 38 46 40 48 38 / 100 80 10 50 60 20
Colville 33 28 35 29 36 23 / 90 90 10 60 60 10
Sandpoint 33 28 35 30 36 28 / 90 90 30 70 90 20
Kellogg 37 33 34 34 35 33 / 90 90 50 80 100 50
Moses Lake 39 31 37 33 39 29 / 100 30 0 30 20 10
Wenatchee 34 30 35 32 34 30 / 100 30 0 40 20 10
Omak 35 28 35 31 34 27 / 100 60 0 30 20 0
&&
.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...Winter Weather Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 10 AM PST
Saturday for Northern Panhandle.
Winter Weather Advisory until 1 PM PST this afternoon for Coeur
d'Alene Area.
Winter Weather Advisory from 6 AM this morning to 10 AM PST
Saturday for Central Panhandle Mountains.
WA...Winter Weather Advisory from 9 AM this morning to 10 AM PST
Saturday for Northeast Mountains.
Winter Weather Advisory until 1 PM PST this afternoon for
Spokane Area-Upper Columbia Basin.
Winter Weather Advisory from 6 AM this morning to 7 AM PST
Saturday for Okanogan Highlands-Okanogan Valley-Western
Okanogan County.
Winter Weather Advisory until 2 AM PST Saturday for Waterville
Plateau-Wenatchee Area.
Winter Weather Advisory until 10 AM PST Saturday for Central
Chelan County-Western Chelan County.
&&The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 heavy snow, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.
Observer reported 8 inches of snow in Waterville.
Observer reported 8 inches of snow one mile Northwest of Chelan. Other reports in the leeside of the Cascades ranged from 6 to 8 inches for the areas around Entiat, Malaga, and Sunnyslope.
Observer reported 7 inches of snow 4 miles Southwest of Carlton. Another report of 6 inches was reported in Twisp.
Observer reported 6 inches of snow 6 miles South of Okanogan.
Observer reported 8 inches of snow 3 miles Southeast of Chesaw.
Observer estimated 7 inches of snow 6 miles Southwest of Mount Spokane. Another estimate report of 3.5 inches of snow in Suncrest was received.
Observer reported 4 inches of snow 1 mile Southeast of Colbert. Other reports in the Spokane area were in the 3 to 4 inch range.
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, January 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: 1233286, 1233287, 1233288, 1233285, 1233284, 1233289, 1236143.