"Seattle Snowstorm"
16 February 2001

On Thursday, February 15, 2001, cooler air associated with a weak arctic outbreak moved into Washington. As a result, afternoon maximums in the western part of the state were cooler than midnight temperatures. Precipitation was a mixed west of the Cascades. The Bellingham area reported snow, as did some other areas. Olympia had snow before turning to rain. Rain spread to the coast and Puget Sound areas during the mid and late afternoon hours. East of the Cascades, precipitation was very light with snow mixed with rain at most location.

Friday, February 16, 2001, brought snow fall across much of Washington as cold Canadian air ran into warmer, moist air from the Pacific Ocean. Snow accumulations generally ranged from four to eight inches across most of the lowlands of western Washington. Some of the favored locations such as the hills around Seattle, the Kitsap peninsula, areas near the Hood Canal and the Olympic slopes near the strait of Juan De Fuca had a foot of snow. Areas southwest of Washington and the south coast had milder temperatures and rain. During the night, skies remained mostly cloudy with scattered showers persisting around the Puget Sound.

Case Study 036