Blizzard — Yakima Valley, Washington

2019-02-09 · Yakima Valley, Washington

Event narrative

Near zero visibility and sustained winds of 35 mph created treacherous conditions across the Yakima Valley. 1800 head of cattle valued at an estimated 2.5 million dollars perished in the storm.

Wider weather episode

A potent winter storm brought significant snow accumulations to much of central and eastern Washington beginning on the evening of the 8th and peaking on the 9th of February. Along and in the lee of more exposed ridges in the Yakima and Kittitas Valleys and along the Horse Heaven hills blizzard conditions were observed with sustained winds between 35 and 40 mph (30 to 35 knots) and observed visibilities near zero. Snow drifts in the Richland area as high as 5 feet were reported with some secondary roads remaining impassable for days. I-90 from Ellensburg to Vantage, I-82 from Yakima to Ellensburg and I-82 from south of the Tri-Cities to the Oregon border were all closed for significant portions of the day due to massive snow drifts and near zero visibility. Across the region over 500 additional motor vehicle accidents were reported by the Washington State Patrol. In the Yakima Valley impassable roads and harsh conditions resulted in the loss of over 1700 head of cattle at an estimated value of 2.2 million dollars. Snowfall amounts ranged from 5 to 12 inches with 5 to 6 inches in the Tri-Cities, 5 to 7 inches in Yakima, 6 to 12 inches in Ellensburg and 5 to 10 inches in the Simcoe Highlands. Accurate snowfall measurements were very difficult due to blowing and drifting snow.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 796533. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.