Blizzard — Lower Columbia Basin, Washington

2019-02-09 · Lower Columbia Basin, Washington

Event narrative

Interstate 82 was shut down south of the Tri-Cities to the Oregon border due to heavy and blowing snow reducing visibility to near zero in the Horse Heaven Hills. Mesonet stations in the area reported several hour of 40 mph (35 knot) sustained winds. The Interstate remained closed after winds abated through early the next day due to very large drifts across the roadway.

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 796806. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.