Winter Storm — East Slopes Northern Cascades, Washington

2021-02-14 to 2021-02-16 · East Slopes Northern Cascades, Washington

Event narrative

Heavy snowfall, over 72 hours, brought severe and dangerous conditions across the Cascades, especially on US-2 and Stevens Pass. From 6AM February 14th through 6AM February 17th, 40 of snow fell at the pass. This contributed to numerous closures of on U-2 at Stevens Pass due to vehicle spinouts, avalanche control, and clean up. Breezy winds in the Cascades contributed to blowing snow and poor visibility.

Wider weather episode

A winter storm brought heavy snow and winds to eastern Washington on February 14th and 15th. Winds reached gusts of 20-30 mph and produced blowing snow, especially in the Palouse. Heavy morning snow had a significant impact on the commute, adding to already snow covered roads and creating poor visibility. Throughout the day, numerous accidents occurred on Interstate 90 in Spokane County and on US-2 near Stevens Pass. There were widespread snowfall across the region, but the greatest snow accumulations were reported across the eastern Cascades, Washington Palouse, and Spokane County.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 944901. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.