Winter Weather — Okanogan Valley, Washington

2020-11-12 to 2020-11-13 · Okanogan Valley, Washington

Event narrative

Light snow fell overnight, but temperatures remained above freezing and limited accumulations. The Highway 97 corridor saw 1 to 2 inches of snow. A few outlying locations east of Tonasket picked up 3 to 5 inches of snow. An observer outside of Malott received 7 inches of snow.

Wider weather episode

A wet and vigorous low pressure system brought snow and strong winds across much Eastern Washington on the evening of November 12th into November 13th. The heaviest snowfall was near the Cascade Crest with 1 to 2 feet reported. Numerous locations in the northern mountains and mountain valleys received up to one foot. The heavy, wet snow impacted morning commutes and led to numerous school district closures on the 13th. There were many accidents on I-90 and state highways, especially through the Spokane - Coeur d'Alene corridor due to slushy, melting snow. The snow was followed by strong winds in the afternoon and evening, with gusts reaching 45-60 mph across the Palouse and parts of the Columbia Basin.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 962020. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.