Winter Storm — Western Chelan County, Washington

2021-12-22 to 2021-12-24 · Western Chelan County, Washington

Event narrative

Heavy snow with strong gusty winds led to poor visibility and dangerous driving conditions in the Cascades. The Washington Department of Transportation reported that Highway 2, at Stevens Pass, was closed due to multiple collisions and spin outs on December 23rd. Stevens Pass measured a three day total snow accumulation of 32 inches. Due to the short term, heavy snowfall, avalanche control was performed following the winter storm's passage.

Wider weather episode

As cold air was deep and entrenched along the east slopes of the Cascades, passing precipitation systems brought heavy precipitation to the Cascades. Total snow accumulations, from December 22 through 24th, were between 15 to 30 inches in locations such as Stevens Pass, Holden Village, and Stehekin. Winds reached gusts of 25 mph and created blowing snow in the Cascade gaps.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 996138. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.