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Record snow, serious flooding, Seattle cut off from Washington state and country.

Seattle Times, January 7, 2022

Snoqualmie Pass? Closed.

Stevens Pass? Closed.

White Pass, Blewett Pass and Interstate 5? Closed, closed and closed.

For much of Friday, record snow in the Cascade Mountains and serious flooding in the Chehalis River Basin shut down nearly all of the major road and train routes connecting the Seattle area to much of the state and the rest of the country.

Gov. Jay Inslee issued an emergency proclamation Friday afternoon, citing extreme weather, hazardous driving conditions, road closures and flooding. The proclamation directed state agencies to mobilize resources in connection with local jurisdiction and activated the National Guard and State Guard to provide help.

“We’ve had so much snow on the mountains and also rivers flooding” in the lowlands, plus landslides and strong wind in spots, Samantha Borth, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle, said Friday afternoon. “It’s a pretty unique situation.”

The last time the region was cut off so much was in 1996, when an “atmospheric river” gushed overhead, closing the passes and I-5, said NWS meteorologist Ted Buehner.
This week, there were disruptions at every level of commerce, as international shipments loitered in warehouses, produce waited on trucks and residents delayed supermarket trips.

Travel plans were scuttled, hospital operations were complicated and learning was postponed, as Washington State University canceled classes for next Monday and Tuesday to allow students more time to return to Pullman from Western Washington.

The surging rain and snow created problems not only on the passes and around Chehalis, in Lewis County, but in communities across the region.

Flooding closed streets in downtown Issaquah, as residents grabbed sandbags at a community center to protect their properties. First responders in Seattle rescued a man as his house slid downhill in Magnolia. In East King County, some Skykomish residents were trapped by unplowed snow.

In Wenatchee, stranded Amtrak passengers waited in vain on a snowy train platform for the conductor to call them aboard. Amtrak service between Seattle and Portland was halted.

After Leavenworth was buried under 36 inches of snow Thursday, the mayor issued an emergency declaration asking for National Guard assistance.

Record precipitation

Rain and snow slammed the state in historic proportions this week, setting the stage for swollen rivers and avalanche concerns Friday.

The culprit was a warm front that stalled over Western Washington between Wednesday night and Friday morning, rather than moving past quickly, like usual, Borth said.

The Washington State Department of Transportation reported 26 inches of snow at Snoqualmie Pass from Thursday to mid-Friday, on top of 280 inches earlier this winter. Winds remained high Friday night but conditions were starting to dry out.

Thursday was Seattle’s seventh-wettest January day ever, with 2 inches of rain recorded at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport; another half inch was recorded Friday.

Hoquiam accumulated nearly 6 inches Thursday, setting a record for the Grays Harbor County city, while Shelton in Mason County accumulated 4 ½ inches. The clouds dumped a record 10 inches of rain over 24 hours on the tiny city of Rainier, near Olympia.

Soils were saturated before the major storm even began, she added, blaming that mix for the increase in landslides. Winds whipped Whidbey Island.

LiterateHiker 9 Jan 8
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6 comments

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1

Is that date correct? July 7, 2022?

@BitFlipper

Thanks for the catch! I meant January 2022.

2

Been hearing that for a couple of days. I spent years working on the Iron Goat Trail at Stevens Pass and it too is closed. Funny thing, though, while most of the Rockies have and have dad a reduced snowfall the last couple of years we have been having record snow in the Cascades. One year Mt. Baker had the most snowfall in the world.
Living in a rain shadow has meant our weather has been milder than a lot of other places in the state.

2

don't forget your hat.

2

Take care in these severe weather conditions Kathleen if you have to go out into them!

0

Your screwed

@bobwjr

I'm fine. I live in Wenatchee, WA, 36 miles east of Leavenworth. Leavenworth is in the mountains.

Wenatchee is at the confluence of the Columbia River and Wenatchee River. Both rivers are dammed to prevent floods.

Photos: Wenatchee, 2018.

1

Thanks for the information. Though it does not affect me, it is Important I know this. Thanks.

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