Cold air in place met up with a warm, moist Pacific air mass across eastern Washington. The moist warm front slowly moved its way into southeast Washington on the evening of the seventeenth as snow began to fall across the northeast Blue Mountains. The warm front progressed northward across eastern Washington with heavy snowfall over much of the region on the eighteenth. The warm front stalled as it moved into the Northeast Mountains during the late afternoon and evening hours of the eighteenth. This system weakened during the nighttime hours on the eighteenth into the nineteenth as drier air at mid-levels began to infiltrate in. Some light freezing rain/drizzle reports were observed across the area toward the end of the event as the dendritic layer dried out above a still saturated layer off the surface.

Heavy Snow in NORTHEAST BLUE MOUNTAINS, WASHINGTON
From 17-JAN-12 21:00:00 to 18-JAN-12 10:30:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in EAST SLOPES NORTHERN CASCADES, WASHINGTON
From 18-JAN-12 03:30:00 to 18-JAN-12 13:40:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in WENATCHEE AREA, WASHINGTON
From 18-JAN-12 07:30:00 to 18-JAN-12 22:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS, WASHINGTON
From 18-JAN-12 06:00:00 to 19-JAN-12 00:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in UPPER COLUMBIA BASIN, WASHINGTON
From 18-JAN-12 03:30:00 to 18-JAN-12 15:50:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: COOP Observer

Heavy Snow in LOWER GARFIELD & ASOTIN, WASHINGTON
From 17-JAN-12 21:30:00 to 18-JAN-12 11:30:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in MOSES LAKE AREA, WASHINGTON
From 18-JAN-12 03:30:00 to 18-JAN-12 12:30:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in WATERVILLE PLATEAU, WASHINGTON
From 18-JAN-12 07:50:00 to 18-JAN-12 22:30:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Heavy Snow in WASHINGTON PALOUSE, WASHINGTON
From 18-JAN-12 01:00:00 to 18-JAN-12 15:00:00 (PST-8)
Property damage: 0.00K
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: Trained Spotter

Southern portions of Whitman County were hit particularly hard with heavy snowfall, which included towns of La Crosse, Endicott, Colfax and Pullman.  Several schools over these areas were closed the morning of the eighteenth due to snow covered roadways.

Heavy Snow in SPOKANE AREA, WASHINGTON
From 18-JAN-12 07:00:00 to 19-JAN-12 02:20:00 (PST-8)
Crop damage: 0.00K
Reported by: NWS Employee

Forty-one traffic collisions were reported in the city of Spokane between 0600PST and 2200PST due to snow covered roadways resulting in hazardous driving conditions.  A semitruck jackknifed on Interstate 90 near Sullivan Road.  A three car accident on the T.J. Meenach Bridge forced a temporary closure of Meenach Drive; one person had to be extracted from a vehicle and two other people suffered minor injuries.  A vehicle landed on its top in the westbound shoulder of Interstate 90 and wedged itself against a utility pole near Evergreen Road.