UW Emergency Management

February 5, 2019

February 4-13, 2019 (Record-Setting Lowland Snowstorm and Ice Trigger Closures)

Seattle Snow Feb 2019Though forecasts for Seattle predicted a trace to 1″ of snow, UW students, faculty and staff woke February 4 to 2″- 4″ of snow in Seattle (and up to 10 inches in the cities to the North and East). All three UW campuses suspended operations after an assessment of transportation conditions. The snowfall, coupled with strong winds and all-day below freezing temperatures and resulting icy roads snarled regional transportation systems and made travel throughout the region dangerous and difficult. Despite wide-spread traffic incidents, damage was limited and no direct fatalities were reported as a result of this lingering storm.

A constant series of followup storms, roughly every 2-3 days, brought additional snow to all of Western Washington.  By February 14th, the UW Seattle campus experienced a record seven days of either late start, early release or full-suspension of operations.  This week long impact to the University was unprecedented and was one for the record books, with this February breaking all records for the snowiest February in Seattle history.