Snow in Washington State: Where It Falls, How Much, and How to Prepare
If you picture Washington as drizzly and mild, the snow can catch you off guard. Seattle gets only a few inches in a normal year. Spokane averages more than 45 inches, and snow buries the Cascade passes every winter. The mountains explain the split. They squeeze moisture out of Pacific storms on the west side and leave the east side colder and drier. This guide covers snow in Washington State: where it falls, how much each area gets, and NOAA's winter outlook. It also covers snow days, closed passes, and outages.
Does It Snow in Washington State?
Does it snow in Washington State? Yes, but how much depends on which side of the Cascades you live on. The lowlands around Puget Sound get light, scattered snow most winters. Eastern Washington and the mountains get far more.
Average Snowfall by City
NOAA publishes official 30-year averages, and its 1991 to 2020 climate normals show the gap clearly. Here's what an average year looks like at five stations across the state.
Location (NOAA 1991 to 2020 normal) | Side of the Cascades | Average annual snowfall |
Olympia Airport | West | 3.9 inches |
Sedro-Woolley | West | 5.7 inches |
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport | West | 6.3 inches |
Yakima Air Terminal | East | 20.3 inches |
Spokane International Airport | East | 45.4 inches |
So does it snow in Washington every year? In most places, yes, at least a little. But winters still differ a lot. Seattle may see a dusting or two, while Spokane gets several plowable storms.
Elevation matters on both sides of the mountains, too. A home a few hundred feet up in the foothills can get snow. At the same time, a neighborhood near the water may get cold rain from that storm. That's why the station averages above are a starting point, not a promise for your exact street.
Why the Cascades Split the State
The Cascade Range is the dividing line. Storms off the Pacific usually arrive mild and wet. As that air rises up the western slopes, it cools and drops much of its moisture as rain or snow. That's why the west side and the mountains stay so wet.
On the eastern, leeward side, the air sinks and warms, and it can hold its leftover moisture better. NASA's Earth Observatory calls this a rain shadow. It's the reason much of eastern Washington is drier than the west.
Winter cold has a different cause. Eastern Washington sits farther from the Pacific. Mild ocean air keeps winters on the west side fairly gentle, while the east runs colder. With colder air in place, more of the precipitation that does fall there comes down as snow instead of rain.
Mountain snow is its own story. Pass totals swing a lot from storm to storm. For the mountains, check WSDOT's pass pages and your local National Weather Service office instead of one yearly number.
Anyone who's watched western Washington snowing in January knows a few inches can still snarl traffic. Steep streets and drivers who rarely see snow make a small storm feel bigger.
Does it snow in Washington, DC?
Does it snow in Washington, DC? Yes. Washington Reagan National Airport averages 13.7 inches of snow a year, based on the same NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals.
Snow totals make more sense when you know what the forecast terms mean. Knowing the difference between a blizzard and a snowstorm helps you read a winter forecast and decide how seriously to take it.
Averages tell you what's normal for your area. This winter's outlook tells you which way the odds lean.
Washington Snow Forecast: What NOAA's Outlook Says for Winter 2026 to 2027
NOAA doesn't forecast seasonal snowfall totals. Instead, its seasonal outlook gives the odds of temperature and precipitation landing above, near, or below normal. This year, El Niño is shaping those odds.
What El Niño Means This Winter
NOAA's Climate Prediction Center issued its latest seasonal outlook discussion on October 15, 2026. It said an El Niño advisory "remains in effect and is favored to continue through Spring 2027." For the Pacific Northwest, the outlook favors above-normal temperatures from November through January.
What does that mean for the snow weather Washington residents actually see? Warmer-than-normal odds don't rule out snowstorms. All it takes is one cold outbreak. When cold air from the north meets Pacific moisture, the lowlands can still get snow. That includes Seattle and Olympia.
It helps to read the outlook as odds, not amounts. A warmer lean means a mild winter is more likely than usual, not that every week will be mild. You can still get a stretch of cold, snowy days, and those few days are what most people remember. NOAA plans its next monthly update for November 19, 2026. Check the latest version before you plan around it.
Short-Term Forecasts and Alerts
For the days ahead, you'll want the Washington snow forecast from your local NWS office. NWS Seattle covers the west side, and NWS Spokane covers much of the east. NWS Pendleton handles parts of south-central and southeast Washington. As a storm gets close, watches, warnings, and advisories from your local NWS office matter most. A watch means a storm is possible. A warning means hazardous winter weather is on the way or already here.
How will you hear about a warning if the power is out? A charged phone with emergency alerts turned on is the easiest option for most people. A battery-powered or hand-crank weather radio makes a good backup. That's especially true in rural areas where cell service drops out during storms.
When it's snowing, Washington homes near trees and power lines face a higher outage risk. Heavy snow can weigh branches down onto the lines and cut power.
Preparing for Snow-Related Power Outages in Washington
What would happen if your power stayed off overnight during a snowstorm? Heavy, wet snow can bring down branches and power lines. In rural areas, outages can last longer when snow blocks the roads. A plan made before the first storm makes those hours easier.
Who to Call and How to Stay Safe
Start by knowing who restores your power. Puget Sound Energy, Seattle City Light, Avista, and local PUDs and co-ops all have outage pages. You can report problems and check updates there, so bookmark yours now. If you see a downed line, stay away from it and call 911.
A little prep before a storm goes a long way. Charge your phones and laptops, and find your flashlights and spare batteries. Once the power goes out, keep the fridge and freezer doors closed as much as you can. Do you rely on powered medical equipment? Talk with your provider and your utility about a backup plan ahead of time.
If you use a fuel-powered generator, placement matters. The CDC's carbon monoxide safety guidance says to never use a generator inside your home or garage, even if doors and windows are open. Run it outdoors, more than 20 feet from windows, doors, and vents.
Keeping Your Essentials Running
For most homes, a snow outage comes down to a few needs:
Keeping the fridge and freezer cold
Staying connected with a charged phone and a working Wi-Fi router
Having light after dark, which comes early in a Washington winter
Knowing how long you can hold out before food starts to spoil
A battery power station can help here. EcoFlow portable power stations charge from a wall outlet before a storm and run indoors without fumes. Size one by two numbers. One is the watts your devices pull while running. The other is the total watt-hours you'll need over the outage. They're meant to keep key devices going, not to heat a whole house.
That difference matters when you plan. A space heater, electric range, or baseboard heat can pull a lot of power and drain a battery fast. Most people get more out of a power station by focusing on food, light, and communication. For warmth, rely on layers, blankets, and one closed-off room.
For many households in the Puget Sound suburbs, the goal is to bridge an outage that lasts hours or a day or two. Say your plan is one fridge, the router, and a few lamps. A roughly 3kWh unit with enough output for a fridge compressor covers those basics.
Homes in the foothills or eastern Washington can wait longer for power and for plowed roads. The EcoFlow DELTA 3800 Gen4 stretches the same fridge-and-basics plan further. If you need more time between recharges, you can add compatible extra batteries.
In short, the EcoFlow DELTA 3000 Gen4 is the single-unit plan for one fridge, the router, and lights. The EcoFlow DELTA 3800 Gen4 covers the same loads through a longer wait, with room to add batteries.
Estimated Runtime
These runtimes are estimates, not promises. The math multiplies battery capacity by 0.85 to allow for conversion losses. Then it divides by the average watts your devices use.
The fridge in this example is a 13.9-cubic-foot top-freezer model rated at about 332 kWh a year. That works out to about 38W on average. The router (10W) and LED lights (20W) are placeholder values, so swap in your own devices' numbers.
You can run the same math for your home. Check the label or manual for each device's watts and add them up. Then divide the battery's usable watt-hours by that total. Say your devices average 100W. A unit with about 2,600 usable watt-hours would last roughly 26 hours before it needs a recharge.
Example load | Average watts | EcoFlow DELTA 3000 Gen4 (3,072Wh × 0.85 = 2,611Wh) | EcoFlow DELTA 3800 Gen4 (3,763Wh × 0.85 = 3,199Wh) |
Fridge only (13.9 cu ft top-freezer) | about 38W | about 69 hours | about 84 hours |
Fridge + router + LED lights | about 68W | about 38 hours | about 47 hours |
A cold house, a larger fridge, or frequent door openings will all shorten runtime. Solar recharging on gray, snowy days isn't something to count on either.
Battery temperature matters too. Most tips for using power stations in cold weather come down to keeping the unit inside the heated part of the house. Don't leave it in an unheated garage or on a porch.
Snow also changes how you drive, especially over the passes. A drive that feels routine in summer can turn into a long wait once chains or closures come into play.
Driving in Washington Snow: Passes and Road Prep
Snoqualmie, Stevens, and White passes can close or require chains with little notice. Before you cross, check WSDOT's mountain pass reports for conditions and restrictions. Then pack the car for a long wait.
Check the Passes Before You Go
WSDOT's page covers Snoqualmie Pass on I-90, Stevens Pass on US 2, and White Pass on US 12. Traction and chain rules change with conditions, so read them right before you leave.
Your car needs some prep, too. Before a winter trip, the National Weather Service suggests a quick check. Look at fluid levels, lights, the heater, and windshield wipers. Keep the gas tank near full to avoid ice in the tank and fuel lines. It also says to tell someone your route and timing. Call 511 for road conditions before you go.
What to Pack in Your Car
The National Weather Service recommends keeping a winter storm survival kit in your vehicle. Its list includes these basics:
Mobile phone, charger, and batteries
Blankets or sleeping bags
Flashlight with extra batteries
First-aid kit
High-calorie, nonperishable food and a water container
Shovel, windshield scraper, and brush
Sand or cat litter for traction
Battery booster cables
If you do get stuck, the NWS says to stay in your vehicle. Run the engine about 10 minutes each hour for heat, and open a window a little while it runs. Keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning.
A winter car kit turns a pass closure into a delay instead of an emergency. Knowing what to do if your car gets stuck matters most on rural roads with spotty cell service.
Conclusion
Yes, it snows in Washington State. NOAA's normals range from about 6 inches a year at Sea-Tac to about 45 in Spokane, with far more in the Cascades. NOAA favors a warmer-than-normal early winter under El Niño. Still, single storms can bring Washington snow to the lowlands. Watch NWS alerts, check WSDOT before crossing the passes, and plan for outages. The EcoFlow DELTA 3000 Gen4 covers the basics, while the EcoFlow DELTA 3800 Gen4 suits longer waits.
FAQs
Does it snow in Seattle?
Yes, but not much. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport averages 6.3 inches of snow a year under NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals. Still, even a couple of inches can slow traffic on Seattle's hills.
Where does it snow the most in Washington State?
The Cascade and Olympic mountains get the most snow by far. Among cities, the east side gets more than the west. Spokane tops the NOAA stations in this guide with 45.4 inches a year.
When does it usually snow in Washington?
In the lowlands, December through February is the main window. At Sea-Tac, NOAA's normals put 5.7 of the 6.3 average inches in those three months. The mountain passes can see snow from fall well into spring.
Will Washington get a lot of snow this winter?
No one can say for sure, since NOAA doesn't forecast seasonal snow totals. Its October 2026 outlook favors warmer-than-normal temperatures for the Pacific Northwest through January. One cold outbreak can still bring snow, so keep an eye on your local NWS forecast.
Does it snow in Washington, DC?
Yes, and more than Seattle on average. Washington Reagan National Airport averages 13.7 inches a year under NOAA's 1991 to 2020 normals.
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