Tornadoes and Hail in Washington, May 31, 1997

Name: Tornadoes and Hail in Washington, May 31, 1997
Start: 1997-05-31T11:10
End: 1997-05-31T13:30
Location: Washington

May 31, 1997 · NWS OTX · 27 events in 9 counties and zones

11 hail, 8 thunderstorm wind, 5 heavy rain, 2 tornado, 1 funnel cloud, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $701,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 27

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

The radar

The Spokane radar (KOTX), 147 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:18 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 hail, 8 thunderstorm wind, 5 heavy rain, 2 tornado, 1 funnel cloud. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Grant

When: May 31, 11:10 AM PST
Where: Grant County, Ephrata
Coordinates: 47.206, -119.452 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

6 inches of water on streets of ephrata

Hail, Adams

When: May 31, 11:20 AM PST
Where: Adams County, 15 mi E of Ritzville
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.130, -118.070

3/4 inch hail

Tornado, Lincoln

When: May 31, 11:40 AM PST
Where: Lincoln County, Wilbur to 8 mi of Creston
Rating: F1
Path length: 12 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $300,000
Coordinates: 47.630, -118.700

top of barn blown off and several outbuildings destroyed in wilbur. tree and irrigation system damage and major damage to large horse barn in creston

Heavy Rain, Grant

When: May 31, 11:40 AM PST
Where: Grant County, Wilson Creek
Coordinates: 47.206, -119.452 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

0.66 inches of rain in 1/2 hour

Hail, Lincoln

When: May 31, 11:45 AM PST
Where: Lincoln County, 6 mi S of Wilbur
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.670, -118.700

3/4 inch hail

Hail, Lincoln

When: May 31, 12:01 PM PST
Where: Lincoln County, 10 mi W of Davenport
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.650, -118.370

3/4 inch hail

Thunderstorm Wind, Garfield

When: May 31, 12:15 PM PST
Where: Garfield County, Pomeroy
Measured: 70 kt (81 mph)
Coordinates: 46.470, -117.580

70 mph gust

Hail, Garfield

When: May 31, 12:15 PM PST
Where: Garfield County, Pomeroy
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 46.470, -117.580

2 inch diameter hail

Hail, Spokane

When: May 31, 12:40 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Cheney
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.500, -117.570

3/4 inch hail

Thunderstorm Wind, Spokane

When: May 31, 12:45 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Spokane
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Coordinates: 47.670, -117.420

65 mph gust

Funnel Cloud, Whitman

When: May 31, 12:45 PM PST
Where: Whitman County, 5 mi S of Colton
Coordinates: 46.901, -117.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

funnel cloud

Hail, Stevens

When: May 31, 12:45 PM PST
Where: Stevens County, Valley
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 48.180, -117.720

1 inch hail

Tornado, Spokane

When: May 31, 12:45 PM PST to 12:52 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Deer Park to 7 mi S of Deer Park
Rating: F1
Path length: 5 mi
Path width: 50 yd
Property damage: $350,000
Coordinates: 47.850, -117.520

nws survey team concluded f1 tornado touched down and pulled up numerous times as it traveled from Pruffer and Wallbridge in se stevens county to near riverside in spokane county

Hail, Stevens

When: May 31, 12:47 PM PST
Where: Stevens County, Tumtum to 7 mi NW of Nine Mile Falls
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 47.900, -117.680

1 inch hail

Thunderstorm Wind, Spokane

When: May 31, 12:50 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Dartford
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage: $10,000
Coordinates: 47.780, -117.420

65 mph thunderstorm gust w/trees down

Hail, Spokane

When: May 31, 12:50 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Dartford
Measured: 1 in hail
Property damage: $20,000
Coordinates: 47.780, -117.420

1 inch hail, paint stripped off home

Hail, Stevens

When: May 31, 12:50 PM PST
Where: Stevens County, Chewelah
Measured: 1 in hail
Coordinates: 48.280, -117.720

sheriff reports 1 inch hail

Hail, Spokane

When: May 31, 12:51 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Dartford
Measured: 2 in hail
Coordinates: 47.780, -117.420

2 inch hail and very strong winds

Heavy Rain, Spokane

When: May 31, 12:51 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Dartford
Property damage: $20,000
Coordinates: 47.621, -117.404 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

6 foot diameter culvert pipe washed out from dirt road

Thunderstorm Wind, Whitman

When: May 31, 12:51 PM PST
Where: Whitman County, Pullman
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates: 46.730, -117.180

60 mph gust

Thunderstorm Wind, Spokane

When: May 31, 12:53 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Opportunity
Measured: 63 kt (72 mph)
Coordinates: 47.650, -117.200

63 mph gust

Thunderstorm Wind, Whitman

When: May 31, 12:55 PM PST
Where: Whitman County, Pullman
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Coordinates: 46.730, -117.180

60 mph gust

Thunderstorm Wind, Asotin

When: May 31, 12:57 PM PST
Where: Asotin County, Clarkston
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph)
Property damage: $1,000
Coordinates: 46.420, -117.050

65 mph gust, large tree down

Thunderstorm Wind, Spokane

When: May 31, 1:00 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Dishman
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Coordinates: 47.650, -117.270

61 mph gust

Heavy Rain, Whitman

When: May 31, 1:00 PM PST
Where: Whitman County, Colfax
Coordinates: 46.901, -117.523 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

flooding

Hail, Spokane

When: May 31, 1:05 PM PST
Where: Spokane County, Rockford
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Coordinates: 47.450, -117.130

3/4 inch hail

Heavy Rain, Pend Oreille

When: May 31, 1:30 PM PST
Where: Pend Oreille County, Newport
Coordinates: 48.532, -117.274 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

flooding

What these are

Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
Hail: Hail three-quarters of an inch or larger, or smaller hail that caused damage, filed with the largest stone measured.
Tornado: A violently rotating column of air in contact with the ground and extending from a thunderstorm, filed with its path, width and Fujita or Enhanced Fujita rating from the damage survey.
Thunderstorm Wind: Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
Funnel Cloud: A rotating column of cloud extending from a thunderstorm that did not reach the ground.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Washington in 1997 Every state in 1997 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Washington, 1997 Warnings in Washington, May 1997

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5599418, 5599422, 5599423, 5599424, 5599425, 5599429, 5599430, 5599431, 5599434, 5599539, 5599540, 5599541, 5599542, 5599543, 5599544, 5599545, 5599546, 5599547, 5599548, 5599549, 5599550, 5599551, 5599552, 5599553, 5599554, 5599555, 5599557.