Tornado, Grant
- When
- July 19, 2:07 PM PST to 2:12 PM PST
- Where
- Grant County, 3 mi W of Ritter
- Rating
- F1
- Path length
- 2.2 mi
- Path width
- 100 yd
- Reported by
- NWS STORM SURVEY
- Coordinates
- 44.883, -119.200
An F1 tornado briefly touched down out in a rural area, with numerous large trees uprooted or snapped off.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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 episode as NWS PDT wrote it up.
An F1 tornado briefly touched down out in a rural area, with numerous large trees uprooted or snapped off.
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jul 19, 1:50 PM PST, 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OREGON 250 PM PDT MON JUL 19 2004 .SHORT TERM...A VIGOROUS SHORT WAVE IS MOVING NORTH INTO CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON AND IS TAPPING INTO MID LEVEL MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY THIS AFTERNOON. THIS HAS TRIGGERED STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON THIS AFTERNOON. THESE STORMS HAVE PRODUCED WINDS UP TO 90 MPH AND HAIL UP TO 1.75 INCHES IN DIAMETER. THE SHORT WAVE WILL CONTINUE MOVING ACROSS CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON AND THEN INTO SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON TRIGGERING MORE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME OF THEM POSSIBLY STRONG OR SEVERE...THROUGH THE REST OF THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO THIS EVENING. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD TAPER OFF AFTER MIDNIGHT. A STRONGER SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE ACROSS THE REGION LATER TONIGHT AND TUESDAY MORNING. THIS WAVE WILL KEEP A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS LATE TONIGHT AND INTO TUESDAY MORNING. ON TUESDAY THE FLOW ALOFT WILL BECOME WESTERLY AND THE AIR MASS WILL BE DRIER AND MORE STABLE OVER MOST OF THE FORECAST AREA. THUS TUESDAY WILL BE DRY IN MOST AREAS...EXCEPT FOR A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM IN WALLOWA COUNTY. THE FLOW ALOFT WILL REMAIN WESTERLY TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY WITH SLIGHTLY COOLER MARINE AIR MOVING INLAND FROM THE NORTHEAST PACIFIC FOR DRY AND STABLE CONDITIONS EAST OF THE CASCADES TUESDAY NIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. POLAN .LONG TERM...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BUILD OFFSHORE...THEN MOVE SLOWLY INLAND OVER EASTERN WASHINGTON AND OREGON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL INCREASE THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY DUE TO SUBSIDENCE ASSOCIATED WITH THE RIDGE. THE SUBSIDENCE WILL ALSO KEEP THE AREA SUNNY AND DRY WITH RH VALUES DROPPING INTO SINGLE DIGITS NEXT WEEKEND. BY MONDAY THE RIDGE AXIS WILL MOVE EAST INTO MONTANA. THE ECMWF MODEL SHOWS THE UPPER LEVEL FLOW SOUTHWEST...KEEPING THE ATMOSPHERE TOO DRY FOR THUNDERSTORM DEVELOPMENT. THE GFS BRINGS IN A MORE MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW. AT THIS TIME OPTED TO KEEP THE FORECAST DRY DUE TO MODEL DIFFERENCES SINCE EVEN THE GFS SHOWS LIMITED MOISTURE AVAILABLE FROM THE OCHOCOS TO THE WALLOWAS. COONFIELD && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... PENDLETON (AIRPORT) 061 085 058 084 / 040 005 000 000 WALLA WALLA 062 087 060 085 / 040 005 000 000 TRI-CITIES 061 088 056 086 / 030 005 000 000 YAKIMA 057 084 055 084 / 020 005 000 000 HERMISTON 061 086 056 086 / 030 005 000 000 ELLENSBURG 057 078 055 083 / 020 010 000 000 REDMOND 048 084 045 084 / 040 010 000 000 LA GRANDE 054 083 053 083 / 060 010 000 000 JOHN DAY 055 083 052 083 / 040 010 000 000 THE DALLES 064 083 060 083 / 020 005 000 000 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...NONE. WA...NONE. && 99
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OREGON
512 AM PDT MON JUL 19 2004
ORZ041>050-WAZ024>030-201200-
NORTH CENTRAL OREGON-CENTRAL OREGON-LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN (OR)-
FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS (OR)-BLUE MOUNTAINS-JOHN DAY BASIN-
OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS-GRANDE RONDE VALLEY-WALLOWA COUNTY-
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE (WA)-
EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN CASCADES-KITTITAS VALLEY-YAKIMA VALLEY-
LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN (WA)-FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS (WA)-
NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS-
512 AM PDT MON JUL 19 2004
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON
AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON.
.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
THUNDERSTORMS
EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE (WA), EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN
CASCADES, KITTITAS VALLEY, YAKIMA VALLEY, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN
(WA), FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS (WA), NORTHWEST BLUE
MOUNTAINS, EASTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE (OR), NORTH CENTRAL
OREGON, CENTRAL OREGON, LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN (OR), FOOTHILLS OF
THE BLUE MOUNTAINS (OR), BLUE MOUNTAINS, JOHN DAY BASIN,
OCHOCO-JOHN DAY HIGHLANDS, GRANDE RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY
WIDESPREAD INSTABILITY...ABUNDANT LOW TO MID LEVEL MOISTURE AND A
WEATHER DISTURBANCE WILL CAUSE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
TODAY...MAINLY OVER THE EASTERN MOUNTAINS AND ALONG THE CASCADES
CREST AND EAST SLOPES. THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE FREQUENT
LIGHTNING...BRIEF HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE GUSTY WINDS.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY
NORTHWEST BLUE MOUNTAINS, BLUE MOUNTAINS, OCHOCO-JOHN DAY
HIGHLANDS, GRANDE RONDE VALLEY, WALLOWA COUNTY
LINGERING MOISTURE AND INSTABILITY WILL ALLOW FOR ISOLATED
THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTHEAST OREGON AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON
MOUNTAINS ON TUESDAY. AFTER TUESDAY DRY AND STABLE AIR WILL MOVE
INTO THE REGION WITH BUILDING HIGH PRESSURE AND WARMING TEMPERATURES
AGAIN.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.
WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
PROTOTYPE GRAPHICAL FORECASTS OF WEATHER HAZARDS OUT TO SEVEN DAYS
ARE DISPLAYED ON THE WORLD WIDE WEB AT:
WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/PENDLETON/FORECAST/HWOGRAPHICS/HWOGRAPHICS.PHP
ALL LETTERS IN THE ABOVE URL ARE LOWER CASE...EXCEPT THE G IN
HWOGRAPHICS AND THE G IN HWOGRAPHICS.PHP.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
238 PM PDT MON JUL 19 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1235 PM HAIL 6 SSW PRAIRIE CITY 44.84N 119.41W
07/19/2004 0.75 INCH GRANT OR TRAINED SPOTTER
PENNY SIZED HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN REPORTED.
0120 PM HAIL 13 NNE POST 44.32N 120.38W
07/19/2004 1.75 INCH CROOK OR OTHER FEDERAL
UP TO GOLF BALL SIZED HAIL AT LOOKOUT
MOUNTAIN...ELEVATION 6900 FT.
0135 PM TSTM WND GST 1 N WINLOCK 44.91N 119.89W
07/19/2004 40 MPH WHEELER OR TRAINED SPOTTER
SMALL HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN...WIND GUST TO APPROXIMATELY 40
MPH REPORTED.
0145 PM TSTM WND GST 2 E MITCHELL 44.57N 120.15W
07/19/2004 90 MPH WHEELER OR CO-OP OBSERVER
ESTIMATED 80-90 MPH WIND GUSTS...TREE LIMBS DOWN...1/8
INCH HAIL...HEAVY RAIN.
0152 PM TSTM WND DMG 1 N MITCHELL 44.91N 119.89W
07/19/2004 WHEELER OR TRAINED SPOTTER
TREE LIMBS DOWN DUE TO STRONG WIND GUSTS.
0215 PM HAIL 1 ENE NORTH POWDER 45.04N 117.90W
07/19/2004 0.88 INCH UNION OR TRAINED SPOTTER
NICKEL SIZED HAIL...HEAVY RAIN...STRONG WINDS BROUGHT
TREE LIMBS DOWN.
0230 PM HAIL N KIMBERLY 44.76N 119.64W
07/19/2004 0.50 INCH GRANT OR TRAINED SPOTTER
MARBLE SIZED HAIL.
&&
ADAMSThe Pendleton radar (KPDT), 94 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 22:04 UTC.
1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyThe tornado archive for Oregon, 2004Warnings in Oregon, July 2004
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: 5414337.