Washington, 2008

Damaging Winds in Washington, June 29, 2008

June 29, 2008 · NWS PQR · 6 events in 1 county or zone

Under the influence of an unstable airmass and favorable south to southeasterly flow, thunderstorms broke out over eastern Oregon and over the Oregon Cascades, and advanced across the forecast area. A few of these storms became severe.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
None recorded
Crop damage
$2,000
Events
6

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PQR wrote it up.

Under the influence of an unstable airmass and favorable south to southeasterly flow, thunderstorms broke out over eastern Oregon and over the Oregon Cascades, and advanced across the forecast area. A few of these storms became severe.

What forecasters said that day

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 Portland, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jun 29, 1:45 PM PST, 2 hours 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 29, 1:45 PM PST, 2 hours 26 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
245 PM PDT SUN JUN 29 2008

.SYNOPSIS...AN UPPER LEVEL LOW ALONG THE CALIFORNIA COAST WILL LIFT
NORTH ALONG THE COAST AND THROUGH SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST
OREGON TONIGHT AND MONDAY. THIS WILL BRING A CHANCE OF SHOWERS OR
THUNDERSTORMS TO MUCH OF THE AREA TONIGHT AND EARLY MONDAY.
INCREASING ONSHORE FLOW WILL BEGIN LIMITING THE CONVECTION TO MAINLY
THE CASCADES LATER MONDAY AND TUESDAY. LOW CLOUDS ALONG THE COAST
WILL BEGIN SPREADING INTO THE INLAND VALLEYS IN THE LATE NIGHT AND
MORNING HOURS WITH GREATER REGULARITY THROUGH THE EARLY AND MIDDLE
PART OF THE WEEK WITH DECREASING TEMPERATURES. ANOTHER UPPER LEVEL
SYSTEM WILL APPROACH LATE THIS WEEK.
&&

.SHORT TERM...SOME DEBRIS CLOUDS FROM OVERNIGHT CONVECTION WERE
MOVING NORTH THROUGH WESTERN OREGON THIS AFTERNOON WITH SOME DEGREE
OF DEVELOPMENT. THIS AREA WILL LIKELY DEVELOP INTO SOME SHOWERS OR
THUNDERSTORMS AS IT MOVES NORTH TOWARD THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND THEN
THROUGH SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON. IN ADDITION...A LOW OFF CALIFORNIA
CONTINUES TO BE FORECAST TO LIFT NORTH ALONG THE COAST AND THROUGH
NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON TONIGHT AND MONDAY THAT
SHOULD DEVELOP NEW CONVECTION SOUTH OF THIS AREA AND MAINTAIN IT
THROUGH THE NIGHT. THIS LOW LIFTING NORTH AS SOME JET SUPPORT WITH IT
AS WELL. PRETTY MUCH ANYWHERE FROM THE COAST RANGE CREST TO THE
CASCADE CREST WILL BE AT RISK OF A SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM TONIGHT.
THERE COULD BE SOME RESIDUAL ACTIVITY ESPECIALLY NORTH EARLY MONDAY.

A SHALLOW MARINE AIR MASS CONTINUES ALONG THE COAST...WITH CLOUDS
CLOSE TO THE COASTLINE THIS AFTERNOON. THE SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL
INHIBIT ANY ONSHORE PUSH TONIGHT...BUT DO EXPECT CLOUDS TO PRESS INTO
THE COASTAL GAPS BUT LIKELY ONLY LIMITED PENETRATION INTO THE
INTERIOR VALLEYS MONDAY MORNING.

THE ONSHORE FLOW INCREASES MONDAY WITH THE THERMAL TROUGH WELL INTO
EASTERN OREGON. SUSPECT THIS WILL CAUSE CONVECTION MONDAY TO BE MORE
CONFINED TO THE CASCADES. THE INCREASED ONSHORE FLOW WILL LIKELY
RESULT IN A BETTER PUSH OF MARINE CLOUDS INLAND LATE MONDAY NIGHT AND
TUESDAY...ESPECIALLY WITH A SLIGHT TENDENCY FOR THE UPPER FLOW TO BE
A BIT MORE SOUTHWESTERLY. EXPECT THESE TWO TRENDS TO CONTINUE
WEDNESDAY...WITH THE CONVECTION MORE CONFINED TOWARD THE HIGHER
ELEVATIONS OF THE CASCADES...AND A CONTINUED NIGHT AND MORNING PUSH
OF LOW CLOUDS INLAND FROM THE COAST.

THIS WILL BE THE LAST DAY FOR THE HEAT ADVISORY...AND MAY NEED TO
DROP FOR THE CENTRAL VALLEY ALREADY. TEMPS WILL BE DROPPING INTO THE
80S FOR THE FEW DAYS. TOLLESON

.LONG TERM...ONSHORE FLOW PICKS UP AS AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SETS UP
IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC BRINGING CLOUDS AND RELATIVELY COOLER TEMPS TO
THE AREA. THE PATTERN BECOMES MORE UNSETTLED WITH THE POSSIBILITY FOR
AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND MAYBE TSTMS IN THE CASCADES THU AND FRI.
EVENTUALLY THE SHOWER THREAT WILL SPREAD ACROSS THE ENTIRE FORECAST
AREA BY SAT AS THE LOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE TROUGH MOVES INLAND/CLOSE
TO SHORE. STILL QUITE A BIT OF UNCERTAINTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE TIMING
OF THE LOWS DEVELOPMENT THUS KEPT POPS RATHER LOW UNTIL CONFIDENCE
INCREASES. WOLFE
&&

.AVIATION...TWO GENERAL AREAS OF CONCERN THIS EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT...MARINE STRATUS ALONG THE COAST AND CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY
INLAND. ALONG THE COAST...MVFR TO IFR STRATUS DECK JUST OFFSHORE AND
FLIRTING ALONG THE COAST IS EXPECTED TO DEEPEN AND SURGE INLAND OVER
THE IMMEDIATE COAST LATER TONIGHT UNDER SLIGHTLY STRENGTHENING
ONSHORE FLOW...POSSIBLY MAKING ITS WAY DOWN THE COLUMBIA RIVER AND
THROUGH LOWER COASTAL GAPS INTO MON MORNING. INLAND CONDITIONS ARE
VFR AND WILL REMAIN THAT WAY FOR NEXT 24 HRS.  SOME CLOUDS AND
INSTABILITY WILL RESULT IN THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE CENTRAL CASCADES
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...THEN SPREAD NORTH OVERNIGHT.  A FEW
STORMS COULD DRIFT OVER THE WESTERN VALLEYS LATER THIS EVENING INTO
OVERNIGHT.

KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE IN THE KPDX AREA
THIS EVENING AND OVERNIGHT.  THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOPING DURING THE EVENING IN THE KPDX AREA AND THIS THREAT WILL
CONTINUE OVERNIGHT.
&&

.MARINE...HIGH PRESSURE RETURNING OVER THE WATERS THIS EVENING WITH
THERMAL TROUGH  WELL INLAND THIS EVENING WILL HELP SLIGHTLY
STRENGTHEN THE ONSHORE FLOW OVERNIGHT. WINDS WILL REMAIN BELOW SMALL
CRAFT TONIGHT AND SEAS WILL REMAIN BELOW 10 FEET.
&&

.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR/WA...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA BAR EARLY MONDAY
          MORNING.
        HEAT ADVISORY FOR ALL THE INTERIOR LOWLANDS AND CASCADE
          FOOTHILLS EXCEPT FOR THE S WILLAMETTE VALLEY THROUGH THIS
          EVENING.
&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT POPS (PROBABILITY OF MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION)
AST 11--11  PDX 311-11  SLE 311-11  EUG 311-11

MORE WEATHER INFORMATION ONLINE AT...
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND

THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON FROM
THE CASCADE CREST TO 60 NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE. THE AREA IS COMMONLY
REFERRED TO AS THE FORECAST AREA.
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 29, 4:01 PM PST, 10 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
501 PM PDT SUN JUN 29 2008

ORZ010-011-WAZ019-040-301345-
NORTHERN OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS-NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES-
SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES-SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADE FOOTHILLS-
501 PM PDT SUN JUN 29 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST
OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING...WITH
ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER REPORTS OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH HAIL AND STRONG WINDS ARE
ENCOURAGED THIS EVENING.

ORZ001>009-012>014-PZZ210-WAZ020>023-039-301345-
NORTH OREGON COAST-CENTRAL OREGON COAST-
COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON-
CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-LOWER COLUMBIA-
GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY-
SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY-WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE-
CASCADE FOOTHILLS IN LANE COUNTY-CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY-
UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY-COLUMBIA RIVER BAR-WILLAPA HILLS-
SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST-I-5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY-
GREATER VANCOUVER AREA-
501 PM PDT SUN JUN 29 2008

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHWEST
OREGON...NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON COASTAL WATERS
AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

The radar

The Portland,OR radar (KRTX), 28 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 00:12 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clark

When
June 29, 4:11 PM PST
Where
Clark County, 0.69 mi S of La Center
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
45.860, -122.670

The wind toppled a small tree, which fell onto the roadway.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clark

When
June 29, 4:15 PM PST
Where
Clark County, 0.69 mi S of La Center
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
45.860, -122.670

A gust of wind knocked power lines down.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clark

When
June 29, 6:04 PM PST
Where
Clark County, 0.48 mi W of Yacolt
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
45.870, -122.410

A wind gust knocked a small tree down, blocking a roadway.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clark

When
June 29, 8:23 PM PST
Where
Clark County, 0.48 mi E of Ridgefield
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Crop damage
$1,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
45.820, -122.740

A wind gust knocked power lines down, and resulted in quite a lot of tree debris on the road.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clark

When
June 29, 8:29 PM PST
Where
Clark County, 0.48 mi E of Ridgefield
Measured
50 kt (58 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
45.820, -122.740

A few wind-fallen trees were blocking a roadway.

Thunderstorm Wind, Clark

When
June 29, 8:51 PM PST
Where
Clark County, 0.69 mi S of La Center
Measured
43 kt (49 mph) estimated gust
Crop damage
$1,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
45.860, -122.670

Lots of tree debris reported on the highway.

What these are

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Washington in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, June 2008

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: 115004, 115006, 115008, 115009, 115010, 115013.