Name: Strong Wind in Washington, May 9, 2012
Start: 2012-05-09T13:00
End: 2012-05-09T16:00
Location: Washington

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

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Heat and drought
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $3,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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 OTX wrote it up.

A dry cold front moved through the region on the morning of May 9th. Strong cold advection and strengthening pressure gradients behind the front lead to windy conditions across Eastern Washington during a majority of the afternoon. Observation platforms from Northeast Washington reported gusts in the 30 to 40 mph range however, terrain was thought to be responsible for localized higher wind gusts channeling into the Sacheen Lake area where a roof from an RV collapsed and trees were heard falling in the forest.

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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 9, 10:15 AM PST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 9, 10:15 AM PST, 2 hours 45 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SPOKANE WA
1115 AM PDT Wed May 9 2012

.SYNOPSIS...

A cold front will bring breezy winds and cooler temperatures to the
Inland Northwest today. There could also be just a few mountain
showers over northeast Washington and north Idaho. Sub-freezing
low temperatures are expected tonight and again Friday morning
with the greatest risk mainly north of highway 2. Cool weather
will persist through early Friday. High pressure will rebuild
again for the weekend into early next week with dry and warm
weather expected. Temperatures by early next week will be some of
the warmest so far this season.

&&

.DISCUSSION...
A cold low pressure trough continud to move through B.C. this
morning. Colder air continued to pour in with winds generally 15
to 20 mph. Srongest winds will be funneled across the Cascade
valleys this afternoon with strong cross Cascade surface pressure
gradients. Areas to look out for winds approaching 25 mph would be
east of Wenatchee into the Quincy and George areas of the Central
Basin.

Winds will gradually subside this evening. There will be freezing
temperatures toward the early morning hours mainly north of
highway 2. There will be isolated areas of near freezing
temperatures in the Turnbull area as well as the higher terrain
near Pullman. More widespread freezing temperatures can be
expected Thursday night.

So for today and tonight...Below normal temperatures and stronger
winds with freezing temperatures north and localized freeze in the
south. TC

&&

.AVIATION...
18Z TAFS: A cold front has moved through the forecast area and the
main aviation concern for today will be breezy and gusty winds.
Expect sustained winds of 15-25 mph at all terminals during much of
the day into this evening potentially incr near 30 mph for a few
hours at KEAT arnd 22-02z.  Gusts will generally range from 25-35
mph with localized higher gusts in the lee of the Cascades and at
KEAT.  After sunset Wednesday the gusts will diminish but sustained
winds will remain around 10 to 14 kts through 06Z
Thursday...decreasing wind further aft 06z except at KEAT.  TC

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
Spokane        61  35  56  33  63  38 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Coeur d'Alene  62  35  56  31  62  38 /   0   0  10  10   0   0
Pullman        60  33  52  30  62  38 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Lewiston       67  38  58  36  68  41 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Colville       67  33  62  33  70  39 /  10  10  10   0   0   0
Sandpoint      62  32  55  29  64  36 /  10  10  10  10   0   0
Kellogg        59  32  50  31  60  35 /   0  10  10   0   0   0
Moses Lake     67  36  64  34  69  42 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Wenatchee      62  38  64  39  69  44 /   0   0   0   0   0   0
Omak           65  33  63  30  68  40 /   0  10   0   0   0   0

&&

.OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
ID...None.
WA...None.
&&

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Strong Wind, Northeast Mountains

When: May 9, 1:00 PM PST to 4:00 PM PST
Where: Northeast Mountains forecast zone
Measured: 48 kt (55 mph) estimated gust
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Trained Spotter
Coordinates: 48.184, -117.511 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A trained spotter from the Sacheen Lake area relayed information and images of collapsed roof from a RV located just off Tennant Road. A second report from Moose Jaw Lane (about a mile from the scene of the collapsed roof) reported hearing several tree’s falling in the surrounding forest. The winds, according to the spotter were estimated to be between 45 and 55 m.p.h. and were gusting from varying directions.

What these are

Strong Wind: Non-thunderstorm winds below high wind criteria that nonetheless caused damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Washington in 2012 Every state in 2012 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, May 2012

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: 380174.