An upper level low combined with monsoonal moisture resulted in widespread lightning over Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington. The convection was mostly elevated but resulted in power outages and some damage to parts of the Central Willamette Valley.
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 PQR wrote it up.
An upper level low combined with monsoonal moisture resulted in widespread lightning over Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington. The convection was mostly elevated but resulted in power outages and some damage to parts of the Central Willamette Valley.
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 Jul 13, 9:27 AM PST, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
1027 AM PDT SUN JUL 13 2014
.SYNOPSIS... AN UPPER LOW OFF THE NORTH CALIFORNIA COAST WILL MOVE
ACROSS OREGON SUNDAY AND BRING THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH TONIGHT. TODAY
WILL BE A TAD COOLER...BUT STILL WARM...DUE TO EXTENSIVE CLOUD COVER
FROM CONVECTIVE CLOUDS. INLAND TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE
NORMAL THROUGH THE LATTER PART OF NEXT NEXT WEEK.
&&
.UPDATE...FORECAST LARGELY ON TRACK AS THE UPPER LOW TRIGGERED
ELEVATED CONVECTION SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE THIS MORNING. SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND ISOLATED PULSE THUNDERSTORMS WILL PROGRESS NORTH THIS
MORNING AN SHOULD EXIT THE AREA OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HOURS. THE MAIN
IMPACTS HAS BEEN THE LIGHTNING WITH MINIMAL SURFACE RAINFALL THROUGH
THE DRY SUB-LAYER. SOME HAIL HAS BEEN MAKING IT THROUGH...HOWEVER...
WITH 3/8THS INCH THE LARGEST REPORT THUS FAR.
CLOSELY ON THE HEALS THIS AFTERNOON WILL BE MORE OF THE SURFACE
BASED CONVECTION AND THE GREATER CONCERN FOR STRONG STORMS. HAVE THE
PRIMARY THREAT FROM THESE STORMS AS BRIEF HEAVY RAIN GUSTY WINDS AND
MODERATELY SIZED HAIL. LOOKS LIKE THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL REMAIN
OVER THE CASCADES THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WHERE THE STEEPEST
LAPSE RATES ALOFT AND THE 0-6 KM BULK SHEAR IS IN THE 45 TO 50 KT
RANGE. MOST OF THE SHEAR IS SPEED BASED FROM THE PASSING JET ABOVE
BUT THERE IS A LITTLE BIT DIRECTIONAL SHEAR AS WELL. THE DIRECTIONAL
SHEAR IS WHAT TENDS TO GIVE THE STORMS A BIT MORE LONGEVITY AND
BETTER POTENTIAL FOR VERTICAL CIRCULATIONS TO GIVE HAIL MULTIPLE
TRIPS THROUGH THE UPDRAFTS. AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...WILL ALSO SEE
MOST OF THESE CELLS MOVE FROM SOUTH TO NORTH THROUGH THE EARLY
EVENING WITH STABILIZING ALSO OCCURRING FROM WEST TO EAST AS THE
NEGATIVELY TILTED TROUGH AXIS BECOMES MORE MERIDIONAL AND CENTERED
OVER NORTH WASHINGTON.
IN ADDITION TO OUR NORMAL CHANNELS...WE WILL BE SENDING UPDATES OUT
VIA SOCIAL MEDIA. LINKS ARE AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PRODUCT.
/JBONK
&&
.PREV DISC... /ISSUED 313 AM PDT SUN JUL 13 2014/
SHORT TERM...AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH APPROACHING THE OREGON COAST HAS
DEEPENED THE MARINE LAYER OVERNIGHT AND LOW MARINE CLOUDS ARE
ALREADY PUSHING INLAND. THERE HAS ALSO BEEN REPORTS OF DRIZZLE ALONG
THE COAST. THE STRATUS IS ALREADY TO KELSO AND WILL CONTINUE PUSHING
FURTHER UP THE LOWER COLUMBIA RIVER VALLEY INTO THE NORTHERN AND
CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY THIS MORNING. ALSO EXPECT STRATUS ALONG
THE CENTRAL OREGON COAST AND SOUTH TO PUSH NORTHWARD INTO THE
SOUTHERN WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS THE TROUGH BECOMING NEGATIVELY TILTED AS IT
APPROACHES THE COAST. A SWATH OF MID-LEVEL MOISTURE AHEAD OF THE
TROUGH IS SPREADING ACROSS OREGON. THE COMBINATION OF THE
TROUGH...AND THIS MOISTURE PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT ENVIRONMENT FOR
THUNDERSTORMS TODAY. THE GREATEST INSTABILITY AND MOISTURE IS HIGHER
IN THE ATMOSPHERE MAKING THEM LESS DEPENDENT ON SURFACE HEATING AND
TERRAIN. THEREFORE...THE STORMS WILL BE ABOVE THE STRATUS AND MAY
START EARLY THIS MORNING AS THE TROUGH BEGINS TO MOVE OVER THE LAND.
THE THREAT FOR SURFACE-BASED THUNDERSTORMS INCREASES THIS AFTERNOON
WHEN MODELS ARE FORECASTING LI'S OF NEGATIVE 4 TO 6C ACROSS THE
WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND CASCADE FOOTHILLS. GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY
RAIN...LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY HAIL IS EXPECTED WITH THE AFTERNOON
THUNDERSTORMS. THE STORMS SHOULD BE MAINLY OVER THE NORTHERN CASCADES
AFTER 10 PM TONIGHT.
THE MARINE CLOUDS COMBINED WITH CONVECTIVE DEBRIS CLOUDS...AND COOLER
AIR FROM THE TROUGH WILL RESULT IN SOME COOLING TODAY AND HAVE LET
THE HEAT ADVISORY EXPIRE. INLAND TEMPERATURES SHOULD PEAK IN THE 80S
LATE THIS AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WILL WARM MONDAY AND TUESDAY AS AN
UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE AREA. A MOIST AIR MASS WILL REMAIN MONDAY
WITH LITTLE RELIEF OF THE HEAT OVERNIGHT. INCREASED SUBSIDENCE WILL
RESULT IN SHALLOWER MARINE CLOUDS MONDAY NIGHT INTO TUESDAY MORNING
AND EXPECT HOT WEATHER FOR TUESDAY. MODELS ARE FORECASTING 22-24C
850MB TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION. THE AIR MASS WILL BE DRIER
HOWEVER AND NOT FEEL AS HUMID. HAVE ISSUED A NEW HEAT ADVISORY FOR
MONDAY AND TUESDAY DUE TO THE WARM AND HUMID WEATHER EXPECTED ON
MONDAY AND THE HOT WEATHER ON TUESDAY. TJ
LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...ONSHORE WINDS WILL INCREASE
WED WITH COOLER MARINE AIR RESULTING IN SLIGHT COOLING. AN UPPER
LEVEL TROUGH WILL SLIDE DOWN THE B.C. AND WASHINGTON COASTS WED NIGHT
AND THURSDAY...JUST CLIPPING NW OREGON. THIS WILL RESULT IN MORE
MARINE CLOUDS AND SOME COOLING FOR THURSDAY. THE TROUGH WILL MOVE
OVER THE AREA ON FRIDAY AND EXPECT SEASONAL TEMPERATURES. THE RIDGE
WILL BUILD SATURDAY FOR MORE WARMING OVER THE AREA. TJ
&&
.AVIATION...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE SCATTERED ACROSS THE AREA THIS
MORNING AND NOT RESTRICTED TO THE MOUNTAINS. THESE STORMS AREA
HIGH BASED WITH CIGS 070-100 AND WILL PRODUCE SOME GUSTY
DOWNDRAFT WINDS AND SMALL HAIL. THERE MAY BE A BRIEF DOWNTURN IN
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY MIDDAY AND THEN SURFACE BASED CONVECTION
LATER THIS AFTERNOON EXTENDING INTO THE EVENING THROUGH 06Z IN THE
SOUTH AND 10Z IN THE NORTH. VERY STRONG MARINE INVERSION WILL KEEP
DENSE STRATUS WITH IFR AND LOCAL LIFT CONDITIONS ALONG THE COAST.
DON'T EXPECT MUCH BREAK UNLESS A STRONG THUNDERSTORM BRIEFLY
CLEARS OUT THE STRATUS. STRATUS MOVED DOWN THE COLUMBIA TO NEAR
KPDX THIS MORNING BUT SHOULD BREAK OUT AT KKLS AROUND 19Z AS THE
CONVECTION BAND REACHES THAT AREA. SOME STRATUS ALSO INTO THE
SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY THIS MORNING WITH MVFR CIGS THROUGH 18Z.
STRATUS WILL PROBABLY SPREAD INLAND TO MUCH OF THE WILLAMETTE
VALLEY LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING WITH IFR AND MVFR CIGS.
SCHNEIDER
KPDX AND APPROACHES...NO CHANGES. VFR CIGS NEXT 24 HRS. EXPECT
THUNDERSTORMS TO MOVE INTO THE TERMINAL AREA AFT 17Z AND CONTINUE
OFF AND ON THROUGH AT LEAST 19Z. MAY BE A BRIEF BREAK FOR AN HOUR
OR TWO 19Z-22Z THEN INCREASING THUNDERSTORMS IN THE APPROACHES AFT
22Z. SCHNEIDER
&&
.MARINE...UPPER DISTURBANCE MOVING ACROSS THE WATERS TODAY WILL
RESULT IN SCATTER THUNDERSTORMS THAT WILL SPREAD FROM THE CENTRAL
OREGON COAST EARLY THIS MORNING TO THE NORTH OREGON AND SOUTH
WASHINGTON COAST BY NOON. HIGH PRES WILL REMAIN OVER THE NE PAC
TODAY AND TONIGHT...KEEPING LIGHT WINDS FROM THE NW. MODELS
CONTINUE TO KEEP LIGHT WINDS OVER THE WATERS AS UPPER LEVEL
DISTURBANCE APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTHWEST TODAY. NW WINDS LIKELY
TO INCREASE MONDAY AFTERNOON WITH THE PASSAGE OF THE DISTURBANCE
AND INCREASE IN HIGH PRESSURE OFFSHORE. SCHNEIDER
UPDATED SEAS...WELL OFFSHORE BUOYS 46002 AND 46005 ARE SHOWING
THE LONG PERIOD SWELL AT 16 SECONDS ARRIVING EARLY THIS MORNING.
EXPECT THIS LONGER PERIOD SWELL TO IMPACT THE WATERS TODAY...BUT
SEAS WILL REMAIN IN THE 3-4 FT RANGE. IT WILL STILL BE MIXED WITH
A SHORTER PERIOD WESTERLY SWELL IN THE SAME HEIGHT RANGE WITH A
PERIOD OF 9 TO 10 SECONDS. MONDAY THE WINDS WILL PICK UP AND
REGENERATE THE NW SWELL. EVEN THOUGH THERE IS RELATIVELY LIGHT
INCOMING SWELL...EVEN WITH LOW SEA HEIGHTS VERY STRONG EBB MON
MORNING AND MAY NEED A SMALL CRAFT FOR THE COLUMBIA BAR BUT WILL
REEVALUATE THIS AFTERNOON. SCHNEIDER
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...TODAY HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE ONE OF THE MORE ACTIVE
CONVECTIVE DAYS IN QUITE A WHILE. AN UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCE OFF THE
SOUTH OREGON COAST THIS MORNING WILL MIGRATE NORTH TODAY AND THIS
EVENING. THE COMBINATION OF ENERGY FROM THE DISTURBANCE AND HOT AND
UNSTABLE CONDITIONS WILL LEAD TO AN ENHANCED THREAT OF
THUNDERSTORMS. LIGHTNING HAS ALREADY OCCURRED OVER PORTIONS OF THE
OREGON CASCADES AND FOOTHILLS THIS MORNING. THE AIR MASS IS RATHER
MOIST THUS STORMS WILL BE WET. THERE IS ALSO THE THREAT OF STRONG
AND GUSTY OUTFLOW WIND GUSTS AND HAIL WITH THESE STORMS. ONSHORE LOW-
LEVEL FLOW INCREASES OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY BEHIND THE DEPARTING
SYSTEM. HOWEVER...HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT STRENGTHENS ONCE AGAIN TUESDAY
WHICH WILL RESULT IN A RETURN TO HOT CONDITIONS. THERE IS THE
POSSIBILITY THAT SOME AREAS COULD GET CLOSE TO 100 DEGREES TUESDAY
AFTERNOON. LONGER RANGE CHARTS HINT AT A MINOR COOLING TREND MID TO
LATE IN THE WEEK. WEISHAAR
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM MONDAY TO 11 PM PDT TUESDAY FOR CASCADE
FOOTHILLS IN LANE COUNTY-CASCADES IN LANE COUNTY-CENTRAL
COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-CENTRAL COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE-
CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY-COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON-
GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-LOWER COLUMBIA-NORTHERN OREGON
CASCADE FOOTHILLS-NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES-SOUTH WILLAMETTE
VALLEY-UPPER HOOD RIVER VALLEY-WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE.
WA...HEAT ADVISORY FROM 11 AM MONDAY TO 11 PM PDT TUESDAY FOR CENTRAL
COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE-GREATER VANCOUVER AREA-I-5 CORRIDOR IN
COWLITZ COUNTY-SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADE FOOTHILLS-SOUTH
WASHINGTON CASCADES-WESTERN COLUMBIA RIVER GORGE-WILLAPA
HILLS.
PZ...NONE.
&&
MORE WEATHER INFORMATION ONLINE AT...HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND
INTERACT WITH US VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.PORTLAND.GOV
WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSPORTLAND
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.The Portland,OR radar (KRTX), 131 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 20:01 UTC.
1 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.
Abundant lightning resulted in around 1000 PGE customers without power in the Albany and Corvallis area. A public caller reported that a large tree struck from lightning fell onto a home.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, July 2014
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: 527676.