Tornado and Hail in Washington, May 21, 2016

Name: Tornado and Hail in Washington, May 21, 2016
Start: 2016-05-21T22:35
End: 2016-05-21T22:52
Location: Washington

May 21, 2016 · NWS PDT · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A fairly short-lived thunderstorm intensified quickly and spun up a brief EF0 tornado that quickly dissipated. Very heavy rain and some localized flash flooding occurred in downtown Kennewick with this storm.

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: $20,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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 PDT wrote it up.

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 Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 21, 7:40 PM PST, 2 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 21, 7:40 PM PST, 2 hours 55 minutes before

Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
840 PM PDT SAT MAY 21 2016

.SHORT TERM...Tonight through Tuesday...Atmosphere stabilizing
with thunderstorms ending and showers decreasing. Accordingly,
have lowered pops substantially for rest of tonight. Did have an
active early evening with local minor damage and flooding in the
Tri Cities. See LSRPDT for details. Upper level low pressure area
that is over the area this evening will move off to the northeast
into Montana and southern Alberta overnight and early Sunday. This
will leave a cool northerly flow over the area on Sunday with less
instability. Surface gradient tightens...leading to windy
conditions for Sunday. Showers will be mainly over higher terrain
for Sunday through Tuesday. Temperatures will be slightly warmer
each day...but still below normal.

&&

.AVIATION...06z TAFS...VFR conditions will prevail at TAF sites
with bkn-ovc becoming sct aft 12z west TAF sites and aft 15-18z
east TAF sites. Winds g25-30 kts will occur at KPSC...KPDT...KALW
aft 15z.

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 440 PM PDT SAT MAY 21 2016/

SHORT TERM...Tonight through Tuesday. Satellite and radar
indicate the upper low is centered over the forecast area. This is
resulting in a variety of weather. Steady rain over the Cascades
into central Oregon will continue into the evening then diminish.
Closer to the low center showers and thunderstorms will continue
from the John Day highlands across northeast Oregon and into
southeast Washington. The precipitation will then diminish later
tonight as the low moves northeast into Idaho. Skies will remain
mostly cloudy. By Sunday the low center is moving into Montana and
the forecast area is under an upper level trough and northwest
flow aloft. Expect much less in the way of precipitation with
scattered showers mainly over the mountains. The Blues should
receive the best rainfall amounts with upslope flow. Westerly
winds will increase tonight and continue through Sunday. The
Columbia basin will have breezy conditions. For Monday and Tuesday
the region will be under a weak upper level trough and northwest
flow. Partly to mostly cloudy skies and isolated showers. Temperatures
cool tomorrow with highs in the 50s and 60s gradually warming Mon
and Tue. 94

LONG TERM...TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT...The extended
period starts off with a short break in the active weather pattern
for Tuesday night as the diurnally driven showers dissipate. However
additional showers and possibly even a few thunderstorms will
develop over the forecast area by Wednesday afternoon/evening as a
weak upper level disturbance combines with a marginally unstable
atmosphere. Therefore added chances for showers and a slight chance
of thunderstorms into the forecast during this time...mainly over
the mountains as the Foothills and Columbia Basin look to stay dry.
A very similar scenario plays out for Wednesday night into
Thursday...with the diurnally driven showers likely
ending/dissipating at night before redeveloping over the mountains
on Thursday afternoon. Continued with a slight chance of thunder
Thursday afternoon over the eastern mountains. The flow should turn
more south to southwest later on Thursday as our next upper level
closed low begins to approach. For the Friday-Saturday time period
leaned the forecast toward the more consistent GFS/CMC solution as
the latest ECMWF seemed too far east with the next closed low. Based
in the GFS/CMC solution the southerly flow of moisture and
instability would continue to increase across the CWA Friday into
Saturday with the slow moving meandering near the Oregon coast then
perhaps inland over the PACNW. Upper lows are notoriously hard to
forecast especially on days 6 and 7...therefore for now just upped
the POPS into the chance category over the mountains with slight
chance in the lower terrain...also added a slight chance of thunder
especially Saturday afternoon.

Temperature start off near average Wednesday and Thursday...with
highs in the upper 60s to mid 70s in the lower elevations and 50s to
lower 60s mountains. As the upper low moves closer or over us toward
the end of the week and next weekend temperatures begin to cool once
again...falling back into the 60s and lower 70s for highs in the
Foothills/Basin with 50s in the mountains. 77

AVIATION...00Z TAFS...VFR or MVFR conditions will prevail through
the evening hours across the area...then most terminals likely go
VFR overnight into Sunday. The lowest CIGS/VIS (025-040 FT and 4-
6SM) are over Central OR near KBDN & KRDM in light rain or
drizzle...this should end over the next several hours and CIGS/VIS
slowly lifts. Elsewhere intermittent showers will continue to
develop through the evening hours with BKN CIGS between 030-070 FT
expected...the atmosphere is unstable with the upper low...so
expecting good CB development and even a few thunderstorms...mainly
INVOF KPSC and possibly KPDT and KALW through about 22/03z.

Wind directions and speeds will be variable across the region this
evening. Winds remain steady overnight...generally less than
15kts...before increasing again to 20-25kts by late Sunday morning
and into the afternoon hours especially at KPDT...KPSC & KALW. 77

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 48 65 44 67 / 20 20 10 10
ALW 51 65 48 68 / 20 20 10 10
PSC 52 70 47 73 / 10 20 10 10
YKM 48 69 43 71 / 10 20 10 10
HRI 51 68 47 71 / 20 20 10 10
ELN 46 63 44 66 / 20 20 10 10
RDM 37 61 37 64 / 20 20 20 20
LGD 43 61 40 61 / 20 30 20 20
GCD 39 60 34 62 / 20 30 30 30
DLS 50 66 48 69 / 10 20 20 20

&&

.PDT Watches/Warnings/Advisories...
OR...None.
WA...None.
&&

79/77/79

In the hours before

Local storm report, May 21, 5:18 PM PST, 5 hours 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
618 PM PDT SAT MAY 21 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0435 PM     HAIL             KENNEWICK               46.20N 119.17W
05/21/2016  M0.75 INCH       BENTON             WA   PUBLIC

            PHOTO OF HAILSTONE NEXT TO A PENNY IN KENNEWICK AT HWY
            395 AND 10TH AVE.

&&

MVESCIO

Local storm report, May 21, 6:23 PM PST, 4 hours 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
723 PM PDT SAT MAY 21 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0500 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     PASCO                   46.25N 119.13W
05/21/2016                   FRANKLIN           WA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            SEVERAL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS RELAYED TO NEWS MEDIA OF FUNNEL
            CLOUD ABOUT 40 PERCENT DOWN TO THE GROUND. LOCATION BASED
            ON A COMBINATION OF EYEWITNESS REPORTS AND RADAR LOCATION
            OF THE STORM AT THE TIME OF THE REPORTS.

&&

MVESCIO

Local storm report, May 21, 6:27 PM PST, 4 hours 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
727 PM PDT SAT MAY 21 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0500 PM     FLOOD            KENNEWICK               46.20N 119.17W
05/21/2016                   BENTON             WA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            REPORTS OF STREETS AND BUSINESSES FLOODING BETWEEN QUINCY
            AND RANIER IN KENNEWICK.

&&

MVESCIO

Local storm report, May 21, 6:30 PM PST, 4 hours 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
730 PM PDT SAT MAY 21 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0445 PM     TSTM WND DMG     KENNEWICK               46.20N 119.17W
05/21/2016                   BENTON             WA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            LARGE TREE UPROOTED ON 7TH AVE AND OLYMPIA IN KENNEWICK.

&&

MVESCIO

Local storm report, May 21, 6:35 PM PST, 4 hours before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR
735 PM PDT SAT MAY 21 2016

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0435 PM     HAIL             KENNEWICK               46.20N 119.17W
05/21/2016  M0.75 INCH       BENTON             WA   PUBLIC

            PHOTO OF HAILSTONE NEXT TO A PENNY IN KENNEWICK AT HWY
            395 AND 10TH AVE.

0445 PM     TSTM WND DMG     KENNEWICK               46.20N 119.17W
05/21/2016                   BENTON             WA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            LARGE TREE UPROOTED ON 7TH AVE AND OLYMPIA IN KENNEWICK.

0500 PM     FUNNEL CLOUD     PASCO                   46.25N 119.13W
05/21/2016                   FRANKLIN           WA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            SEVERAL PHOTOS AND VIDEOS RELAYED TO NEWS MEDIA OF FUNNEL
            CLOUD ABOUT 40 PERCENT DOWN TO THE GROUND. LOCATION BASED
            ON A COMBINATION OF EYEWITNESS REPORTS AND RADAR LOCATION
            OF THE STORM AT THE TIME OF THE REPORTS.

0500 PM     FLOOD            KENNEWICK               46.20N 119.17W
05/21/2016                   BENTON             WA   BROADCAST MEDIA

            REPORTS OF STREETS AND BUSINESSES FLOODING BETWEEN QUINCY
            AND RANIER IN KENNEWICK.

&&

MVESCIO

The radar

The Pendleton radar (KPDT), 62 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 06:37 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 hail, 1 tornado. Local standard time, as filed.

Hail, Benton

When: May 21, 10:35 PM PST to 10:40 PM PST
Where: Benton County, 1.99 mi SE of Kennewick Vista Arpt
Measured: 0.75 in hail
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.200, -119.170

Tornado, Benton

When: May 21, 10:50 PM PST to 10:52 PM PST
Where: Benton County, 1.99 mi SE of Kennewick Vista Arpt to 1.93 mi SE of Kennewick Vista Arpt
Rating: EF0
Path length: 0.15 mi
Path width: 100 yd
Property damage: $20,000
Reported by: Public
Coordinates: 46.200, -119.170

We received a cell phone video captured from the general public that showed swirling motion at the surface.

What these are

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Washington in 2016 Every state in 2016 This day in weather history The tornado archive for Washington, 2016 Warnings in Washington, May 2016

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: 630795, 630791.