A low pressure system caused very windy conditions, with some locally strong winds, through the Columbia River Gorge, across the Columbia Basin and the Kittitas valley. Localized blowing dust also occurred in the Basin and in the Grande Ronde valley.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. 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.
A low pressure system caused very windy conditions, with some locally strong winds, through the Columbia River Gorge, across the Columbia Basin and the Kittitas valley. Localized blowing dust also occurred in the Basin and in the Grande Ronde 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 Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 27, 1:24 PM PST, 2 hours 36 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pendleton OR 224 PM PDT Fri Apr 27 2018 .SHORT TERM...Tonight through Sunday night...An upper low, currently centered near 41N/129W, will continue to wobble northeast towards the central Oregon coast tonight into Saturday morning. Moisture is wrapping north along the eastern and northern sides of this low. As a result expect varying coverages of showers to continue to develop over the area this afternoon and evening. A few thunderstorms may also develop, with portions of Grant, Union and Wallowa counties having the best chances. Instability and shear are weaker than originally expected, but a local strong gust with these storms can not be completely ruled out. Overnight, a band of steadier showers should develop over northeast Oregon, northwest across the Washington Basin into Kittitas county. This band will gradually drift north into northern Washington and Idaho by mid morning Saturday. There is the outside chance of stray rumbles of thunder within this band, but confidence is low and will not mention in the afternoon forecast package. The upper low will move onshore Saturday afternoon, then it will weaken as it drifts east across the region Saturday night through Sunday night. With the upper low over the region, can expect to see cooler and unsettled conditions Saturday night through Sunday night. The best chances of showers will be over the higher terrain. Also a few thunderstorms may develop over the interior mountains in the afternoons and evenings. 90 .LONG TERM...Monday through Friday...Upper level low pressure will exit the area Monday/Monday night, with residual chances of showers across the eastern mountains decreasing. Dry northerly flow will develop Tuesday, with models in agreement Wednesday/Thursday depicting strong ridging across the interior Pacific Northwest. For Friday, GFS/ECMWF continue to be in poor agreement, with the GFS breaking down the ridge and developing more moist southwest flow. The ECMWF keeps the ridge overhead, with the 12Z ECMWF showing some amplification of the ridge. Given the differences, will make little changes to the Friday forecast keeping dry conditions area wide. Near normal temperatures Monday will warm to slightly above normal for Tuesday, with temperatures 10-15 degrees above normal for Thursday and Friday under the strong ridge. && .AVIATION...00Z TAFS...VFR conditions will prevail for the next 24 hours. Clouds will continue to lower and thicken late this afternoon, with mid deck clouds area wide this evening. A broken band of showers across central OR late this afternoon will become more organized and move north into northern OR this evening, eventually moving across southern WA overnight, exiting to the north by Saturday morning. Local MVFR will be possible in the heavier showers, but coverage of restrictions not sufficient to put into the TAFs. Isolated thunderstorms will develop across the highlands of central and eastern OR, but will remain away from the TAF sites. After a period of dry conditions area wide Saturday morning, another round of showers can be expected across central OR Saturday afternoon. Breezy to windy winds will prevail through this evening, with sustained winds of 15-25 KT with gusts to 35 KT possible, especially at DLS/PDT/PSC. Winds will gradually diminish overnight, with breezy conditions likely redeveloping Saturday afternoon. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... PDT 46 64 45 63 / 60 10 20 20 ALW 49 66 46 65 / 70 20 20 20 PSC 52 70 46 69 / 60 10 10 10 YKM 48 69 44 69 / 40 10 10 10 HRI 49 68 46 68 / 40 10 10 20 ELN 47 63 43 63 / 60 20 10 10 RDM 33 57 34 57 / 20 40 40 30 LGD 47 60 39 57 / 80 40 40 30 GCD 40 58 38 55 / 60 50 50 40 DLS 48 66 47 65 / 60 20 20 20 && .PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None. WA...None. && 90/80/80
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Highest sustained wind of 48 mph and highest gust of 59 mph occurred at the Bowers Field (KELN) on the north side of Ellensburg. Occurred around 600 PM PDT.
Power outages along Canal Drive in Kennewick and in the Garfield Hill subdivision of SE Kennewick. Strong winds in the Finley area (south of Kennewick) blew down tree branches 4 inches in diameter and produced blowing dust reducing visibility to 1/10th of a mile.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, April 2018
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: 745733, 745734.