Snowmelt in combination with recent rains across the region led the Columbia River to rise above flood stage near Vancouver.
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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.
Snowmelt in combination with recent rains across the region led the Columbia River to rise above flood stage near Vancouver.
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 May 17, 1:44 AM PST, 3 hours 22 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Portland OR 244 AM PDT Thu May 17 2018 .SYNOPSIS...Cloudy skies this morning should give way to sunshine in the interior valleys this afternoon and evening. An upper level low approaches from the north tonight and holds over the region Friday and Saturday. Another upper trough approaches from the west Friday and Saturday for a chance of showers over the Cascades. Less marine clouds the next few days will allow warming temperatures across the interior valleys. && .SHORT TERM...Today through Saturday night...Satellite imagery shows widespread stratus across the region this morning with clouds extending from well offshore the coast to the Cascade crest. Patchy drizzle is possible this morning, especially over the west slopes of the coast range and the Cascades where onshore winds may provide enough upslope to materialize drizzle from the marine stratus. An upper level ridge builds over the NE Pacific today, but an upper low over western Canada prevents the ridge from moving over Washington and Oregon. The overall airmass will be slightly warmer with the proximity of the upper ridge trough. The upper low will move from over Canada to over Washington this evening providing a better chance for atmospheric mixing and increasing the likeliness for clearer skies inland late this afternoon and early this evening. The increased sunshine and warmer airmass should lead to slightly warmer temperatures with the interior valleys peaking near 70 deg F. An upper trough over the NE Pacific deepens and becomes negatively tilted tonight as it approaches. This trough and the upper low over Washington merge over the Portland forecast area Friday morning pinching off the upper ridge to the north, and keeping an unstable air mass for the Pacific NW. Cascade showers are possible Friday and Saturday but do not expect any showers west of the Cascades. Thunderstorms are over the Cascades Saturday afternoon as diffluence increases from the approach of the offshore upper trough, and have added a slight chance of thunderstorms for the Oregon Cascades. ~TJ .LONG TERM...Saturday night through Wednesday...The forecast for the long term remains rather complex due to numerous differences among the operational models. The general model consensus shows an upper level low moving into northern California through early next week. Depending on how the low develops and where it tracks the forecast area could remain warm and dry with a threat for thunder over the Cascades or cool and somewhat cloudy with a chance of showers. Decided to use a blend of the operational models, with a slight preference towards the ECMWF, but confidence is low. && .AVIATION...MVFR flight conditions prevailing today with IFR cigs possible at the coast through late morning. Inland, cigs around 2000-3000 ft should become SCT-BKN 3000-3500 ft later this afternoon before filling in again tonight. KPDX AND APPROACHES...MVFR cigs 2000-2500 ft expected through 22Z then low VFR cigs. There may be a period of SCT layers 00Z-06Z Friday before filling in again later in the evening. /mh && .MARINE...Benign weather will continue through the end of the week and into the weekend, with high pressure well offshore bringing west to north breezes. Seas will remain 5 ft or less through the weekend. && .PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... OR...None. WA...None. PZ...None. && Interact with us via social media: www.facebook.com/NWSPortland www.twitter.com/NWSPortland This discussion is for Northwest Oregon and Southwest Washington from the Cascade crest to 60 nautical miles offshore. This area is commonly referred to as the CWA or forecast area.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
The Columbia River at Vancouver crested several times above flood stage May 17 through May 19th, with the highest crest at 16.14 feet around 8:15 AM on May 17th. This is 0.14 foot above flood stage. No damage was reported.
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, May 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: 760896.