The Columbia Basin of eastern Washington is a dry basin under the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains. Consequently this area is an open range land of grass and sage which quickly dries out and becomes vulnerable to wildfire from late spring through early autumn.
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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 OTX wrote it up.
The Columbia Basin of eastern Washington is a dry basin under the rain shadow of the Cascade Mountains. Consequently this area is an open range land of grass and sage which quickly dries out and becomes vulnerable to wildfire from late spring through early autumn. Breezy downslope winds off of the nearby Cascade mountains are common and promote rapid spreading of wildfires in the basin.
The 243 Command Fire started on Monday night, June 3, near Highway 243 and Wanapum Dam. Winds pushed the fire easterly through the Lower Crab Creek Canyon of southern Grant County. Fire crews were able to contain it between the canyon’s northern and southern ridges. The fire burned 20,380 acres of mostly range and scrub land. No structure or homes were lost but some power lines and infrastructure were lost. There were no injuries reported. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
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 Jun 3, 3:34 PM PST, 4 hours 26 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Spokane WA 434 PM PDT Mon Jun 3 2019 .SYNOPSIS... Breezy conditions will decrease this evening with winds expected again on Wednesday. Cooler temperatures and dry conditions are expected through Wednesday. By Thursday and through the weekend expect temperatures to drop into the 60s, which is well below normal. A chance of showers and thunderstorms is also possible Thursday through Sunday, with Friday being the best potential for thunderstorms. && .DISCUSSION... Tonight through Wednesday...The upper level flow is beginning to flatten out this afternoon behind a passing cold front. This front was very dry and resulted in much cooler temperatures, breezy/gusty winds and very dry conditions. Winds have been gusting 20-30 mph with relative humidity between 15-25 percent, with a few areas a little drier. Winds should be on the decrease after sunset. The flat flow will remain over the region on Tuesday. Temperatures will cool off another 3-4 degrees with very dry relative humidity. winds however will only in the 5-15 mph range. The flow will begin to buckle again on Wednesday as another upper left trough takes aim at the region. The timing of the cold front has slowed down by 6-12 hours and it now looks the front will pass through the region Wednesday night. We will again see breezy/gusty southwest winds, with gusts 20-30 mph. Temperatures will be a couple of degrees cooler on Wednesday, but it looks like relative humidity will rebound 5-10 percent. Model guidance has been consistent showing some moisture moving into the Cascades by late afternoon, Enough so to support some showers near the crest. If this system slows any more, however, the best chances for showers will get pushed into Wednesday night and Thursday. Tobin Wednesday Night and Thursday: The upper level trough and low pressure system will move into the Pac NW. The cold front will move through Wednesday night. This will bring a few hours of gusty winds to the area Wed night. The strongest winds will be in the lee of the Cascades and into the Waterville Plateau with gusts of 20-30 mph. Thursday temperatures take a 5 to 15 degree dump compared to Wednesday. Showers are possible across the Idaho Panhandle and extreme SE WA through the morning with the threat extending into the northern mountains of WA and the Cascades during the afternoon and evening. Friday through Saturday: The low pressure system moves inland. This will keep the forecast area cool and unsettled. Friday will be the coolest day of the week, with valley temps in the 60s, which is about 10 degrees below average for this time of the year. Showers and afternoon/evening thunderstorms are expected. The few dry locations will be from Wenatchee area east into the Moses Lake region. Friday bodes the best opportunity for thunderstorms with the coolest 500 mb temps. The threat extends from east of a line from the Okanogan Highlands south and east through Spokane and down into the Palouse and Camas Prairie regions. These are expected to be your typical weak spring type thunderstorms with small hail and brief gusty winds. These will not be similar to last weeks storms where there was very heavy rainfall. Saturday we will see slight warming at 500 mb and models are not producing as much instability at the surface. The best chance of thunder on Saturday will be across the NE WA mountains and the northern ID Panhandle. Sunday and Monday: The low pressure system will exit the area Sunday. There will still be a slight chance for showers, but it will be confined to the ID Panhandle. A ridge will build in along the west coast by Monday with a dry forecast and temperatures in the mid 70s to mid 80s. /Nisbet && .AVIATION... 00Z TAFS: Dry and breezy conditions associated with a cold front will decrease this evening around sunset with the loss of daytime heating except remaining breezy at KEAT. Winds will again become gusty on Tuesday during the mid to late morning and afternoon hours but should be slightly less in magnitude compared to today. Skies will remain mostly clear with a continuation of VFR conditions. JW && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Spokane 49 77 50 76 51 64 / 0 0 0 0 0 20 Coeur d'Alene 49 76 50 76 51 64 / 0 0 0 0 10 30 Pullman 47 73 49 76 49 61 / 0 0 0 0 10 30 Lewiston 55 85 56 85 58 70 / 0 0 0 0 10 40 Colville 41 83 42 81 43 72 / 0 0 0 10 10 10 Sandpoint 49 76 48 74 50 64 / 0 0 0 10 10 20 Kellogg 52 73 52 74 53 62 / 0 0 0 0 20 40 Moses Lake 49 83 52 81 51 72 / 0 0 0 0 0 0 Wenatchee 53 79 55 76 52 69 / 0 0 0 10 0 0 Omak 49 80 50 76 48 69 / 0 0 0 0 0 10 && .OTX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ID...None. WA...None. &&
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Spokane WA 350 AM PDT Mon Jun 3 2019 IDZ001>004-026-027-WAZ031>038-041>044-041100- Northern Panhandle-Coeur d'Alene Area-Idaho Palouse- Central Panhandle Mountains-Lewiston Area- Lewis and Southern Nez Perce Counties-Northeast Blue Mountains- Lower Garfield and Asotin Counties-Washington Palouse- Moses Lake Area-Upper Columbia Basin-Spokane Area- Northeast Mountains-Okanogan Highlands-Wenatchee Area- East Slopes Northern Cascades-Okanogan Valley-Waterville Plateau- 350 AM PDT Mon Jun 3 2019 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North Idaho... North Central Idaho...Central Washington...East Central Washington...North Central Washington...Northeast Washington and Southeast Washington. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT No hazardous weather is expected at this time. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY No hazardous weather is expected at this time.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The 243 Command Fire started June 3, near Highway 243 and Wanapum Dam. Breezy winds pushed the fire easterly through the Lower Crab Creek Canyon. The fire crews were able to contain it between the canyon’s northern and southern ridges. The fire burned 20,380 acres of range land.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, June 2019
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: 832894.