Washington, 2019

High Wind in Washington, October 25, 2019

October 25, 2019 · NWS PDT · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A powerful shortwave trough and associated cold front swept over the Cascades during the day on the 25th. This lead to strong to severe gap winds affecting mainly the Kittitas Valley in central Washington.

Where it happened

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.

  • 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
$8,000
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.

A powerful shortwave trough and associated cold front swept over the Cascades during the day on the 25th. This lead to strong to severe gap winds affecting mainly the Kittitas Valley in central Washington.

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 Oct 25, 3:44 PM PST, 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 25, 3:44 PM PST, 16 minutes before
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The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Yakima Valley

When
October 25, 4:00 PM PST to 4:05 PM PST
Where
Yakima Valley forecast zone
Measured
52 kt (60 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$8,000
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
46.457, -120.739 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter reports a 5 foot diameter tree fell on a home, causing roof damage.

High Wind, Kittitas Valley

When
October 25, 4:05 PM PST to 4:08 PM PST
Where
Kittitas Valley forecast zone
Measured
54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by
ASOS
Coordinates
46.791, -120.709 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A 62 mph gust was measured at the Ellensburg Airport. No damage was reported.

What these are

High Wind
Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Washington in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, October 2019

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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 862236, 862235.