A potent upper level ridge of high pressure moved over the region and persisted through the end of July and the first of August. Across the region, multiple areas in the lower elevations reached critical thresholds for heat risk, while many mountain zones saw consecutive days with high temperatures exceeding 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 potent upper level ridge of high pressure moved over the region and persisted through the end of July and the first of August. Across the region, multiple areas in the lower elevations reached critical thresholds for heat risk, while many mountain zones saw consecutive days with high temperatures exceeding 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
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 Jul 31, 9:15 PM PST, 2 hours 45 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
1015 PM PDT Sun Jul 31 2022
.UPDATE...Scattered thunderstorms developed across central and
southeast Oregon this afternoon and evening with most CG strikes
in the Deschutes National Forest and far southern Blues. Outflow
winds 30-42 mph (much stronger in the Baker Valley) were measured
by various automated stations. Most stations reported less than
0.10 inch of rain, but Round Mountain RAWS northwest of La Pine
measured 0.22 inch. Storms are decaying and winds will soon
diminish.
Many challenges have been faced with public and fire weather. A
southerly flow aloft on the backside of a strong upper level ridge
is spreading monsoonal moisture across eastern Oregon and
southeast Washington. Debris clouds from thunderstorms have also
resulted in broken to overcast skies. This, in addition to smoke
aloft transported from the McKinney fire and other fires south of
forecast area, contributed to cooler temperatures than we
previously anticipated. However, once the sun came out,
temperatures climbed quickly. This could be the case tomorrow with
varying temperatures of 95 to 105 for areas under the Excessive
Heat Warning.
Tomorrow will be a busy day for forecasters as we also focus on
another round of scattered thunderstorms across central and
northeast Oregon. Frequent lightning and outflow winds are likely,
and thunderstorms producing gusty winds will be added to the
forecast. There will be a better potential for heavy downpours as
PWATs increase to around 1-1.2 inch, but it will likely be hit
and miss. Westerly winds aloft are increasing over WA, associated
with a shortwave trough tracking across BC. This will increase the
onshore flow and marine push for areas east of the Cascades, and
Red Flag Warnings have been posted for areas in and around the
Lower Columbia Basin. For details, refer to the Fire Weather
Discussion. Wister/85
&&
.FIRE WEATHER...UPDATE...Red Flag Warnings were issued for gusty
winds and low humidity for WA690, WA691, and OR641 from Monday
afternoon through Tuesday evening. The Red Flag Warning for
thunderstorms producing abundant lightning was expanded to include
OR645 (Wallowa County). A deep upper-level low situated offshore
with a strong upper-level ridge over the Pacific Northwest will
place the region under continued south-southwest flow aloft with
increasing mid-level moisture. Combined with strong daytime
heating and some elevated instability, showers and thunderstorms
are forecast to develop again on Monday afternoon across portions
of central Oregon into the eastern mountains. Strong, gusty
outflow winds of 30 to 50 mph will be possible along with abundant
lightning. While some storms may bring heavy downpours, others
may be dry. Breezy to locally windy conditions through the Cascade
gaps and into the Columbia and Deschutes Plateaus along with RH
values in the teens will raise concerns for rapid fire spread along
grassy fuels for Monday, Tuesday, and perhaps Wednesday.
&&
.AVIATION...06Z TAFs...Mid and high level clouds with bases AOA 15K
feet will remain over eastern OR and southeast WA for the next 24
hours. YKM and PSC will see increasing high clouds overnight. Smoke
aloft will also be visible, and the visibility may lower to 5-6SM in
haze Monday afternoon at BDN and RDM associated with the Tolo Mtn
fire near Crescent. Similar thunderstorm activity and coverage are
expected on Monday. Winds will diminish overnight but increase again
on Monday with WNW winds 10-20kts gusting to 25-30 kts at DLS, PDT,
and RDM. If thunderstorms develop in the vicinity of the TAF sites,
there is a good chance of gusty and erratic outflow winds. Wister/85
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 72 101 71 97 / 0 10 10 0
ALW 75 104 73 99 / 0 10 10 0
PSC 77 105 76 100 / 0 10 10 0
YKM 71 102 66 97 / 0 10 10 0
HRI 76 106 75 99 / 0 10 10 0
ELN 70 98 66 91 / 0 10 10 0
RDM 65 95 62 92 / 20 20 20 10
LGD 70 99 65 91 / 20 20 20 0
GCD 67 100 64 93 / 20 20 20 10
DLS 76 99 72 94 / 0 10 10 0
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Excessive Heat Warning until 11 PM PDT this evening for ORZ041-
505-508-510-511.
Heat Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for ORZ049-050-502-
503-506-509.
Red Flag Warning until 11 PM PDT Monday for ORZ610-611-640-642-
644.
Excessive Heat Warning until 11 PM PDT Monday for ORZ044-507.
Red Flag Warning from noon Monday to 9 PM PDT Tuesday for ORZ641.
Red Flag Warning from 1 PM to 11 PM PDT Monday for ORZ645.
WA...Excessive Heat Warning until 11 PM PDT this evening for WAZ024-
521.
Heat Advisory until 11 PM PDT this evening for WAZ030-520.
Excessive Heat Warning until 11 PM PDT Monday for WAZ026>029.
Red Flag Warning from noon Monday to 9 PM PDT Tuesday for WAZ690-
691.
&&
UPDATE...85
SHORT TERM...86
LONG TERM....74
AVIATION...85The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 excessive heat. Local standard time, as filed.
Calculated heat risk values at the Dallesport Airport GHCN site recorded consecutive days between July 26th through Aug. 1st of temperatures that met or exceeded excessive heat warning criteria.
Calculated heat risk values at the Walla Walla and Whittman Mission GHCN sites recorded several days between July 27th through Aug. 1st of temperatures that met or exceeded excessive heat warning criteria.
Calculated heat risk values at the Richland and Kennewick GHCN sites recorded consecutive days between July 27th through Aug 1st of temperatures that met or exceeded excessive heat warning criteria.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2022Every state in 2022This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, August 2022
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: 1053429, 1053430, 1053431.