A shortwave trough continued across central Oregon into central and eastern Washington, resulting in convective activity from the previous day moving north into this area. While most storms produced weak gusty outflows, a storm in the Goldendale area produced strong winds that resulted in property damage.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 shortwave trough continued across central Oregon into central and eastern Washington, resulting in convective activity from the previous day moving north into this area. While most storms produced weak gusty outflows, a storm in the Goldendale area produced strong winds that resulted in property damage.
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 17, 4:20 AM PST, 5 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
520 AM PDT Wed Jul 17 2024
.AVIATION...12Z TAFs...VFR conditions are forecast through the
period for all sites, though a low pressure system transiting the
region will facilitate widespread mid- and high-level clouds as
well as shower and thunderstorm chances across the region today.
Ongoing shower and thunderstorm activity will continue to lift
north-northeast across north-central Oregon into south-central
Washington through the morning. Confidence in lightning activity
at terminals is too low to include mention in TAFs at this time.
This afternoon, there is more uncertainty with regard to
convection across the Columbia Basin and foothills of the Blue
Mountains; current thinking places a 15-20% chance of isolated
thunderstorms in the vicinity of PDT/ALW/PSC/YKM, but confidence
in timing and location precludes mention in TAFs. Gusty outflow
winds of up to 45 mph have been observed with ongoing convection
and will be possible with any afternoon activity. Plunkett/86
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /issued 418 AM PDT Wed Jul 17 2024/
SHORT TERM...Today through Friday...Multiple weather concerns
over the next 12-24 hours revolving around isolated thunderstorm
potential and heat. Initial concerns revolve around isolated
thunderstorms capable of infrequent CG lightning and strong
outflows, the former promoting potential for new fire starts.
Isolated storms have been confined to central OR and west of the
Cascades overnight so far with predominantly very infrequent
lightning (5 or less CG strikes/5 mins) with the activity over the
last three hours. Some gusts this evening have been notable with
some sites seeing above 45 mph from thunderstorms. Otherwise, heat
products remain unchanged with existing heat advisory areas
outside the Lower Columbia Basin, Yakima Valley, and Kittitas
valley dropping off this evening. The aforementioned areas will
see an additional day of heat-impacts with the head advisory and
excessive heat warning ending tomorrow/Thursday evening.
Latest water vapor imagery shows dry slot moving across central OR
as a shortwave trough is lifting north northeast across western
OR. Isolated thunderstorms have been seen to be forward of the
tropopause anomaly where there is strong broad ascent. Very
limited instability but a primed environment with steep mid-level
lapse rates and decent mid-lower level moisture over 700-500 mb as
moisture continues to move north and east. This combined with
enhanced orographic lift will keep a risk for isolated
thunderstorms in place. Of which, the risk will be spreading and
shifting north and east through the morning becoming more confined
to south central WA today. That said, there is a low chance
(15-20%) for isolated storms across the Blues this afternoon as
well. A decent signal is seen across the WA Cascades with the
latest HREF when it comes to 4-hr max 1-km dBZ > 40 dBZ (which
exceeds 50%), alongside 4-hr lightning probs that exceed 60%. This
increases confidence in the RFW for abundant lightning with lower
chances then extending farther east into the Lower Basin of
Washington and Oregon. The threat remains sufficient across the
Lower Basin so no change to the Red Flag Warning.
Meantime, highs will be 2 to 4 degrees warmer outside the Cascades
with heat headlines continuing today owing to NWS HeatRisk of
high-end moderate to major. Greatest risk for heat impacts tied to
the Kittitas and Yakima Valleys driven by mild morning lows this
morning and overnight tomorrow. Little to no change in highs
tomorrow across the Lower Columbia Basin and the Yakima and
Kittitas valleys. As such, the headlines extend one day further
in those areas. Of which, highs around 15 to approaching 20
degrees above normal today and tomorrow.
Looking ahead, shortwave ridge builds in behind the exiting
disturbance Thursday with southwest flow in place. Highs and lows
still above average but are sufficient to lower the risk of
impacts from heat. The dominant upper ridge across the desert SW
shifts west by Friday with its ridge axis extending north across
the Interior NW promoting dry and fair weather. However, triple
digit temperatures more likely than not across the lower
elevations. 60-80% for exceeding 100 F on Friday across the Lower
Basin with lower chances/lower confidence elsewhere.
LONG TERM...Friday night through Wednesday...Confidence is high
(>95% chance) in continued above-normal temperatures Saturday
through Monday as an amplified mid- to upper-level ridge remains
over the West. While ensemble guidance does showcase some spread
in temperatures over the weekend, the current forecast is
supportive of heat highlights for most of our forecast zones.
Additionally, low- elevation population centers in the Columbia
Basin and adjoining foothills and valleys have a 20-60% chance of
exceeding 105 degrees on Saturday and Sunday.
More uncertainty surrounds chances of convection. Analysis of
ensemble clusters reveals over 60% of members track some form of
a vorticity maximum into the Pacific Northwest sometime between
late Saturday through Sunday. Timing of the shortwave currently
favors convection the most on Sunday.
Monday through Wednesday, ensembles suggest a potential ridge
breakdown as a low pressure system in the Pacific attempts to
push onshore. While significant variance among ensemble members
exists with regard to pattern details, a ridge breakdown would
facilitate shower and thunderstorm chances as well as cooler
temperatures and a return to breezy winds through the Cascade
gaps. Ensemble clusters are roughly split on whether the low will
be able to displace to ridge or if the ridge will divert the low
northwest into Canada. Plunkett/86
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PDT 100 65 98 64 / 20 10 0 0
ALW 102 69 101 67 / 20 10 0 0
PSC 103 69 103 68 / 20 10 0 0
YKM 100 65 101 63 / 20 10 0 0
HRI 104 69 103 67 / 20 10 0 0
ELN 99 66 99 65 / 20 20 0 0
RDM 96 56 95 55 / 10 0 0 0
LGD 95 62 96 61 / 20 10 0 0
GCD 98 60 97 60 / 20 0 0 0
DLS 97 65 94 67 / 20 0 0 0
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Heat Advisory until 10 PM PDT this evening for ORZ041-505-507-
508-510.
Red Flag Warning until 5 PM PDT this afternoon for ORZ641.
Heat Advisory until 10 PM PDT Thursday for ORZ044.
Red Flag Warning until 9 AM PDT this morning for ORZ610-611-639-
640.
WA...Heat Advisory until 10 PM PDT this evening for WAZ024-029-521.
Red Flag Warning until 5 PM PDT this afternoon for WAZ690-691-
694-695.
Heat Advisory until 10 PM PDT Thursday for WAZ028.
Excessive Heat Warning until 10 PM PDT Thursday for WAZ026-027.
&&
SHORT TERM...80
LONG TERM....86
AVIATION...86Preliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
1158 PM PDT Tue Jul 16 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0734 PM Tstm Wnd Dmg 8 NW Bend 44.17N 121.40W
07/16/2024 Deschutes OR Public
Report from mPING: 1-inch tree limbs broken;
Shingles blown off.
&&
ETPreliminary Local Storm Report
National Weather Service Pendleton OR
1159 PM PDT Tue Jul 16 2024
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0755 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 3 WSW Prineville 44.28N 120.90W
07/16/2024 M48 MPH Crook OR AWOS
AWOS station KS39 Prineville.
0803 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 1 ESE Redmond 44.25N 121.15W
07/16/2024 M47 MPH Deschutes OR AWOS
AWOS station KRDM Redmond.
0749 PM Tstm Wnd Gst 20 SSE Prineville 44.05N 120.67W
07/16/2024 M46 MPH Crook OR Mesonet
Mesonet station SLTO3 Salt Creek-prineville.
&&The Pendleton radar (KPDT), 149 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 12:23 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A member of the public sent videos of strong outflow winds impacting their home, with photos showing damage to a sturdy shed detached from the house. They also reported that their neighbors large trees had been uprooted.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, July 2024
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: 1206953.