2007 Western Washington in Review by NWS
Saturday, January 05, 2008
PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
...2007 WESTERN WASHINGTON WEATHER YEAR IN REVIEW...
THE YEAR WAS PUNCTUATED BY THE SECOND MAJOR DECEMBER STORM EVENT
IN TWO YEARS. THE DECEMBER 1-3 STORM OFFERED NEARLY EVERY WINTER
SEASON HAZARD...SNOW...STRONG WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL...MAJOR
FLOODING...LANDSLIDES...AVALANCHES AND HIGH COASTAL SURF AND
COASTAL FLOODING. THIS STORM RESULTED IN FIVE DEATHS...FIVE
REPORTED INJURIES AND FIVE STILL MISSING.
OVERALL...ADVERSE WEATHER DURING THE YEAR RESULTED IN SEVEN
DEATHS...18 INJURIES AND SIX MISSING. THE FATALITIES OCCURRED IN TWO
AVALANCHE INCIDENTS...THE OCTOBER 18 WIND STORM ALONG WITH THE EARLY
DECEMBER STORM. WEATHER RELATED PROPERTY DAMAGES TOTALED ABOUT $10.5
MILLION THROUGH OCTOBER. THE NOVEMBER AND DECEMBER TOTALS WERE NOT
YET AVAILABLE AND WILL LIKELY BE QUITE SUBSTANTIAL ONCE ALL THE
DAMAGES ARE ACCESSED.
THE YEAR BEGAN WITH A VARIETY OF WINTER WEATHER. A WIND STORM STRUCK
PARTS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON ON JANUARY 5 AND 6...KNOCKING POWER OUT
TO OVER 100000 CUSTOMERS IN THE NORTH SOUND. JUST DAYS LATER...A
COLD SNAP RESULTED IN LOWLAND SNOW FOR SOME AREAS WITH UP TO 10
INCHES OF SNOW...HIGHLIGHTED BY A MASSIVE MULTIPLE VEHICLE PILE-UP
ON I-90 WEST OF SNOQUALMIE PASS. OLYMPIA REPORTED ITS COLDEST DAYS
OF THE YEAR WITH LOWS OF 12 DEGREES ON BOTH JANUARY 11 AND 12.
THE SUMMER OFFERED A WIDE VARIETY OF WEATHER AS WELL. JULY 11TH
WAS THE WARMEST DAY OF THE YEAR WITH SEATAC AIRPORT HITTING 98
DEGREES...OLYMPIA 99 DEGREES AND HOQUIAM REACHING AN ALL-TIME RECORD
HIGH OF 99. THEN JUST A WEEK LATER...MOISTURE FROM A FORMER TROPICAL
STORM DRENCHED WESTERN WASHINGTON PRODUCING CLOSE TO 200 PERCENT OF
NORMAL RAINFALL FOR JULY. DESPITE THE APPEARANCE SUMMER WAS COOL. IT
TURNED OUT TO BE AN AVERAGE SUMMER FOR TEMPERATURES. FOR
INSTANCE...SEATTLE AVERAGES 25 DAYS A YEAR WITH READINGS OF 80
DEGREES OR MORE AND THE SUMMER OF 2007 HAD 26 DAYS. IN
ADDITION...SUMMER ENDED ABRUPTLY WITH THE LAST 70 DEGREE DAY ON
SEPTEMBER 13...THE SECOND EARLIEST THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED. THE
SUMMER OF 2007 WAS IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE BEST SUMMER SINCE
1967...THE SUMMER OF 2006.
THE ANTICIPATED LA NINA WINTER GOT OFF TO A WINDY START ON OCTOBER
18TH WITH THE SEASONS FIRST WIND STORM...KNOCKING DOWN HUNDREDS OF
TREES AND POWER OUTAGES TO ABOUT 300000 CUSTOMERS. A WIND SURFER
DROWNED IN LAKE WASHINGTON NEAR SAND POINT DURING THE STORM.
ANOTHER WIND STORM STRUCK THE REGION ON NOVEMBER 12TH...AGAIN
DOWNING A NUMBER OF TREES AND KNOCKING OUT POWER TO ABOUT 250000
CUSTOMERS.
THEN THE EARLY DECEMBER STORM HIT. THE COMBINATION OF SNOW...STRONG
WINDS...HEAVY RAINFALL...FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES RESULTED IN A
PRESIDENTIALLY DECLARED DISASTER. THREE RIVERS REACHED ALL-TIME
FLOOD RECORDS...THE CHEHALIS...ELWHA AND SKOKOMISH. RISING WATER
FROM THE CHEHALIS FLOODED MUCH OF THE CENTRAL CHEHALIS VALLEY
INCLUDING A 20-MILE STRETCH OF INTERSTATE-5...AND HUNDREDS OF HOMES
AND BUSINESSES. STRONG PERSISTENT WINDS ALONG THE COAST LEFT 100000
CUSTOMERS WITHOUT POWER. LANDSLIDES CLOSED MANY ROADS AND HIGHWAYS
IN THE REGION. PRELIMINARY ESTIMATES SHOW THAT PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS
WERE NEAR 100-YEAR RAIN FREQUENCY LEVELS ACCORDING TO THE STATE
CLIMATOLOGIST. BREMERTON SET A NEW ALL-TIME DAILY RECORD WITH 7.5
INCHES OF RAIN ON DECEMBER 3.
FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2002...THERE WERE NO TORNADOES IN WESTERN
WASHINGTON ALTHOUGH THERE WERE TWO FUNNEL CLOUDS REPORTED AS WELL
AS A WATERSPOUT OVER PUGET SOUND. WASHINGTON AVERAGES BETWEEN ONE
AND TWO TORNADOES PER YEAR.
WITH THE STREAKS OF WARM AND COOL WEATHER...TEMPERATURES WERE CLOSE
TO AVERAGE IN WESTERN WASHINGTON THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. PRECIPITATION
VARIED ACROSS THE REGION. FOR INSTANCE...FORKS WAS OVER EIGHT INCHES
ABOVE AVERAGE FOR THE YEAR WHILE OLYMPIA WAS CLOSE TO THREE INCHES
BELOW NORMAL. SEATTLE FINISHED CLOSE TO AVERAGE.
A LIST OF SIGNIFICANT 2007 EVENTS IN WESTERN WASHINGTON IS GIVEN
BELOW...AS WELL AS RECORD TEMPERATURES FOR SELECTED LOCATIONS.
SIGNIFICANT EVENTS
TORNADOES/WATERSPOUTS/FUNNEL CLOUDS
FEB 21 NEAR ORTING - PIERCE COUNTY
A FUNNEL CLOUD THAT LASTED LESS THAN A MINUTE WAS SPOTTED NEAR
ORTING.
APR 24 5 WEST OF EVERETT - SNOHOMISH COUNTY
A FUNNEL CLOUD WAS SIGHTED OVER PUGET SOUND WEST OF EVERETT FOR 3
MINUTES.
JUN 24 OFF MCNEIL ISLAND - PIERCE COUNTY
A WATERSPOUT DEVELOPED OFF MCNEIL ISLAND AND LASTED FOR ABOUT 5
MINUTES.
LIGHTNING
APR 18 KITSAP COUNTY
LIGHTNING STRIKES STARTED TWO SEPARATE HOUSE FIRES AS REPORTED BY
KITSAP COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT. TOTAL DAMAGES WERE ESTIMATED
AT $80000.
JUN 24 SEDRO WOOLLEY - SKAGIT COUNTY
THUNDERSTORMS DROPPED UP TO 1/2 INCH DIAMETER HAIL AND PRODUCED
LIGHTNING. LIGHTNING STRUCK A TREE NEAR SEDRO WOOLLEY AND THE
CURRENT HIT PEOPLE SHELTERING UNDER A GAZEBO NEXT TO THE TREE.
ALL FIVE WERE TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL.
JUL 13 KIRKLAND - KING COUNTY
LIGHTNING STRUCK A HOME IN KIRKLAND CAUSING ABOUT $5000 DAMAGE.
HAIL
OCT 19 NEAR MT RAINIER - PIERCE COUNTY
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS NEAR AND OVER THE CASCADES BRIEFLY
PRODUCED LARGE HAIL. A TRAINED NWS SPOTTER REPORTED NICKEL SIZED
HAIL (0.88 INCH DIAMETER).
HIGH WINDS
JAN 2 NORTH INTERIOR AND CENTRAL PUGET SOUND AREA STRONG WINDS
WITH GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH KNOCKED POWER OUT TO ABOUT 25000 CUSTOMERS
FROM THE CENTRAL PUGET AREA NORTH TO THE CANADIAN BORDER AND CAUSED
ABOUT $100000 IN DAMAGE.
JAN 5-6 ISLAND AND SNOHOMISH COUNTIES
A STRONG PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM PRODUCED DAMAGING WEST WINDS OF
25 TO 35 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 50 IN ISLAND AND SNOHOMISH COUNTY
BLOWING DOWN DOZENS OF TREES ONTO ROADWAYS AND HOMES AND KNOCKING
POWER OUT TO AT LEAST 100000 CUSTOMERS AREAS. DAMAGE WAS CLOSE TO
$1.65 MILLION.
JAN 9 NORTH INTERIOR
STRONG WINDS OF UP TO 54 MPH KNOCKED POWER TO ABOUT 40000
CUSTOMERS AS A PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVED THROUGH THE REGION.
DAMAGE WAS CLOSE TO $100000.
MAR 11 AREAS NEAR EAST ENTRANCE TO THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA
STRONG WEST WINDS WITH GUST TO 54 MPH BLEW THROUGH THE REGION NEAR
THE EAST ENTRANCE TO THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA. THE WIND KNOCKED
OVER A TREE THAT DAMAGED TWO HOMES NEAR OAK HARBOR AND ANOTHER TREE
FELL ON A SHED NEAR STANWOOD. ABOUT 1100 HOMES LOST POWER ON WHIDBEY
ISLAND AND NEARLY 3000 CUSTOMERS LOST POWER IN SNOHOMISH COUNTY.
TOTAL DAMAGE WAS ESTIMATED AT $7000.
OCT 18 MUCH OF WESTERN WASHINGTON
A DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PRODUCED STRONG WINDS WITH GUSTS UP TO
80 MPH THROUGHOUT MUCH OF WESTERN WASHINGTON KNOCKING DOWN
HUNDREDS OF TREES AND POWER OUT TO ABOUT 300000 CUSTOMERS. ONE
MAN DIED WHILE KITE SURFING NEAR SAND POINT IN SEATTLE DURING THE
WIND STORM. A WOMAN WAS INJURED AFTER BEING STRUCK BY A FALLEN
TREE. A NUMBER OF HOMES WERE DAMAGED BY FALLING TREES. DAMAGES
WERE ESTIMATED AT $2.5 MILLION.
NOV 12 MUCH OF WESTERN WASHINGTON
A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM PRODUCED DAMAGING WINDS THROUGHOUT
MUCH OF WESTERN WASHINGTON KNOCKING DOWN DOZENS OF TREES AND
POWER OUT TO NEARLY 250000 CUSTOMERS. TOTAL DAMAGE ESTIMATES ARE
NOT YET AVAILABLE.
DEC 2-3 WASHINGTON COAST AND OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS
AN INTENSE PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM PRODUCED STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS
WITH GUSTS UP TO 93 MPH KNOCKED DOWN HUNDREDS OF TREES AND POWER
OUT TO ABOUT 100000 CUSTOMERS PRIMARILY ALONG THE COAST. AN
ELDERLY MAN NEAR MONTESANO DIED WHEN HIS OXYGEN POWER SUPPLY WAS
CUT OFF. ANOTHER ABERDEEN MAN WAS STRUCK AND KILLED BY A FALLING
TREE. FOUR UTILITY WORKERS WERE HURT DURING THE STORM.
TOTAL DAMAGES ESTIMATES WERE NOT AVAILABLEGRAYS HARBOR COUNTY
PUD REPORTED AT LEAST $15 MILLION IN DAMAGES TO THEIR POWER
INFRASTRUCTURE.
WINTER STORMS
JAN 10-11 PUGET SOUND AREA NORTHWARD
A MODIFIED ARCTIC FRONT MOVED SOUTH FROM BRITISH COLUMBIA THROUGH
WESTERN WASHINGTON BRINGING HEAVY SNOW TO MANY LOWLAND AREAS FROM
THE PUGET SOUND AREA NORTHWARD. SNOW AMOUNTS VARIED FROM A FEW
INCHES UP TO 10 INCHES IN WHATCOM COUNTY. THE LATE AFTERNOON
COMMUTE ON THE 10TH WAS VERY SLOWSOME PEOPLE ENDED UP WALKING
INSTEAD. MANY SCHOOL DISTRICTS WERE CLOSED ON THE 11TH. DAMAGE
TOTALS WERE CLOSE TO $55000.
FEB 28 PUGET SOUND AREA NORTHWARD AND THE CASCADES
A VERY COLD UPPER LEVEL LOW BROUGHT AREAS OF HEAVY SNOW TO PARTS
OF WESTERN WASHINGTON LOWLANDS AND INTO THE CASCADES. A PUGET
SOUND CONVERGENCE ZONE ENHANCED SNOWFALL AND MOST OF THE HEAVY
SNOW FELL IN THE EVERETT AND VICINITY ZONE FORECAST AREA UP TO 8
INCHES. SEVERAL SCHOOLS HAD THEIR TRANSPORTATION ADVERSELY
IMPACTED. AS MANY AS 60 VEHICLES WERE INVOLVED IN A PILE UP WEST
OF SNOQUALMIE PASS WITH 7 PEOPLE HURT SERIOUSLY. THE PASS WAS
CLOSED FOR ABOUT 6 HOURS. DAMAGE TOTALS WERE ESTIMATED AT $108000.
DEC 1-2 MUCH OF WESTERN WASHINGTON
WARM MOIST AIR SPREAD OVER AN EXISTING COOL AIR MASS RESIDING IN
WESTERN WASHINGTON PRODUCING SNOW ACROSS MUCH OF THE REGION. SNOW
AMOUNTS WERE GENERALLY A TRACE TO 3 INCHES EXCEPT FROM 5 TO 8
INCHES IN PARTS OF THE HOOD CANAL AND KITSAP PENINSULA REGION AND
UP TO A FOOT IN PARTS OF THE PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS NEAR THE
CASCADE WEST SLOPES.
AVALANCHE
FEB 24 MT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
A SKIER WAS BURIED AND KILLED JUST WEST OF CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN.
DEC 2 NEAR ALPENTAL SNOQUALMIE PASS
THREE HIKERS WERE CAUGHT IN A SNOW SLIDE. ONE MAN WAS PARTIALLY
BURIED AND INJURED WHILE ANOTHER MAN AND WOMAN WERE BURIED AND
DIED.
DEC 2 NEAR CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN
THREE SNOWBOARDERS WERE MISSING AND PRESUMED DEAD IN AN AVALANCHE
JUST OUTSIDE THE CRYSTAL MOUNTAIN SKI AREA BOUNDARY.
DEC 19 MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK
A HIKER DISAPPEARED IN AN AVALANCHE WHILE RETURNING FROM A HIKE
TO CAMP MUIR. AT THE TIME OF THIS PUBLICATIONHE WAS MISSING.
FLOODS/HEAVY RAIN/MUDSLIDES
JAN 2-3 PARTS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON
THE STILLAGUAMISH...BOGACHIEL...SKOKOMISH...TOLT AND SOUTH FORK
OF THE NOOKSACK RIVERS FLOODED AS A RESULT OF HEAVY RAINFALL.
JAN 7-8 PARTS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON
HEAVY RAINFALL PRODUCED FLOODING ON THE SKOOKUMCHUCK...
CHEHALIS...DESCHUTES AND SKOKOMISH RIVERS. THE RAINFALL ALSO
PRODUCED WIDESPREAD URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING IN
JEFFERSON...KITSAP...MASON...KING...LEWIS...PIERCE AND GRAYS
HARBOR COUNTIES.
MAR 12-13 MUCH OF WESTERN WASHINGTON
MUCH ABOVE NORMAL PRECIPITATION LED TO FLOODING ON THE BOGACHIEL...
SKOKOMISH...NISQUALLY...NOOKSACK...SKAGIT...STILLAGUAMISH...
SKYKOMISH...SNOQUALMIE AND WHITE RIVERS.
MAR 24-25 PARTS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON
CONTINUED MUCH ABOVE NORMAL RAINFALL PRODUCED FLOODING ON THE
NISQUALLY...NOOKSACK...SKAGIT...STILLAGUAMISH...SKYKOMISH...
SNOHOMISH...TOLT...SNOQUALMIE AND PUYALLUP RIVERS.
JUL 20-22 PARTS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON
A STORM IN THE MIDDLE OF JULY HELPED PRODUCE MONTHLY RAINFALL
AMOUNTS THAT WERE CLOSE TO 200 PERCENT ABOVE NORMAL IN PARTS OF
WESTERN WASHINGTON...PRIMARILY ALONG THE COAST...THE OLYMPIC
PENINSULA AND PUGET SOUND REGION. EVEN THE SKOKOMISH RIVER GOT
QUITE CLOSE TO FLOOD STAGE ON JUL 22.
DEC 2-3 MUCH OF WESTERN WASHINGTON
A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAINFALL IN THE REGION PRODUCED FLOODING ON 17
RIVERS IN WESTERN WASHINGTON...THREE THAT REACHED RECORD FLOOD
LEVELS...THE CHEHALIS...SKOKOMISH AND ELWHA RIVERS. PRECIPITATION
RANGED FROM 10 TO 15 INCHES IN THE WILLAPA HILLS AND PARTS OF THE
OLYMPICS AND KITSAP PENINSULAS AND BETWEEN 3 AND 6 INCHES OF
RAINFALL ELSEWHERE. MANY SMALL STREAMS ALSO FLOODED. A 20-MILE
STRETCH OF INTERSTATE 5 IN LEWIS COUNTY WENT UNDER WATER AS THE
CHEHALIS ROSE TO ITS ALL-TIME RECORD LEVEL. THERE WERE A NUMBER OF
LANDSLIDES AND SINKHOLES THAT CLOSED ROADS AND HIGHWAYS SUCH AS US
HWY 101 IN SEVERAL LOCATIONS AND SR 92 NEAR MILL CREEK. A MAN NEAR
HOODSPORT WAS BURIED AND KILLED IN HIS HOME BY A LANDSLIDE. AN
ELDERLY MAN NEAR WINLOCK WAS MISSING AFTER A LANDSLIDE NEAR HIS
HOME. ANOTHER MAN REMAINED MISSING NEAR THE TAHUYA RIVER IN MASON
COUNTY. THE GOVERNOR DECLARED A STATE OF EMERGENCY FOR THE REGION
AND THE PRESIDENT DECLARED SEVERAL COUNTIES A DISASTER AREA. TOTAL
DAMAGE ESTIMATES WERE NOT AVAILABLE...BUT LEWIS COUNTY REPORTED AT
LEAST $165 MILLION IN FLOOD DAMAGE ALONE.
HEAT
JUL 11 WESTERN WASHINGTON
A HEAT WAVE OCCURRED IN WESTERN WASHINGTON...PUSHING TEMPERATURES
WELL INTO THE 90S. SEATAC AIRPORT REACHED 98 DEGREES AND OLYMPIA HIT
99...BOTH RECORD HIGHS FOR THE DATE.
RECORD TEMPERATURES AND PRECIPITATION SET IN 2007
SEA-TAC AIRPORT
HIGHS LOWS PRECIPITATION
01/02 56(T) NONE 01/02 1.77
03/06 68 01/03 1.01(TIED-1963)
04/06 78 05/20 0.56
05/15 85 07/18 0.29
05/30 87(TIED 87-1956) 07/20 0.45
07/11 98 07/21 0.29
09/10 85(TIED 85-1946) 08/20 0.16
09/11 84 10/02 0.80
11/15 1.09
12/03 3.77
OLYMPIA AIRPORT
HIGHS LOWS PRECIPITATION
01/23 56(T) 01/15 15 03/24 1.31
02/17 62 04/03 25 05/20 0.42
03/06 70 07/17 0.61
04/06 79 07/19 0.36
05/15 85 07/20 0.29
07/11 99 10/02 1.06
09/11 87 10/19 1.26
12/04 56(T) 12/02 2.12
12/03 3.19
QUILLAYUTE AIRPORT (NEAR FORKS)
HIGHS LOWS PRECIPITATION
01/27 55 01/12 17 01/05 2.60
03/04 61 04/03 26 03/10 1.96
04/05 68 05/14 33 03/11 3.05
04/06 69 10/05 32(T) 03/23 3.52
05/29 78 03/24 2.78
07/09 85 04/24 0.91
07/10 93 07/18 0.49
07/11 86(T) 07/20 0.73
10/23 72 07/21 1.60
07/22 0.42
07/23 0.26
09/03 1.27
10/02 0.98
HOQUIAM AIRPORT
HIGHS LOWS PRECIPITATION
04/05 75 01/14 25 03/23 1.62
05/29 87 10/05 37(T) 03/24 1.91
07/10 99 05/20 0.88
08/14 81 07/21 0.99
08/29 84 07/22 0.79
09/10 88 09/30 1.22
10/23 73 12/02 2.63
12/05 55
BELLINGHAM AIRPORT
HIGHS LOWS PRECIPITATION
03/06 68 01/13 15 03/11 1.49
04/06 74 01/14 10 03/24 0.58
07/10 86 05/22 39 09/30 0.73
07/11 94 05/29 39
10/23 69(T)
12/03 59(T)
STAMPEDE PASS
HIGHS LOWS PRECIPITATION
01/01 44 NONE 01/05 3.29
01/02 50 01/07 7.81
01/09 45 01/08 4.71
02/04 49 03/24 2.32
02/06 49 08/20 0.39
06/01 75
06/02 78
07/10 85(T)
07/11 89
07/12 86
12/03 47
NWS SEATTLE SAND POINT
HIGHS LOWS PRECIPITATION
01/27 55 01/12 20 01/02 0.89
02/17 62 01/13 25 04/18 0.19
03/05 60 01/14 22 05/20 0.52
03/06 71 01/15 26(T) 05/21 0.42
03/16 66 03/21 32 06/25 0.02
04/05 74 04/03 34 07/18 0.30
04/06 80 04/20 37 07/20 0.44
05/15 84 05/12 41(T) 07/21 0.22
05/30 83 05/14 42 07/22 0.44
06/02 79 05/27 45 07/23 0.07
06/03 86 05/28 45 08/08 0.13
07/03 82(T) 06/25 50 08/19 0.42
07/05 79(T) 06/26 50 09/30 0.79
07/06 77(T) 07/01 53(T) 10/07 0.24
07/11 95 08/11 53(T) 10/19 0.65
08/01 83(T) 10/25 38 12/02 1.48
08/02 84 10/26 35 12/03 4.15
09/11 83 12/08 27
11/03 60(T) 12/09 27
-- posted by Pat Timm @ 11:01 PM,
