Intense thunderstorms swept across western Washington on Wednesday night, lighting up the regional skies with electrical displays.
The storms brought substantial rainfall, causing localised urban flooding, whilst hail fell across the Puget Sound area. KOMO news chief meteorologist Shannon O’Donnell reported hail measuring 0.9 inches over the Olympics.
Lightning strikes caused significant damage to several buildings. A house fire occurred on Camano Island, equipment was damaged along SR 109 in Grays Harbor County, and emergency services responded to a lightning-struck house in Everett.
Power disruptions affected south Seattle, with Seattle City Light reporting 1,050 customers experiencing outages at 9:40 p.m. Wednesday. Puget Sound Energy noted approximately 1,500 customers without electricity.
On Wednesday, the national weather service issued a severe thunderstorm watch for Western Washington and Oregon for the potential threat of hail, lightning, strong winds, and heavy rain.
The Storm Prediction Center noted this was Seattle and King County’s first severe thunderstorm watch since June 1999, whilst Pierce, Lewis and Thurston counties last received such a watch in May 2017.
The weather system crossed the Oregon-Washington border at 5 p.m. Wednesday, progressing through the Chehalis Valley to Long Beach by 6 p.m., reaching Aberdeen-Olympia between 6-7 p.m., intensifying throughout its journey.
The system reached Seattle around 7 p.m., with lightning visible from downtown tower cameras. By 9:20 p.m., the NWS announced reduced severe weather risks south of Jefferson and Snohomish counties.
Seattle Public Schools cancelled evening activities, closing buildings at 5 p.m., including the Board Community Engagement session at Rainier Beach High School. Other districts followed suit with early closures.
Joint Base Lewis-McChord’s 62nd Airlift Wing evacuated C-17 Globemaster III aircraft preventatively to protect equipment and personnel from the forecasted severe weather.
The NWS identified large hail as the primary hazard, advising motorists to remain in vehicles and seek safe locations during hailstorms.
Mountain precipitation occurred at elevations up to 8,500 feet, with snow levels expected to decrease to 4,500 feet on Thursday and 3,500 feet by Saturday.
Lowland areas should expect temperatures in the 50s on Thursday and Friday, with gusty showers. Rainfall should cease by Saturday morning, leading to a drier, calmer weekend.
