Weak Tornado in Washington State

news image
Top Stories
5 Oct 2019 7:42 AM
You read the headline right -- a weak and brief tornado was confirmed in Thurston County, WA, on Friday afternoon according to preliminary data from the local National Weather Service. The quick touchdown happened just minutes before 2 PM PT to the southeast of Grand Mound, which is along the I-5 corridor south of Olympia.  The NWS in Seattle determined that this was a tornado based on videos taken by people in the area, and did not do a storm survey.  Both media as well as the radar at the time this occurred were used to make this evaluation. Because there was no damage or injuries from this storm, the team ranked it an EF-U, which means the peak winds were unknown.  This is a preliminary rating, and there would need to be confirmed damage to rate it on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. The tornado was estimated to have a width of less than 50 feet with a path of under 100 feet, being on the ground for less than one minute. Tornadoes rarely happen in the Evergreen State, as they are one of numerous states out west that average less than 5 per year. https://twitter.com/NWSSeattle/status/1180276325673652224?s=20 You can read the full report here from the National Weather Service: https://twitter.com/NWSSeattle/status/1180247230910910464?s=20
All Weather News
More
Warm Weather Returns Out West

Warm Weather Returns Out West

A ridge of high pressure is building in our w

8 Jul 2026 8:45 PM
Stormy Pattern Ahead for the Plains and Midwest

Stormy Pattern Ahead for the Plains and Midwest

Severe weather is in the forecast across the

8 Jul 2026 7:15 PM
Colorado State University Scales Back 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast

Colorado State University Scales Back 2026 Atlantic Hurricane Season Forecast

Colorado State University researchers have lo

8 Jul 2026 6:30 PM
Saharan Dust, Excessive Heat Impact the Southeast

Saharan Dust, Excessive Heat Impact the Southeast

Hazy skies will be hovering over portions of

8 Jul 2026 2:37 PM
Babylon Fire in UT Surpasses 100,000 Acres, CO Fires Continue to Grow

Babylon Fire in UT Surpasses 100,000 Acres, CO Fires Continue to Grow

The Aspen Acres fire continues to burn in Sou

8 Jul 2026 2:10 PM
After Flooding in the NE, Strong Storms Stick Around

After Flooding in the NE, Strong Storms Stick Around

NEW JERSEY - Heavy rainfall rates of around 2

8 Jul 2026 2:05 PM
Muggy and Stormy in the South

Muggy and Stormy in the South

SOUTHEAST - It's been muggy and stormy in the

5 Jul 2026 8:40 PM