Heat — East Puget Sound Lowlands, Washington

2008-05-17 · East Puget Sound Lowlands, Washington

Event narrative

There were two indirect fatalities due to the heat. Both are missing and likely drowned. One kayaker spilled into the Green River and disappeared. One of 4 rafters, who where thrown into the Green River when their raft flipped, disappeared (King County). The Green river was well below flood stage.

Wider weather episode

Western Washington had its first hot spell of the year that followed below normal spring temperatures. So the heat was quite a sharp contrast. In addition, the heat helped push mountain snow melt streams higher (below flood levels) with swift running and cold water temperatures. This combination led to people seeking relief from the heat by heading to these swift running streams.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 107013. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.