Could Parts of Idaho and Washington See Tornadoes on Wednesday?

In an extreme plot twist from Mother Nature, there are reports that amid this beautiful Spring Break week, there could be severe storms and tornado activity across the Pacific Northwest in Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.

Tornadoes in the PNW aren’t unheard of. Idaho, Washington, and Oregon each had at least one confirmed twister last year. The concern with the claim of possible tornadoes this week is confusion over conflicting sources.

I lived in Kansas for a few years and never saw a tornado, and only heard the tornado sirens during tests. But Kansas is known for tornadoes and has more than 220 of them documented since 2021.

Between Idaho, Oregon, and Washington, there have only been 28 in that same time period and all of them with the exception of 2, were EF0 magnitude, which is the weakest rating possible for a tornado.

Meteorologist Says Tornadoes Possible in Idaho and Washington

The reason people are talking about tornadoes this week is due to a social media post from Ph.D. Meteorologist Chris Nunley. Over the last few days, he has made several graphics showing where and when the severe storms would hit the Pacific Northwest states and where the possible tornadoes could happen.

In one post, he says to ‘Expect a lot of lightning, small hail, gusty winds and possibly a couple tornadoes’ on Wednesday of this week.

In another update, he says some sections of Washington and Oregon should expect hail larger than 2 inches. In his latest update on the storms and the possibility of hail and tornadoes, he says ‘Storms will lift north producing lightning, heavy rain, small hail, gusty winds and potentially a couple tornadoes. There's a level 1 of 5 severe risk for the PNW on Wednesday.’

Could Parts of Idaho and Washington See Tornadoes on Wednesday?

So, the question is whether you want to trust the seemingly only person who says tornadoes will happen or look at the extended forecasts in your area on the Weather Channel website (or wherever you get your weather forecast).

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Looking at cities in each state that Nunley says would be in the path of the possibly tornado-filled storms:

• Lewiston, ID has no weather alerts, tornado watches, or warnings. There is a chance of light rain on Friday.
• Seattle, WA has no weather alerts, tornado watches, or warnings. Thunderstorms develop late Wednesday, and some could be severe. Winds are only expected to be around 5-10 miles per hour.
• Salem, OR has no weather alerts, tornado watches, or warnings. Thunderstorms develop late Wednesday, and some could be severe. Winds are only expected to be around 10-15 miles per hour.

If a tornado does pop up, here are a few tips to prepare and stay safe during a twister.