Radar scope (actually there is no scope, but it sounds like I’m on a submarine if I say that) really lit up around 5:00pm today. Nice line of thunderstorms moved through McMinnville-Newberg corridor, producing 5-8 cloud-ground lightning strikes and heavy rain. But the strongest cell I’ve seen since last summer developed soon after just west of Forest Grove then moved north across Highways 6 & 26 near Timber. Lots of strikes and probably hail with that one. But then it was all over by 6:30pm.
Unstable southerly flow continues tomorrow, and our model here (a WRF model) shows more breaks in the cloud cover for better heating. That may give us more widespread thunderstorm activity. Lifted Index is still a nice zero or slightly under. CAPE on the 00z MM5 from UW is not too impressive, so I doubt it’ll get too wild, but it’s a nice pattern for afternoon spring storms.
By the way, when we do have good storms in the region and a weathercaster is "in the house" (in the weathercenter), keep watching this link:
http://kptv.static.worldnow.com/images/incoming/wximages/web_realtimeradarfloater_big.jpg
we call it the KPTV FLOATER image, it’s just a snapshot of our radar screen. Of course other times it’ll show absolutely nothing, but always check it out if you know we are here watching storms develop.
FOX 12 Weather Blog 
I was outside and it was pouring. I waited outside about ten minutes but no hail. How many of you saw hail?
I was outside and it was pouring. I waited outside about ten minutes but no hail. How many of you saw hail?
I got some more coming,
http://www.wunderground.com/radar/radblast.asp?zoommode=zoom&num=6&delay=15&rbscale=0.20379130434782608&scale=0.744&noclutter=0&ID=RTX&type=N0R&lat=45.51471710&lon=-122.50512695&label=Portland,%20OR&showstorms=31&map.x=417.5&map.y=191¢erx=368¢ery=161
Here’s a photo from the line of storms that moved through my area (Greenfield, Indiana) earlier this evening..
Was quite a show with near constant lightning for about an hour tonight.. Actually started to see that green tint to the sky just before the sun went down (but the storms had moved off to my south and east). Shortly after that the storms to my south went tornadic..
Hope you guys are getting a good show from mother nature this evening.. Looks active for sure..
Mark, as someone who repaired air traffic control radar for the US Navy and had the Ships’ Radar Endorsement on my 1st Class FCC License, I can tell you that submarines don’t have a lot of radar on them. Why? Because they operate underwater! Sonar, si. Radar, not so much. You could pretend you were working in the Combat Information Center on an Aircraft Carrier–lots of scopes there.
a big band of showers coming our way
im in scappoose under that intense red one, west of portland!!! lots of clod to cloud strikes!!!
sorry, meant west of hillsboro
storm ID A2 in the gorge looks very impressive, reporting 1 in hail.
WHOA!!! Anyone see these cells blowing up east of hillsboro???
When finally something’s going on, these clouds are nice and there’s a large multiple vortex tornado near my east. Just took out a house, gotta run!
wow it just droped to 54.0 thats 6.1 in 30mins.
wow it just droped to 54.0 thats 6.1 in 30mins.
i think i might see a strike of lightning in a minute or 2 or even seconds really looks dark out their!! and its warm im going to check and see if its hailing with rain!!
im in gresham,light rain right now 60.1
ryan this was last year
What part of town are you in Alex? I thought I saw a flash of lightning sitting here at my desk but I can’t be sure. Most the “thumps” I hear are emminatting from the local high schoolers cars.
looks like its really going near or at the dalles east of me —> that way
I will check back in a few, bring it on!!