Thunderstorms in Pierce County were not as severe as some may have expected. Here’s why
Early-morning fog Wednesday might be to be the reason severe weather predicted for the Puget Sound and Pierce County areas was not as intense as expected.
“Widespread thunderstorms are expected later this afternoon & evening across Western Washington, along with the threat for severe t-storms. Main hazards we remain concerned about are: Hail, excess of 1” diameter; Wind gusts in excess of 58mph; Isolated, brief tornadoes,” the National Weather Service reported Wednesday.
The thunderstorms that blew through brought lightning and rain but little to no hail or damaging winds, The News Tribune reported.
“Forecast-wise we had the right combination of ingredients coming together,” NWS meteorologist Maddie Krispell told The News Tribune on Thursday morning.
There was moisture on the ground, a lifting component to trigger the thunderstorms and a lot of instability which can contribute to their strength, Krispell said.
The thunderstorms mostly fell short because of the fog and overcast that lingered throughout the morning.
“We needed more afternoon clearing in the day for the sun to heat up the surface of the ground and contribute to that instability,” Krispell said.
Krispell said forecasting severe thunderstorms in areas such as Washington, which do not typically get that type of weather, can be challenging. She said that forecasters saw the right combination of ingredients coming together that would create severe thunderstorms, which is why they thought it would be a possibility.
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch was issued by the NWS Wednedsay for parts of western Washington and expired at 9 p.m.
This story was originally published March 27, 2025 at 9:00 AM.
