Nearly 900 lightning strikes recorded in southern Oregon
File: Oregon Department of Forestry firefighters cut down a burning tree sparked by lightning in Lacombe on Sept. 2, 2023. (Lebanon Fire District)
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PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — A red flag warning is in effect for most areas east of the Oregon Cascades, after 881 lightning strikes were recorded in Oregon between Wednesday and Thursday morning.
The National Weather Service’s Medford office warns that more lightning is possible through the weekend as isolated thunderstorms are forecast to hit southern and eastern Oregon.
“Abundant lightning on dry fuels will increase the risk of new fire starts,” the NWS forecast states. “Additionally, gusty outflow winds will allow for new and existing fires to grow rapidly.”
A fire weather watch is issued for southern-central Oregon on Saturday, including BLM Land in Eastern Lake and Western Harney Counties. Gusty winds and low relative humidity are expected throughout the region.
Northwest Interagency Coordination Center spokesperson Kyle Sullivan told KOIN 6 News that it’s unclear, at this time, if any new wildfires were sparked by the hundreds of lightning strikes recorded across the state.
“We expect thunderstorms to continue today and Friday,” Sullivan said. “There’s a cold front that is setting up the potential for additional storms on Saturday.”
KOIN 6 Meteorologist Josh Cozart forecasts that lightning strikes will also be possible in the greater Portland area on Saturday afternoon and evening as the threat of severe weather increases.
