Storm history for Washington and Oregon trees
These 12 storms produced the most tree-relevant NOAA reports, damage and tree mentions in Washington and Oregon from 2016 to mid-2026. Each page covers what happened, the counties hit, NOAA’s damage and death figures, and what the storm teaches about trees near a house.
The storms
Together these storms account for 496 NOAA reports of high wind, strong wind, thunderstorm wind, ice storm, winter storm or heavy snow, 121 of them naming trees, and 37 deaths. All 12 produced reports in both states, though most hit one side harder. Newest first:
| Storm | Dates | Area | Reports | Damage (NOAA, nominal) | Deaths |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 2024 bomb cyclone | Nov 19, 2024 | Puget Sound, Oregon coast, Blue Mountain foothills | 22 | None entered | 2 |
| September 2024 eastern Washington windstorm | Sep 25, 2024 | Spokane, Palouse, Okanogan, Pend Oreille | 31 | $35,500 | 0 |
| January 2024 ice storm | Jan 11–21, 2024 | Portland–Vancouver, Willamette Valley, Gorge, north coast | 49 | $47.7 million | 15 |
| December 2022 ice storm and windstorm | Dec 22–27, 2022 | Portland, Puget Sound, Gorge, Coast Range, Willamette Valley | 67 | $7.1 million | 4 |
| October 2021 windstorm | Oct 23–25, 2021 | Puget Sound, Snoqualmie Valley, coast, Blue Mountains | 31 | $10,000 | 2 |
| February 2021 ice storm | Feb 11–14, 2021 | Salem, Portland metro, north Willamette Valley, Puget Sound snow | 35 | $27.3 million | 1 |
| January 2021 windstorm | Jan 11–13, 2021 | Spokane, Puget Sound, Oregon coast, Columbia Basin | 43 | $4.1 million | 3 |
| Labor Day 2020 east wind event | Sep 7–8, 2020 | Oregon Cascades, Willamette Valley, Portland, eastern Washington | 22 | $4.69 billion | 7 |
| May 30, 2020 thunderstorm outbreak | May 30, 2020 | Central and northeast Oregon, southeast and eastern Washington | 38 | $203,000 | 2 |
| November 13, 2017 windstorm | Nov 12–14, 2017 | Puget Sound, north interior, Washington and Oregon coast | 19 | $6.4 million | 1 |
| January 2017 ice storm | Jan 16–18, 2017 | Columbia River Gorge, eastern Washington, northeast Oregon | 86 | $100.2 million | 0 |
| October 2016 storm series | Oct 13–15, 2016 | Oregon and Washington coast, Portland, Willamette Valley | 53 | $6.4 million | 0 |
Reports count the six event types above across all merged NOAA episodes. Damage is NOAA’s property estimate in nominal dollars; the Labor Day 2020 figure is mostly wildfire loss filed under wind reports.
How the storms were picked
NOAA groups reports from one weather system into episodes, one per NWS office and state. Every Washington and Oregon episode from January 2016 to June 2026 was scored on its count of the six report types (with extra weight on wind and ice), its property damage and how many of its narratives mention trees. Episodes from different offices or states that describe the same system on the same dates were then merged by hand, and the highest-scoring 12 storms got their own page.
No single measure works alone. Report counts favor storms that crossed many forecast zones, and damage favors offices that entered estimates, so tree mentions carry weight too: the September 2024 Spokane-area storm makes the list on 21 tree reports despite $35,500 in recorded damage.
Two patterns stand out. Windstorms dominate the list, from the coast to Spokane, and three of them came in May or September, when trees were in full leaf. The ice storms (January 2024 ice storm, December 2022 ice storm and windstorm, February 2021 ice storm and January 2017 ice storm) hit the same corridor each time: the Columbia River Gorge, Portland and the north Willamette Valley.
State records and next steps
For decade, month and county totals, see Washington storm records and Oregon storm records. If a storm has already put a tree on your house, start with emergency tree service and fallen tree removal; before the season, the tree risk checklist helps you spot trees worth a professional look.
Sources
- NOAA NCEI, Storm Events Database, checked 2026-10-02.
- NOAA NCEI, Storm Events bulk CSV files, 2016–2026, checked 2026-10-02.
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We don't vet or license anyone. These are the official lookups; each takes about a minute.
| What | Where | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Oregon CCB license | CCB license search | Active status, bond, insurance on file, complaints |
| Oregon LCB license | LCB verify a license | Landscape contracting license, which covers tree work |
| Washington contractor registration | L&I Verify | Registration, bond, workers' comp, lawsuits, violations |
| ISA Certified Arborist | ISA directory | Current certification and credential number |
How to read them: Oregon guide · Washington guide
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