On a humid Saturday night in August, 2024, EEC Forest Stewardship had a rare weather event. A thunderstorm rolled in just after dark, and stayed with bellowing force and flashing fierceness through much of the night. It was quite a show, and a welcome extravaganza. I sat up taking photos and video to capture some of the magnitude. Though there were no close by strikes, we experienced some wild weather that night.
The electricity lit up the sky many times, casting eerie colors across the landscape. The storm brought a deluge of rain, which hammered down on the metal roof of the porch, almost drowning out the low rumbles of thunder which accompanied the light show. Gusts of wind coaxed confusing notes from the wind chime, which remained agitated and disjointed throughout the vivacious weather.
To many, this event may not seem like anything too special. But here in Western Washington, thunderstorms are a rare treat. My parents happened to be visiting that weekend, and they commented on the alien sounds the storm produced. Thunder here is often muted by all the surrounding mountains. It comes in slowly, and usually lasts a while as it rolls. Sometimes you’ll not hear any thunder, as the storm is far enough away to be muted by the thick forest terrain. Other times the cracking sounds shake with such force, you begin to wonder if a volcano is not also going off nearby. This storm was quieter, but still carried thunder in the clouds. The videos I took do not give full audio well, but the cacophony was a welcome, though brief visit from the storm.
As the hour grew late, I took one more time laps of the excitement. I grew up in Oklahoma, with legendary extreme weather. Though I don’t miss the anxiety of running into the under stair closet during a tornado warning, I do miss the energetic storms of fireworks in the sky and the wind blowing a chorus of howling downdrafts at the windows and doors. It’s worth documenting here in Western Washington, and I hope you enjoy the show as much as I did.
EEC Forest Stewardship 