PORTLAND, Ore. — Residents across the Willamette Valley were treated to a dazzling but restless night as thunderstorms rolled through the region early Saturday, delivering thousands of lightning flashes and a dramatic sky show.
Storms Move Up the Valley
The activity began late Friday evening, with storms forming in the southern and central valley just before 11 p.m. By midnight, thunder and lightning had developed in western Yamhill County, moving northward toward Salem.
A second wave of storms swept through shortly after, intensifying the activity west of Salem. By around 4 a.m., thunderstorms had reached the Portland metro area, waking up many startled residents.
According to Colby Neuman with the National Weather Service (NWS) Portland, the storms produced more than 500 cloud-to-ground lightning strikes and over 3,000 cloud-to-cloud flashes across the valley.
Tracking the Threat
The Storm Prediction Center reported that while Saturday morning’s storms were concentrated in the valley, the threat of isolated dry thunderstorms had shifted eastward into the Cascades and central Oregon by daybreak. A general thunderstorm risk remains in place for much of the state throughout Saturday…