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2025 Hazard Mitigation Plan <br />Kittitas County, Washington <br /> <br /> <br />Chapter 4: Hazard Identification and Risk Assessment 157 <br />Figure 4-20 illustrates strong winds events within five (5) miles of Kittitas County that occurred between <br />1950 and 2023. <br />Figure 4-20. Kittitas County Strong Winds History (1950 – 2023) <br /> <br />4.6.7.3. Hazard Extent/Intensity <br />Severe weather can be life threatening and can cause substantial damage to infrastructure and property. <br />The extent of damage caused by severe weather depends on the type of severe weather, strength, and <br />location. However, the west coast of the United States does not experience as many severe <br />thunderstorms as other areas in the United States because of the cool water temperatures that are <br />offshore in the Pacific Ocean. This impacts the air temperature that moves inland which makes it <br />generally more stable and less convective, which hinders severe thunderstorm formation.199F <br />199 <br /> <br />Figure 4-21 illustrates the severe thunderstorm outlook categories used by the NWS Storm Prediction <br />Center (SPC) when issuing Severe Thunderstorm Outlooks. <br /> <br /> <br />199 NOAA, National Severe Storms Laboratory. (n.d.). Severe Weather 101: Frequently Asked Questions About <br />Thunderstorms. Retrieved from https://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/svrwx101/thunderstorms/faq/.