Active volcano’s ash unlikely to reach Pacific Northwest

Matt Jordan May 18, 2018

Last Updated: May 18, 2018

Medford, Ore — Hawaii’s Mount Kilauea continues to spew ash and toxic gases into the atmosphere.
Unlike Mount Saint Helens, which erupted on this day in 1980, the ash plume from Kilauea is unlikely to affect our area.

According to the National Weather Service, current weather patterns are pulling the volcano’s ash away from the West Coast.

For ash to reach the Pacific Northwest it would have to climb to heights of 30,000 feet or more.

“We are not expecting that and right now most of the wind is carrying the ash to the southwest and keeping it right around the island,” said Shad Keene with the National Weather Service.

Kilauea is a shield volcano. Shield volcanoes tend to have less explosive energy than stratovolcanoes like Mount Saint Helens.

Matt Jordan May 18, 2018

Matt Jordan

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Matt Jordan is the Chief Meteorologist for KOBI-TV NBC5. Matt joined the NBC5 weather team in 2014 after a year as a reporter and anchor in Alexandria, Louisiana. His experience with the severe weather of the Deep South and a love of the Pacific Northwest led him to pursue a certification with Mississippi State University as a Broadcast Meteorologist. You can find Matt working in the evenings of NBC5 News at 5, 6 and 11 as well as online. Matt also has a degree in Journalism from the University of Oregon. In addition to being passionate about news and weather, Matt is a BIG Oregon Ducks fan. When not rooting for the Ducks or tracking down the next storm over the Pacific, Matt can be found outdoors in the Oregon wilderness with his wife, his daughter and their dogs Stanley and Gordi.