High Wind in Washington, December 2, 1996

Name: High Wind in Washington, December 2, 1996
Start: 1996-12-02T05:00
End: 1996-12-02T08:00
Location: Washington

December 2, 1996 · NWS SEW · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

High winds and heavy upslope snow were reported. Winds at Port Townsend were sustained 45 mph with gusts to 55 mph.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS SEW wrote it up.

High winds and heavy upslope snow were reported. Winds at Port Townsend were sustained 45 mph with gusts to 55 mph. At Hoodsport, in Mason County, 5 inches of snow fell in 4 hrs.

Event by event

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Admiralty Inlet Area

When: December 2, 5:00 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
Where: Admiralty Inlet Area forecast zone
Measured: 48 kt (55 mph)

High Wind, Hood Canal/Kitsap Peninsula

When: December 2, 5:00 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
Where: Hood Canal/Kitsap Peninsula forecast zone
Measured: 48 kt (55 mph)

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Washington in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, December 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5577211, 5577212.