High Wind in Washington, March 2 to 3, 1999

Name: High Wind in Washington, March 2 to 3, 1999
Start: 1999-03-02T21:00
End: 1999-03-03T10:00
Location: Washington

March 2 to 3, 1999 · NWS SEW · 19 events in 19 counties and zones

Sustained winds of 35 to 50 mph over all of western Washington knocked out power to 200,000 people. One man died when his car was struck by a fallen tree.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $3.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 19

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.

Sustained winds of 35 to 50 mph over all of western Washington knocked out power to 200,000 people. One man died when his car was struck by a fallen tree. Fallen trees also damaged 2 houses and several cars. Ferry services were delayed, the 520 bridge was closed for the first time since 1995 and most schools in Kitsap Co were closed.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

19 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, W Grays Harbor

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: W Grays Harbor forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Property damage: $3.0 million
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, C King/C Pierce/X Ne Thurston/C Lewis

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: C King/C Pierce/X Ne Thurston/C Lewis forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, C Skagit/C Snohomish

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: C Skagit/C Snohomish forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, C&e Whatcom/E Skagit/E Snohmish

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: C&e Whatcom/E Skagit/E Snohmish forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, E King/E Pierce/E Lewis

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: E King/E Pierce/E Lewis forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, E Pacific/W Lewis/Wahkiakum

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: E Pacific/W Lewis/Wahkiakum forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Island/Ne Jefferson

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Island/Ne Jefferson forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Mason T Sw & Nw/Kitsap T X Se/Ec&se Jefferson

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Mason T Sw & Nw/Kitsap T X Se/Ec&se Jefferson forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Nc Clallam

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Nc Clallam forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Ne Clallam

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Ne Clallam forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, S Clallam T X Sw/C Jefferson/Nw Mason/Ne Grays Harbor

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: S Clallam T X Sw/C Jefferson/Nw Mason/Ne Grays Harbor forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, San Juan

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: San Juan forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.531, -123.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Sw Snohomish

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Sw Snohomish forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Thurston T X Se/Sw Mason/C&se Grays Harbor/W Lewis

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Thurston T X Se/Sw Mason/C&se Grays Harbor/W Lewis forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, W Clallam/W Jefferson

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: W Clallam/W Jefferson forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, W King/X Se Kitsap

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: W King/X Se Kitsap forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, W Pierce

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: W Pierce forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, W Skagit/Nw Snohomish

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: W Skagit/Nw Snohomish forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Western Whatcom

When: March 2, 9:00 PM PST to March 3, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Western Whatcom forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph)
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
High Wind, Western Whatcom	1999-03-03	36	Male	Vehicle/Towed Trailer	Direct

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 1999 Every state in 1999 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, March 1999

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: 5692817, 5692818, 5692819, 5692820, 5692821, 5692822, 5692823, 5692824, 5692900, 5692901, 5692902, 5692903, 5692904, 5692905, 5692906, 5692907, 5692908, 5692909, 5692910.