High Wind in Washington, December 13 to 14, 2001

Name: High Wind in Washington, December 13 to 14, 2001
Start: 2001-12-13T18:00
End: 2001-12-14T11:20
Location: Washington

December 13 to 14, 2001 · NWS SEW · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

Sustained winds of 40 to 50 mph blew over parts of Western Washington, knocking out power to about 12,000 homes. Several trees were downed, one fell on a house and another fell across I-405, blocking traffic for about an hour.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $800,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 6

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.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Seattle, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 13, 2:30 PM PST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 13, 2:30 PM PST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
230 PM PST THU DEC 13 2001

.SYNOPSIS...A VERY STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM AND DEEP LOW PRESSURE AREA
WILL SWEEP TROUGH WESTERN WASHINGTON THIS EVENING. COOLER AIR WILL
MOVE IN BEHIND THE FRONT WITH A SHARPLY LOWERING SNOW LEVEL BY
DAYBREAK ON FRIDAY. THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL BRING LOWLAND RAIN AND
MOUNTAIN SNOW SATURDAY.

.DISCUSSION...A 980MB LOW WILL TRACK ACROSS SOUTHERN VANCOUVER ISLAND
THIS EVENING...GALE TO STORM FORCE NW WINDS WILL FOLLOW THE FRONT
OVER THE COASTAL WATERS. THE LOW PRESSURE MAY GIVE MINOR TIDAL
OVERFLOW ALL WRN WA BEACHES AT THE TIMES OF HIGH TIDE...HIGH TIDE
DOES NOT HAPPEN TO BE AN ESPECIALLY HIGH ONE SO SGFNT FLOODING IS NOT
LIKELY. THAT SAID...A COASTAL FLOOD WATCH IS UP FOR THE STRAIT AND
NRN INTR WATERS FOR THE TIDAL ANOMALY PLUS WIND AND WAVES BY DAYBREAK
FRI AND STORM FORCE W-NW WINDS ARE EXPECTED SDF AND GEORGIA. A HEAVY
SURF ADVISORY MAY BE NEEDED COAST BUT IS NOT ISSUED NOW...AND HIGHEST
SEAS WILL BE DRIVEN S OF THE WA COAST. FROPA COAST 5 OR 6PM...PGTSND
8PM...PLUS OR MINUS AN HOUR...A BURST OF WLIES IN THE STRAIT W/ THE
FNT BUT STORM FORCE MAY HOLD OFF TIL 9PM.  STG CAA AND HVY MTN SNOW
W/ FALLING SNOW LEVEL THRU AM FRI. RAINS HAVE BEEN MDT-HVY. THE FLOOD
WATCH WILL GO TO WARNING FOR THE SKOK PRESENTLY. OTHERWISE THE WATCH
IS MNLY FOR THE SATSOP...CHEHALIS...STILLI...AND TOLT...DO PLEASE SEE
THE WATCHES AND WARNINGS FOR DETAILS AND UPDATES. NEXT OVERRUNNING
SYS SAT. EXTENDED FCST IS CLIMATOLOGY W/ AVERAGE TEMPS AND RAINY W/
NORMAL SNOW LEVELS. McFarland

UIL +959 SEA +959 OLM +959

.SEW...HIGH WIND WARNING COAST AND STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA AREA.
      .HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINDER OF WESTERN WASHINGTON.
      .STORM WARNING COAST AND STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
      .GALE WARNING INTERIOR WATERS.
      .WINTER STORM WARNING CASCADES AND OLYMPICS.
      .AVALANCHE WARNING CASCADES AND OLYMPICS.
      .COASTAL FLOOD WATCH NORTHERN INLAND WATERS AND STRAIT.
      .MINOR TIDAL OVERFLOW LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING FOR
        ALL AREAS THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE COASTL FLOOD WATCH.
      .FLOOD WATCH GRAYS HARBOR...MASON...KING...SNOHOMISH COUNTIES.

.KATX...VCP21/CSR21...OPERATIONAL.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 13, 2:19 PM PST, 3 hours 41 minutes before

WAC027-140119-

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
219 PM PST THU DEC 13 2001

TIME(PST)  CITY LOCATION           STATE   EVENT/SPOTTER/REMARKS
           COUNTY LOCATION

217 PM     PACIFIC BEACH              WA   HEAVY RAIN
12/13/01   GRAYS HARBOR                    GRAYS HARBOR 1H
                                           24 HR RAINFALL TOTAL AT 9
                                           AM 2,55 INCHES AND STILL
                                           RAINING.

219 PM     OCEAN SHORES               WA   HIGH WIND
12/13/01   GRAYS HARBOR                    GRAYS HARBOR 5
                                           WIND GUSTS TO 48 KTS
                                           AROUND 2 PM.

Local storm report, Dec 13, 4:02 PM PST, 1 hour 58 minutes before

WAC067-WAC041-WAC031-140302-

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
402 PM PST THU DEC 13 2001

TIME(PST)  CITY LOCATION           STATE   EVENT/SPOTTER/REMARKS
           COUNTY LOCATION

357 PM     BRINNON                    WA   HEAVY RAIN
12/13/01   JEFFERSON                       JEFFERSON 14H
                                           4 HR RAINFALL TOTAL AT
                                           330 PM 1/25 INCHES.

359 PM     YELM                       WA   HEAVY RAIN
12/13/01   THURSTON                        THURSTON 21
                                           1.20 INCHES OF RAIN FROM
                                           1 PM TO 245 PM.

402 PM     CHEHALIS                   WA   HEAVY RAIN
12/13/01   LEWIS                           LEWIS 23
                                           24 HR RAIN TOTAL AT 330
                                           PM 1.56. 1.25 OF THAT
                                           FELL IN ONE HOUR...230 TO
                                           330 PM.

Local storm report, Dec 13, 4:02 PM PST, 1 hour 58 minutes before

WAC067-WAC041-WAC031-140302-

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
402 PM PST THU DEC 13 2001

TIME(PST)  CITY LOCATION           STATE   EVENT/SPOTTER/REMARKS
           COUNTY LOCATION

357 PM     BRINNON                    WA   HEAVY RAIN
12/13/01   JEFFERSON                       JEFFERSON 14H
                                           4 HR RAINFALL TOTAL
                                           AT 330 PM 1.25 INCHES.

359 PM     YELM                       WA   HEAVY RAIN
12/13/01   THURSTON                        THURSTON 21
                                           1.20 INCHES OF RAIN FROM
                                           1 PM TO 245 PM.

402 PM     CHEHALIS                   WA   HEAVY RAIN
12/13/01   LEWIS                           LEWIS 23
                                           24 HR RAIN TOTAL AT 330
                                           PM 1.56. 1.25 OF THAT
                                           FELL IN ONE HOUR...230 TO
                                           330 PM.

Event by event

6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Admiralty Inlet Area

When: December 13, 6:00 PM PST to December 14, 11:20 AM PST
Where: Admiralty Inlet Area forecast zone
Measured: 51 kt (59 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, North Coast

When: December 13, 6:00 PM PST to December 14, 11:20 AM PST
Where: North Coast forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Central Coast

When: December 13, 6:00 PM PST to December 14, 11:20 AM PST
Where: Central Coast forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Western Whatcom

When: December 13, 6:00 PM PST to December 14, 11:20 AM PST
Where: Western Whatcom forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Southwest Interior

When: December 13, 6:00 PM PST to December 14, 11:20 AM PST
Where: Southwest Interior forecast zone
Property damage: $800,000
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

High Wind, Seattle Metropolitan Area

When: December 13, 6:00 PM PST to December 14, 11:20 AM PST
Where: Seattle Metropolitan Area forecast zone
Measured: 34 kt (39 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.

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 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, December 2001

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: 5274564, 5274565, 5274566, 5274567, 5274568, 5274569.