High Wind in Washington, December 26 to 27, 2002

Name: High Wind in Washington, December 26 to 27, 2002
Start: 2002-12-26T14:00
End: 2002-12-27T12:00
Location: Washington

December 26 to 27, 2002 · NWS PQR · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A Pacific storm moving across the area produced strong winds that downed trees and caused widespread power outages. Ilwaco reported gusts to 65 mph.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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 PQR wrote it up.

A Pacific storm moving across the area produced strong winds that downed trees and caused widespread power outages. Ilwaco reported gusts to 65 mph. Cathlamet reported gusts to 66 mph which ripped off metal roofs and downed trees. County wide power outages were reported in Wahkiakum County. The Columbian reported a gust of wind blew the 555 foot grain ship, "Pacific Trader", off its anchor and pushed it into a dock at Berth 8. Trees were reportedly downed in the Vancouver-Salmon Creek-Hazel Dell areas, damaging two homes and disrupting traffic. No injuries were reported.

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 Portland, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 26, 8:30 AM PST, 5 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 26, 8:30 AM PST, 5 hours 30 minutes before

PDXWRKAFD 000
TTAA00 KPQR DDHHMM

NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
830 AM PST THU DEC 26 2002

RETRANSMISSION

.SYNOPSIS...A SERIES OF STRONG PACIFIC STORMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
AREA INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. THE REMAINS OF THE FIRST FRONT IS
MOVING THROUGH THE AREA THIS MORNING. A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE NORTH
THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA TONIGHT...FOLLOWED BY A COLD FRONT
FRIDAY...THE ASSOCIATED LOW PRESSURE AREA WITH THIS WEATHER SYSTEM
WILL PRODUCE STRONG WINDS ALONG THE COAST AND COAST RANGES TONIGHT
AND FRIDAY. ANOTHER STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO MOVE INLAND
SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY.

.DISCUSSION...
.SHORT TERM...PRECIP IS TAPERING OFF IN THE CASCADES AND WILL END THE
SNOW ADVISORY THERE FOR TODAY. MODELS DISAGREE ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF
THE SURFACE LOW ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONTAL SYSTEM THAT WILL
MOVE INLAND FRIDAY. WATER VAPOR SHOWS DEEPENING WITH THIS SYSTEM
OFFSHORE. THE AVIATION LOOKS BEST ON TRACK AND STRENGTH WITH THE ETA
TOO STRONG...AVIATION CATCHES THE IDEA THAT THE LOW WILL WEAKEN A BIT
AS ANOTHER LOW DEVELOPS FARTHER SOUTH...THAT HAS BEEN THE PATTERN
RECENTLY. WILL CONTINUE THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR TONIGHT AND FRIDAY
COAST AND COAST RANGES BUT TONE DOWN THE SPEEDS A BIT. WILL HAVE TOO
LOOK AT PROSPECTS FOR SNOW ADVISORY AMOUNTS AGAIN TONIGHT IN THE
SOUTH WASHINGTON AND NORTH OREGON CASCADES BEFORE SNOW LEVELS RISE
AND FOR THE CASCADES LATE FRI AFTERNOON/EVENING AS THE SNOW LEVELS
DROP FOLLOWING THE COLD FRONT.

.LONG TERM...EXTENDED MODELS CONTINUE A WET PROGRESSIVE PATTERN.
WILLSON

AST 7+999  PDX 59988  SLE 69988  EUG 69988

.PQR...STORM WARNING TONIGHT CAPE SHOALWATER TO FLORENCE.
      .HIGH WIND WATCHES...COAST...COAST RANGE AND SOUTHWEST
        WASHINGTON THU NIGHT AND FRI.

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 26, 6:30 AM PST, 7 hours 30 minutes before

ORZ001>013-WAZ019>023-039-040-271430-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OREGON
630 AM PST THU DEC 26 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST
WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE...

SNOW ADVISORY IN THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND NORTH AND CENTRAL OREGON
CASCADES THIS MORNING. STORM WARNING TONIGHT. HIGH WIND WATCH TONIGHT
FOR THE SOUTH WASHINGTON AND NORTH AND CENTRAL OREGON COASTAL
HEADLANDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

STORM WARNING FRIDAY. HIGH WIND WATCH AT THE COAST...COASTAL RANGE
AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON FRIDAY. POSSIBLE HIGH SURF CONDITIONS.
POSSIBLE SNOW ADVISORY FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY.

POSSIBLE HIGH WINDS AT THE COAST SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. POSSIBLE
SNOW ADVISORY OR HEAVY SNOW WARNING CONDITIONS IN THE CASCADES SUNDAY
NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTERS SHOULD CALL IN AS PER THEIR SPOTTER CALL IN CRITERIA.

Event by event

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Southwest Interior

When: December 26, 2:00 PM PST to December 27, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Southwest Interior forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Vancouver Area

When: December 26, 2:00 PM PST to December 27, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Vancouver Area forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, South Coast

When: December 26, 2:00 PM PST to December 27, 12:00 PM PST
Where: South Coast forecast zone
Measured: 57 kt (66 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

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 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, December 2002

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: 5325545, 5325546, 5325547.