High Wind in Washington, February 3 to 4, 2006

Name: High Wind in Washington, February 3 to 4, 2006
Start: 2006-02-03T19:00
End: 2006-02-04T15:00
Location: Washington

February 3 to 4, 2006 · NWS SEW · 12 events in 12 counties and zones

A 968 mb low produced high winds over much of Western Washington. About 260,000 homes and businesses lost power.

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: 0
Injuries: 1
Property damage: $7.5 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

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.

A 968 mb low produced high winds over much of Western Washington. About 260,000 homes and businesses lost power. For the first time in 7 years, the Evergreen floating bridge was closed, the Hood Canal bridge was also closed. Ferry service was also halted. Many roofs were damaged, some blew off, and others were smashed by fallen trees. The Woodland Park Zoo, in Seattle, was closed because of concern that falling trees could damage fences, possibly releasing animals. A man in Tumwater was injured when a tree fell on his house and shards of ceiling tile struck his head.

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 Feb 3, 2:07 PM PST, 4 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 3, 2:07 PM PST, 4 hours 53 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
207 PM PST FRI FEB 3 2006

.SYNOPSIS...A POWERFUL STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING HIGH WINDS TO THE
AREA OVERNIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THERE WILL ALSO BE INCREASING RAIN
OVER THE AREA OVERNIGHT...WITH THE SNOW LEVELS RISING TO NEAR 6000
FEET. A COLDER AIR MASS WILL THEN INVADE THE REGION DURING THE DAY
SATURDAY...WITH THE SNOW LEVEL PLUMMETING TO NEAR 2000 FEET. LOOK
FOR DECREASING SHOWERS SATURDAY NIGHT...WITH DRY WEATHER PREVAILING
OVER THE AREA SUNDAY AFTERNOON.

&&

.SHORT TERM...
THE SURFACE LOW ASSOCIATED WITH A POWERFUL STORM OFFSHORE WAS DOWN
TO 970 MB AT 18Z...NEARLY 10 MILLIBARS LOWER THAN WHAT THE GFS
PREDICTED FOR THIS TIME. THUS THE PROBABILITY OF DAMAGING WINDS WAS
INCREASING FOR THE CWA. IT APPEARED THAT THE STRONGEST WINDS ON THE
COAST AND OLYMPICS WILL OCCUR BETWEEN 06Z AND 12Z... AND OVER THE N
AND SW INTERIORS BETWEEN 10Z AND 18Z. ELSEWHERE...IT APPEARED THAT
THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL OCCUR DURING THE DAY SAT...WITH SPEEDS
DROPPING OFF LATER IN THE AFTERNOON. WILL INDICATE THIS IN THE NEXT
UPDATE TO THE NPW.

MEANWHILE...A PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN WILL OCCUR OVER THE OLYMPIC
PENINSULA TONIGHT AS VERY STRONG SLY 850 MB WINDS SERVE TO ENHANCE
RAIN RATES OVER THE S FACING SLOPES OF THE OLYMPICS. A FLOOD WATCH
WAS ISSUED FOR THE RIVERS IN MASON...THURSTON...AND GRAYS HARBOR
COUNTIES FOR THE POTENTIAL OF FLOOD PRODUCING RAINS. OTHERWISE LOOK
FOR THE SNOW LEVELS TO RISE TO NEAR 6K FT ACROSS THE CWA AS THE
WMFNT MOVES ACROSS THE AREA THIS EVENING.

ON SAT...A COLDER AIR MASS WILL QUICKLY INVADE THE REGION BEHIND A
VIGOROUS CDFNT...WITH SNOW LEVELS PLUMMETING TO NEAR 2K FT.
ADDITIONALLY...INCREASED ONSHORE FLOW WILL RESULT IN PERIODS OF
MODERATE TO HEAVY SNOW IN THE CASCADES STARTING SAT AFTERNOON. BY
SUN...THE CASCADES COULD RECEIVE 10 TO 18 INCHES OF NEW SNOW WITH
THE HIGHER AMOUNTS OCCURRING WITHIN THE PGTSND CONVERGENCE ZONE OR
PSCZ.

THE PSCZ WILL LIKELY DEVELOP SAT EVENING OVER THE FAR N PGTSOUND
BEFORE MOVING SWD AND WEAKENING DURING THE NIGHT. SINCE THE AIR MASS
WILL BE QUITE COLD AT THIS POINT...WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED IF SNOW
SHOWERS FELL AS LOW AS 500 FOOT LEVEL WITH THE HEAVIER PRECIP.
ALSO WENT ON AHEAD AND MENTIONED A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS
FOR THOSE AREAS WITHIN THE PSCZ AS THE AIR MASS APPEARED QUITE
UNSTABLE.

ON SUN...AN UPPER RIDGE WILL BEGIN BUILDING OVER THE PAC NW FOR A
DRYING TREND. THUS EXPECT A CHANCE OF SHOWERS OVER MAINLY THE
CASCADES SUN MORNING...WITH DRY WEATHER PREVAILING OVER THE ENTIRE
CWA SUN AFTERNOON.

.LONG RANGE...AN UPPER RIDGE WILL PROVIDE DRY WEATHER OVER THE PAC
NW THROUGH THE PERIOD.

&&

.AVIATION...LOWERING CIGS WITH RAIN ON THE COAST SPREADING INLAND
THIS EVENING. PRECIP CIGS AND VSBY PROBABLY WILL BE TYPICAL OF A
STRONG FRONT WITH AREAS OF MVFR WITH THE FRONT OVERNIGHT. BIG STORY
WILL BE THE WINDS TOMORROW...POSSIBLY THE STRONGEST WINDS OF THE
WINTER FOR MOST OF THE AIRPORTS.

&&

.MARINE...A ONE TWO PUNCH FIRST OF SOUTHERLY WINDS AND THEN FOR THE
COAST AND STRAIT WESTERLIES. STORM WARNINGS FOR COAST AND
STRAIT...WITH PEAK WINDS WITH THE FROPA LATER TONIGHT AND THEN AGAIN
WITH THE SFC LOW AND BENT BACK OCCLUDED TROF BY MIDDAY SAY...PERHAPS
HOLDING OFF TIL MID AFTERNOON IN THE STRAIT. NO NEED TO GET
FANCY...THE MODELS SHOW A 977MB LOW CROSSING SOUTHERN VANCOUVER
ISLAND AND FILLING WITH VERY RAPID PRESSURE RISES BEHIND DURING THE
DAY ON SATURDAY. THE MM5GFS AND MESOETA BOTH SHOW THE PDX-BLI
GRADIENT GETTING UP TO AROUND SLY +20MB...SO THE GALE WARNING FOR
PUGET SOUND MAY HAVE TO BE UPGRADED TO A STORM WARNING. MM

&&

.WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
1. HIGH WIND WARNING COAST...OLYMPICS...AND N INTERIOR TONIGHT AND
SAT
2. HIGH WIND WATCH REMAINDER OF THE AREA FOR SAT
3. FLOOD WATCHES...WARNINGS...OR ADVISORIES IN EFFECT FOR MASON...
THURSTON...AND GRAYS HARBOR COUNTIES
4. COASTAL FLOOD WATCH COAST SAT AND SAT NIGHT
5. STORM WARNING COASTAL WATERS AND STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
6. GALE NORTHERN INLAND WATERS...ADMIRALTY INLET...PUGET SOUND A
HOOD CANAL.

WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

12 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Central Coast

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Central Coast forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Property damage: $7.5 million
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Olympics

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Olympics forecast zone
Measured: 68 kt (78 mph) measured gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, San Juan

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: San Juan forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.531, -123.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southwest Interior

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Southwest Interior forecast zone
Measured: 56 kt (64 mph) measured gust
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, North Coast

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: North Coast forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Northwest Interior

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Northwest Interior forecast zone
Measured: 68 kt (78 mph) measured gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Western Whatcom

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Western Whatcom forecast zone
Measured: 54 kt (62 mph) measured gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Northern Cascade Foothills

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Northern Cascade Foothills forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Admiralty Inlet Area

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Admiralty Inlet Area forecast zone
Measured: 37 kt (43 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Hood Canal/Kitsap Peninsula

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Hood Canal/Kitsap Peninsula forecast zone
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Seattle Metropolitan Area

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Seattle Metropolitan Area forecast zone
Measured: 58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Tacoma Area

When: February 3, 7:00 PM PST to February 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where: Tacoma Area forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
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 2006 Every state in 2006 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, February 2006

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: 5491947, 5491948, 5492071, 5492072, 5492073, 5492074, 5492075, 5492076, 5492077, 5492078, 5492079, 5492080.