A tree branch broke in strong winds near Port Angeles. A few hours later that branch fell, killing a DOT worker while he was clearing another tree that had fallen.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS SEW wrote it up.
A tree branch broke in strong winds near Port Angeles. A few hours later that branch fell, killing a DOT worker while he was clearing another tree that had fallen.
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 Nov 18, 3:30 PM PST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
330 PM PST WED NOV 18 2009
.SYNOPSIS...A SERIES OF STRONG PACIFIC SYSTEMS WILL IMPACT
WESTERN WASHINGTON TONIGHT AND THURSDAY...BRINGING STRONG WIND TO
THE AREA AND HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS. SHOWERS WILL
DECREASE FRIDAY AFTERNOON BUT THE AIR MASS WILL REMAIN COOL. ANOTHER
SYSTEM MAY DIVE SOUTHEAST INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON SATURDAY OR
SATURDAY NIGHT.
&&
.SHORT TERM...WIND PICKING UP AS SCHEDULED...WITH RAIN ALSO
SPREADING INLAND. VISIBLE SATELLITE SHOWS A TIGHTLY WRAPPED LOW
SPINNING NE INTO THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE SOUND...SURFACE PRES NEAR 977
MB. SOUTHEASTERLY PRES GRADIENTS FAIRLY TIGHT ACROSS WESTERN
WASHINGTON WITH AN AREA OF HIGH PRES OVER SE ORE AND E WA/ID. HIGH
WINDS EXPECTED...PRIMARILY ALONG THE COAST AND NORTH INTERIOR
THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING. STRONG WINDS ALSO EXPECTED IN THE
STRAIT...CENTRAL SOUND/HOOD CANAL ALREADY HEADLINED AS WIND
ADVISORY. WINDS WILL EASE LATE THIS EVENING AS THE COLD FRONT SHIFTS
SOUTH OF THE AREA. ANOTHER QUICK BURST OF WIND ANTICIPATED ON THU AS
THE NEXT WAVE MOVES IN...SO AFTER A BRIEF LULL LOOKS LIKE THE COAST
AND NORTH INTERIOR WILL SEE ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG WINDS.
THE MOUNTAINS WILL GET HAMMERED WITH HEAVY SNOW. THE MOISTURE FETCH
EXTENDS BACK TO 160W...BETWEEN 40-45N. PW VALUES ARE NEAR 1.00 INCH
OFF AMSU SATELLITE. OROGRAPHICS ARE FAVORABLE WITH SWLY UPSLOPE FLOW
AT 850 MB 50-60KT. INITIALLY FREEZING LEVELS WILL REMAIN NEAR 2500
IN THE OLYMPICS...THEN RISE TO AROUND 5000 FT ON THU AS WARMER AIR
MOVES IN. THUS WILL TRANSITION FROM HEAVY SNOW...TO HEAVY RAIN
POSING MORE CONCERNS FOR RIVER FLOODING. WILL NEED TO WATCH HEAVY
PRECIP OVER THE WILLAPA HILLS TOO. FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR
THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA...LEWIS AND THURSTON. THE SKOKOMISH IS STILL
NEAR FLOOD STAGE SO A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR MASON.
IN THE CASCADES 1 TO 3 FEET OF NEW SNOW EXPECTED...HEAVIEST OVER THE
NORTH CASCADES. SNOW LEVELS WILL ALSO RISE TO AROUND 4000 FEET ON
THU...HOWEVER SE FLOW WILL KEEP TEMPS NEAR OR BELOW FREEZING IN THE
PASSES WITH A WINTRY MIX EXPECTED AT STEVENS AND SNOQUALMIE PASS.
LOOKS LIKE HEAVY PRECIP WILL WANE A BIT FRI AFTERNOON/EVENING AS THE
LONG WAVE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SHIFTS INLAND. THIS WILL KNOCK SNOW
LEVELS DOWN TO AROUND 2000 FT WITH SPOTTY SHOWER COVERAGE. 33
ANOTHER SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO DIVE SE INTO WESTERN WA SAT OR SAT
NIGHT...BUT SO FAR LOOKS RATHER PROGRESSIVE AND COLD. 500 MB HEIGHTS
DIP DOWN INTO THE 520S AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES
INLAND...ANOTHER ROUND OF SNOW FOR THE MOUNTAINS. 33
.LONG TERM...EARLY NEXT WEEK...MODELS DEVELOP AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE
OVER THE WEST WITH DRIER WEATHER ANTICIPATED....PERHAPS SUNDAY OR
SUNDAY NIGHT. THE RIDGE MAY BREAK DOWN ON MON AS A SYSTEM MOVES INTO
SOUTHERN B.C. AND POSSIBLY CLIPPING W WA. THE EURO HANGS THIS SYSTEM
FARTHER BACK AND NORTH...MAINLY AFFECTING VANCOUVER ISLAND AND THE
NORTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA. MODELS RE-AMPLIFY THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE
BY MID WEEK...BUT CONFIDENCE IS THE FORECAST REMAINS LOW AS THE GFS
BRINGS THE RIDGE AXIS ALONG THE B.C./ALBERTA LINE...WHILE THE ECMWF
KEEP THE RIDGE ALONG THE COAST. EVENTUALLY...LOOKS LIKE THE RIDGE
WILL SHIFT FARTHER INLAND WITH A PERIOD OF WET WEATHER TOWARD THE
END OF THE WEEK. 33
&&
.HYDROLOGY...THE FOCUS FOR HEAVY PRECIPITATION OVER THE NEXT 24 TO
36 HOURS IS OVER THE OLYMPICS...WILLAPA HILLS AND NORTH CASCADES. NO
FLOOD CONCERNS FOR THE GREEN RIVER.
MAINLY DEALING WITH HEAVY SNOW TONIGHT WITH SNOW LEVELS AROUND 2500
FT. HOWEVER...SNOW LEVELS WILL RISE ON MONDAY AS WARMER AIR ADVECTS
INLAND. SNOW LEVELS WILL RISE TO AROUND 5000 FT IN THE OLYMPICS AND
AROUND 4000 FT IN THE CASCADES. STRONG UPSLOPE FLOW OF 50-60KT IN
THE LOWER LEVELS WILL AID IN HEAVY PRECIP TOTALS ALONG THE S/SW
SLOPES OF THE OLYMPICS...WITH STORM TOTAL RAIN AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 7
INCHES POSSIBLE THROUGH THU NIGHT. IN THE NORTH CASCADES...3 TO 5
INCHES WILL BE POSSIBLE ALTHOUGH AS MENTIONED SNOW LEVELS WILL BE
LOWER...AROUND 3000 FT RISING TO AROUND 4000 FT THU NIGHT. PRECIP
TOTALS IN THE CENTRAL CASCADES WILL BE LESS ONLY AROUND 1 TO 3
INCHES. HEAVY PRECIP WILL SHUT DOWN FRI AFTERNOON AS THE LONG WAVE
UPPER LEVEL TROUGH SHIFTS INLAND WITH SNOW LEVELS LOWERING DOWN TO
2000 FT.
FLOOD WATCHES REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN WA TO COVER
POSSIBLE RIVER FLOODING...NAMELY OLYMPIC PENINSULA...LEWIS AND
THURSTON COUNTIES. STILL WATCHING THE SKOKOMISH RIVER IN MASON AS IT
REMAINS NEAR FLOOD STAGE.
ANOTHER SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO DIVE SE INTO WESTERN WA SAT OR SAT
NIGHT...BUT SO FAR LOOKS RATHER PROGRESSIVE AND COLD. 500 MB HEIGHTS
DIP DOWN INTO THE 520S AS THE UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES INLAND.
EARLY NEXT WEEK...MODELS DEVELOP AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE OVER THE WEST
WITH DRIER WEATHER ANTICIPATED....PERHAPS SUNDAY OR SUNDAY NIGHT.
THE RIDGE MAY BREAK DOWN ON MON AS A SYSTEM MOVES INTO SOUTHERN B.C.
AND POSSIBLY CLIPPING W WA. THE EURO HANGS THIS SYSTEM FARTHER BACK
AND NORTH...MAINLY AFFECTING VANCOUVER ISLAND AND THE NORTHERN
PORTION OF THE CWA. MODELS RE-AMPLIFY THE UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BY MID
WEEK...BUT CONFIDENCE IS THE FORECAST REMAINS LOW AS THE GFS BRINGS
THE RIDGE AXIS ALONG THE B.C./ALBERTA LINE...WHILE THE ECMWF KEEP
THE RIDGE ALONG THE COAST. EVENTUALLY...LOOKS LIKE THE RIDGE WILL
SHIFT FARTHER INLAND WITH A PERIOD OF WET WEATHER TOWARD THE END OF
THE WEEK. 33
&&
.AVIATION...A STRONG COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS WESTERN WA TONIGHT.
MAIN PROBLEM WILL BE LOW LEVEL WINDS...WITH SOUTH WINDS EXPECTED TO
RISE TO 40-60 KT AT 2500 FEET TONIGHT...CREATING LOW LEVEL WIND
SHEAR ABOVE MANY AIRPORTS. RAIN IS JUST STARTING TO REACH THE
INTERIOR AND CIGS HAVE DROPPED A BIT MORE QUICKLY THAN EXPECTED.
WILL STICK WITH THE PLAN AND KEEP CIGS IN THE BKN025-035 RANGE
THROUGH THE EVENING. PUGET SOUND REGION WILL PROBABLY BE SIMILAR TO
MONDAYS SYSTEM...CIGS TENDING TO REMAIN A BIT HIGHER THAN EXPECTED
DUE TO THE STRONG LOW LEVEL WINDS. THIS FIRST COLD FRONT WILL WEAKEN
OVER THE AREA AFTER 10Z...BUT A TRAILING LOW WILL RENEW THE PRECIP
AND WINDS THURSDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT. WITH MOISTURE PILING UP IN THE
LOWER AIR MASS...CIGS THURSDAY WILL PROBABLY BE LOWER.
KSEA...SAND POINT PROFILER SHOWS LOW LEVEL S WINDS UP TO 30 KT AT
2500 FEET AT 3 PM. THIS IS IN LINE WITH THE NAM/WRF-GFS AND EXPECT
WINDS TO RISE TO 40-50 KT 00Z-12Z. WILL KEEP WIND SHEAR GOING IN THE
TAF ESPECIALLY WITH SURFACE WINDS S 15-20G30KT. CIGS BOUNCING UP AND
DOWN NOW...BUT WILL STICK WITH THE PLAN OF CIGS BKN030-035 LATER
THIS EVENING. KAM
&&
.MARINE...A STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL PRODUCE HIGH-END GALE TO
STORM FORCE WINDS TONIGHT AS A DEEP 976 MB SURFACE LOW MOVES
NORTHEAST ACROSS THE QUEEN CHARLOTTES THIS EVENING. THE ASSOCIATED
COLD FRONT WILL CROSS WESTERN WA LATER TONIGHT. WINDS ARE RISING
WITH GALES ALREADY GOING ON THE COAST...E ENTRANCE...AND N INLAND
WATERS.
ANOTHER DEVELOPING 985 MB LOW WILL MOVE NORTHEAST TOWARD QUEEN
CHARLOTTE SOUND THURSDAY. MODELS SHOW THIS LOW ARRIVING WITH A
SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT TRAJECTORY THAN THE FIRST SYSTEM. THIS WILL HAVE
SUBTLE CHANGES IN THE WIND FIELD...BUT WITH OVERALL ABOUT THE SAME
EFFECT. WILL EXTEND THE STORM WARNINGS FOR THE COAST/WEST ENTRANCE
OUT THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT TO COVER THIS SECOND LOW. DITTO FOR THE
GALES IN THE INTERIOR. WILL KEEP THE GALE WATCH GOING FOR THE
CENTRAL STRAIT FOR THURSDAY NIGHT DUE MAINLY TO A BIT LESS
CONFIDENCE IN IT AND THE ONSET STILL BEING BEYOND 24 HOURS OUT.
THIS AFTERNOONS SYSTEM SHOULD SPAWN ANOTHER LARGE SWELL TRAIN...AND
AFTER THE SWELL SUBSIDES A BIT THURSDAY...IT WILL REBUILD BACK TO
NEAR 20 FEET THURSDAY NIGHT DUE TO THE SECOND SYSTEM. WAVEWATCH
TABULAR GUIDANCE ACTUALLY SHOWS TWO DIFFERENT SWELL TRAINS. NEITHER
IS BIG ENOUGH BY ITSELF TO JUSTIFY A HIGH SURF ADVISORY...BUT
COMBINED SOME OF THE LARGER WAVES MAY MEET THE 20 FOOT CRITERIA.
HAVE EXTENDED THE ADVISORY OUT THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY MORNING TO COVER
THE SECOND SYSTEM. KAM
&&
.AVALANCHE...AN AVALANCHE WARNING IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR THE OLYMPICS
AND THE WASHINGTON CASCADES NEAR AND WEST OF THE CREST FOR WEDNESDAY
NIGHT AND THURSDAY. THE EXPECTED WINDS...VERY HEAVY SNOW AND
POSSIBLE RAIN AND WARMING TREND SHOULD CAUSE CAUSE CLASSIC AVALANCHE
CONDITIONS IN THIS AREA ESPECIALLY THE OLYMPICS AND NORTH CASCADES.
PLEASE VISIT WWW.NWAC.US FOR DETAILS. FERBER
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...FLOOD WATCHES AND A WARNING REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS
OF WESTERN WA.
.HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR COAST AND NORTH INTERIOR
THROUGH LATE THURSDAY NIGHT.
.WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL SOUND...THE
STRAIT...HOOD CANAL AND THE LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY THIS EVENING.
.WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE CASCADES AND OLYMPICS TONIGHT.
.HIGH SURF ADVISORY TONIGHT FOR CENTRAL AND NORTH COAST.
PZ...STORM WARNING COASTAL...WEST ENTRANCE OF THE STRAIT.
.GALE WARNING EAST ENTRANCE STRAIT...ADMIRALTY INLET...AND
NORTHERN INLAND WATERS.
.SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH THIS EVENING AND GALE WARNING THIS
EVENING THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL.
.SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY THROUGH LATE TONIGHT FOR CENTRAL
STRAIT.
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE
FOR AN ILLUSTRATED VERSION OF THE FORECAST DISCUSSION...PLEASE SEE
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE/GAFD/LATESTWEBAFD.HTML.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind, 2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Hurricane Ridge--NWAC site 34g78 mph 5 PM and RAWS site high wind continuously 1 PM to 2 AM with max sustained 64 mph, max gust 107 mph.
DES sustained 50+ KT 0110z-0540z.
KBLI 25g58 mph 1053 PM, Sandy Point 40+ gusting 58+ off and on 541 PM to 1051 PM, Cherry Point nearly constant high wind 518 PM-1224 AM, including peak 52g63 mph. The Lummi Island ferry dock was damaged. Several roads were closed in Whatcom county. In Bellingham, a city sculpture and a home were damaged by wind and a fallen tree.
Fallen trees and power lines blocked sections of both US highway 101 and state highway 112.
Lake Lawrence g66 mph 615 PM.
A Griffin Bay home was hit by three fallen trees. Thousands of residents of the San Juan Islands lost power. KFHR 36g58 mph 753 PM and Lopez Village gusting 58+ mph off and on 753 PM to 1003 PM including a gust of 72 mph at 1003 PM.
A tree branch broke in strong winds near Port Angeles but remained in the tree. A few hours later, that branch fell striking and killing a Washington State DOT worker while he was clearing another tree that had fallen along U.S. Hwy 101 8 miles west of Port Angeles.
Port Townsend sustained 40 mph off and on 912 PM to 1200 AM.
KHQM peak wind 51 kt 0726z.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Wind, Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca | 2009-11-18 | 42 | Male | Outside/Open Areas | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2009Every state in 2009This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, November 2009
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: 201965, 201959, 201963, 202790, 201964, 201962, 201039, 201961, 201960.