Windy conditions affected most of western Washington, but little high wind occurred.
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.
Windy conditions affected most of western Washington, but little high wind occurred.
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 Mar 10, 10:05 AM PST, 55 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
1005 AM PST THU MAR 10 2011
.SYNOPSIS...A PARADE OF PACIFIC STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BRING WET
AND UNSETTLED CONDITIONS TO THE AREA THROUGH AT LEAST EARLY NEXT
WEEK. A STRONG SYSTEM WILL BRING VERY WINDY CONDITIONS TO MUCH OF
THE AREA TODAY. EXPECT THE NEXT...BUT WEAKER...STORM TO AFFECT THE
REGION LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY. THIS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY
PERHAPS A STRONGER SYSTEM ON SUNDAY.
&&
.SHORT TERM...SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS SURFACE LOW WITH THE BENT BACK
OCCLUSION ABOUT 100 NM W OF KHQM AT 17Z. THE GFS 6 HOUR SURFACE
PROG VALID FOR 18Z HAD THE LOW NORTHWEST OF CAPE FLATTERY. THE NAM
HAS AN ELONGATED LOW OFF THE COAST EXTENDING NORTH INTO VANCOUVER
ISLAND. THE LOW IS MORE TIGHTLY WOUND UP THAN THE NAM SHOWS BUT THE
TRACK THE NAM TAKES THE LOW...SOMEWHERE NEAR THE EAST ENTRANCE OF
THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA...IS BETTER THAN THE GFS SOLUTION WHICH
PUTS THE LOW WAY UP INTO THE SOUTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA INTERIOR BY
00Z. THIS TRACK FOR THE LOW WILL DELAY THE ONSET OF THE WINDY
CONDITIONS FOR THE INTERIOR SOUTH OF THE EAST ENTRANCE OF THE STRAIT
UNTIL LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THE AIR MASS OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON IS
SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE AND ARE AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE GOOD WINDS RIGHT
OFF THE GROUND...SANDPOINT PROFILER SHOWS SOUTH 25-30 KNOTS UP TO
1000 FEET. WITH THE UNSTABLE AIR MASS THESE WINDS WILL MIX DOWN TO
THE SURFACE AT TIMES THROUGH MID AFTERNOON. THE INCREASE IN THE
WINDS CAUSED BY THE LOW MOVING INLAND WILL NOT OCCUR UNTIL LATER
THIS AFTERNOON. WILL ADJUST THE WIND ADVISORY TIMING AND PUSH BACK
THE END TIME INTO THE EVENING HOURS. WITH THE TRACK AND TIMING OF
THE LOW THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE COAST LOOKS GOOD AT THIS
POINT. PLENTY OF SHOWERS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA TODAY AS THE LOW
AND THE BENT BACK OCCLUSION MOVE INLAND. THE LOW WILL FILL QUICKLY
AFTER 00Z AND CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST INTO SOUTHERN BRITISH
COLUMBIA THIS EVENING. SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL DIMINISH SIGNIFICANTLY
OVERNIGHT INTO FRIDAY MORNING AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS INTO
THE AREA AND A VERY WEAK RIDGE ALOFT TRIES TO BUILD OVER WESTERN
WASHINGTON. A FEW SHOWERS LEFT EARLY FRIDAY MORNING...MAINLY ON THE
COAST. THE NEXT SYSTEM TO REACH THE AREA IS CURRENTLY DEVELOPING
BACK BETWEEN 140 AND 150W AROUND 40N. THE WARM FRONT WILL MOVE BY TO
THE WEST LATER FRIDAY INTO FRIDAY NIGHT WITH MOST OF THE RAIN
ASSOCIATED WITH THE FRONT CONFINED TO THE COAST. COLD FRONT MOVING
INLAND LATE FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING FOR MORE STEADY RAIN
FOR THE ENTIRE AREA. UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVING IN BEHIND THE FRONT
KEEPING SHOWERS IN THE FORECAST FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY ON
SATURDAY. FELTON
.LONG TERM...PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS.
A SERIES OF PAC STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE CWA DURING THIS
PERIOD. PREDICTING THE STRENGTH AND /TO A LESSER EXTENT/ THE TIMING
OF EACH SYSTEM WILL BE A CHALLENGE...HENCE THE BROADBRUSH FORECAST.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS AS HIGH AS 3 INCHES OVERNIGHT
WILL CAUSE SIGNIFICANT RISES FOR THE RIVERS IN THE CHEHALIS RIVER
BASIN. MANY OF THE RIVERS IN THE CHEHALIS BASIN ARE FORECAST TO
CREST NEAR FLOOD STAGE AND A WATCH WILL BE ISSUED.
HEAVY RAIN OVER THE SOUTH SLOPES OF THE OLYMPICS OVERNIGHT PUSHED
THE SKOKOMISH RIVER TO FLOOD STAGE THIS MORNING. THE RIVER WILL
REMAIN NEAR FLOOD STAGE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY THEN RECEDE ON
FRIDAY WITH THE BREAK ON THE PRECIPITATION.
OTHER RIVER ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON ARE ON THE RISE THIS MORNING
WITH THE RIVERS IN THE SOUTHWEST INTERIOR RISING THE MOST. A COUPLE
OF THE RIVER...THE NEWAUKUM AND THE DESCHUTES WILL CREST WITHIN A
FOOT OR SO OF FLOOD STAGE.
ADDITIONAL PRECIPITATION AMOUNT TODAY COULD BE UP TO AN INCH IN THE
MOUNTAINS BUT WITH THE SNOW LEVEL LOWERING THIS ADDITIONAL
PRECIPITATION IS NOT EXPECTED TO CAUSE FURTHER PROBLEMS ON THE
RIVERS.
STORMS WILL CONTINUE MOVING INTO WESTERN WASHINGTON THROUGH THE
MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK BUT WITH THE PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE FRONTS
AND THE 24 HOURS OR SO BREAKS BETWEEN SYSTEMS ADDITIONAL FLOODING IS
NOT EXPECTED ON MOST WESTERN WASHINGTON RIVERS. THE SKOKOMISH RIVER
COULD FLOOD AGAIN DURING THIS TIME FRAME AS THE PRECIPITATION ADDS
UP OVER THE SOUTH SLOPES OF THE OLYMPICS. FELTON
&&
.AVIATION...A DEEP LOW JUST OFFSHORE WILL MOVE NE INTO BRITISH
COLUMBIA LATER THIS AFTERNOON...WITH OCCASIONAL SHOWERS THROUGH THE
DAY AND GUSTY WINDS THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING HOURS. THE AIR
MASS WILL BECOME JUST UNSTABLE ENOUGH THIS AFTERNOON THAT THERE IS A
THREAT OF A LIGHTNING STRIKE OR TWO IN SOME OF THE STRONGEST
CONVECTION. THERE IS NOT A HIGH ENOUGH CHANCE RIGHT NOW TO SADDLE
THE TAFS WITH TRWS BUT WILL TOSS IN A MENTION OF CB DURING THE PEAK
HOURS...ROUGHLY 20Z-00Z.
OVERALL EXPECTING VFR CONDITIONS...DROPPING INTO MVFR CEILINGS AND
VSBYS AT TIMES IN SHOWERS. THE WIND AND SHOWER ACTIVITY WILL
DIMINISH THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS.
KSEA...WINDS WILL BE A BIT FICKLE TODAY WITH THE PATH OF THE
OFFSHORE LOW. EXPECTING A RELATIVE LULL IN THE WIND THIS MORNING
BUT THEN IT WILL INCREASE AGAIN TO 25G35KT SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 23Z-02Z
BEFORE EASING AGAIN LATE THIS EVENING. AS MENTIONED ABOVE THERE IS
A SMALL THREAT OF LIGHTNING IN OR NEAR THE TERMINAL THIS AFTERNOON.
CERNIGLIA
&&
.MARINE...A MATURE 995 MB LOW CURRENTLY ABOUT 150 MI WEST OF THE
CENTRAL WASHINGTON COAST WILL MOVE NE INTO BRITISH COLUMBIA LATE
THIS AFTERNOON. A SHORT SURGE OF STRONG W-SW WINDS WILL DEVELOP IN
THE WAKE OF THIS LOW...WITH A PERIOD OF GALE FORCE WINDS EXPECTED
ALL WATERS AT SOME POINT THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THE
TIMING DEPENDS ON THE LOCATION. GENERALLY COAST...EAST ENTRANCE AND
NORTHERN INLAND WATERS NOW THROUGH INTO THE EARLY EVENING...CENTRAL
STRAIT LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING...AMID DAY INTO THE
EARLY EVENING FOR THE PUGET SOUND.
WINDS WILL LET UP FAIRLY QUICKLY LATE THIS EVENING INTO THE MIDDLE
PART OF THE NIGHT AS THE CURRENT LOW DEPARTS AND THE ATMOSPHERE
BEGINS TO RESPOND TO THE NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM APPROACHING FROM THE
WEST.
THE NEXT APPROACHING...STRONG FRONT WILL MOVE E THROUGH THE WATERS
FRI NIGHT...AND WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A SERIES OF RATHER STRONG FRONTS
EVERY 24-30 HOURS LATER THIS WEEKEND THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK. EACH
OF THE FRONTS WILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR GALE FORCE WINDS
ESPECIALLY ALONG THE COAST...THE ENTRANCES TO THE STRAIT...AND THE
NORTHERN INLAND WATERS. ELSEWHERE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CONDITIONS
WILL DOMINATE OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. CERNIGLIA
&&
.AVALANCHE...10 TO 20 INCHES OR MORE NEW SNOW AT WARMING
TEMPERATURES AND VERY STRONG WINDS HAVE CAUSED AN INCREASED
AVALANCHE DANGER THURSDAY. AN AVALANCHE WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT
FOR THE WEST SLOPE CASCADES, OLYMPICS AND MT HOOD TODAY. NUMEROUS
NATURAL AVALANCHES WERE REPORTED TO HAVE RELEASED OVERNIGHT OR EARLY
THIS MORNING. BETTER TO STAY IN WELL TREE COVERED AND LOW ANGLED
TERRAIN TODAY...OR A SKI AREA! SEE HTTP://NWAC.US FOR DETAILS.
KRAMER
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE COAST UNTIL 1 PM
TODAY.
A WIND ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR THE REST OF THE LOWLANDS
EXCEPT THE CENTRAL STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA TIL 9 PM TONIGHT.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE OLYMPICS
AND CASCADES ABOVE 3500 FEET TIL 4 AM FRI.
A FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SKOKOMISH RIVER
IN MASON COUNTY.
PZ...GALE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR ALL WATERS.
A SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH GRAYS HARBOR BAR CONDITIONS
REMAINS TIL 3 PM FRI.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
508 AM PST THU MAR 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0445 AM NON-TSTM WND DMG PUYALLUP 47.18N 122.28W
03/10/2011 PIERCE WA PUBLIC
TREES DOWNED IN THE SOUTH HILL AREA.
&&
WWW.WEATHER.GOVPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
650 AM PST THU MAR 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0650 AM HEAVY RAIN NE NAPAVINE 46.58N 122.90W
03/10/2011 M2.00 INCH LEWIS WA TRAINED SPOTTER
24 HR TOTAL
&&PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
707 AM PST THU MAR 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0707 AM HEAVY RAIN 5 N POULSBO 47.81N 122.66W
03/10/2011 M2.20 INCH KITSAP WA TRAINED SPOTTER
LAST 12 HOURS.
&&
CERNIGLIAPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
1050 AM PST THU MAR 10 2011
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1048 AM HEAVY RAIN 3 SW BRINNON 47.65N 122.94W
03/10/2011 M2.15 INCH JEFFERSON WA TRAINED SPOTTER
RAINFALL SINCE 4 PM YESTERDAY. WIND GUST OVERNIGHT WAS 42
MPH.
&&
GRUB2 strong wind, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
About 1000 customers lost power after a trees were blown into power lines.
About 5000 customers lost power after a trees were blown into power lines.
A spotter in North Bend reported a 60 mph gust. About 3000 customers lost power.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2011Every state in 2011This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, March 2011
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: 293676, 293677, 278429.