A 974 millibar surface low moved northward paralleling the coast around 80 miles offshore, and resulted in one of the strongest wind storms that Northwest Oregon had experienced in past several of years. The strongest winds occurred as high pressure filled in behind the low.
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 PQR wrote it up.
A 974 millibar surface low moved northward paralleling the coast around 80 miles offshore, and resulted in one of the strongest wind storms that Northwest Oregon had experienced in past several of years. The strongest winds occurred as high pressure filled in behind the low. In this event, the Willamette Valley was just as susceptible to the strong winds as the coast and coast range were. Most of the injuries, property damage, and power outages occurred in the Willamette Valley, but broken and toppled trees were widespread from the coast to the base of the Cascade foothills.
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 11, 10:02 AM PST, 2 hours 17 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
1002 AM PST THU DEC 11 2014
.SYNOPSIS...A DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM JUST WEST OF FLORENCE OREGON
WILL MOVE NORTHWARD JUST OFF THE OREGON AND WASHINGTON COAST TODAY
PRODUCING VERY STRONG...POTENTIALLY DAMAGING WIND FROM THE COAST TO
THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS. COOLER AND SHOWERY WEATHER EXPECTED TONIGHT
AND FRIDAY. AN UPPER LEVEL RIDGE WILL BRING A PERIOD OF DRY WEATHER
THIS WEEKEND BEFORE A PROGRESSIVE WEATHER PATTERN RETURNS EARLY NEXT
WEEK.
&&
.UPDATE...SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A TIGHTLY WOUND LOW PRESSURE AROUND
160 MILES WEST OF FLORENCE OREGON. SHIP REPORTS AND BUOY OBSERVATIONS
NEAR THE LOW CENTER A COUPLE OF HOURS WHEN IT WAS SLIGHTLY FURTHER
SOUTH SUGGESTS THAT THE MEAN SEA LEVEL PRESSURE IS AROUND 978 MB.
THIS IS VERY CLOSE TO WHAT THE WEATHER MODELS WERE FORECASTING.
HISTORICALLY...NW OREGON AND SW WASHINGTON HAVE HAD DAMAGING WINDS
WITH LOWS SIMILAR TO THIS MAGNITUDE AND TRACK.
SOME OF THE HIGHER RESOLUTION MODELS LIKE THE HRR AND RUC HAVE BACKED
OFF OF THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT FOR THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND WE
MAY SEE WIND GUSTS CLOSER TO 50 MPH THAN 60 MPH...BUT STILL THINK A
FEW LOCATIONS ESPECIALLY NEAR THE FOOTHILLS AND NEWBERG OREGON WILL
RECORD A 60 MPH GUST. DESPITE THE POSSIBLE LOWER WIND GUSTS FOR THE
VALLEY...THE POTENTIAL FOR DAMAGE FROM THE WINDS IS STILL VERY
HIGH..AND THE HIGH WIND WARNING IS STILL ON TRACK.
WE HAVE HAD AT LEAST ONE LIGHTNING STRIKE JUST OFFSHORE THE CENTRAL
OREGON COAST...CONFIRMING ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE WATERS AND
ALONG THE IMMEDIATE COAST AS THE LOW MOVES NORTHWARD JUST WEST OF THE
COAST LINE. THE RAIN WILL BE LETTING UP QUITE A BIT...AND HAVE BACKED
OFF POPS FOR THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE WILL STILL BE SHOWERS...BUT MORE
ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THAN WIDESPREAD. TJ
.PREVIOUS SHORT TERM DISCUSSION...THROUGH SATURDAY...CURRENT
SATELLITE LOOP AND SURFACE ANALYSIS PLACES DEEPENING LOW NEAR
41N/129W WITH ESTIMATED MSLP OF 980 MB. IT IS CURRENTLY TRACKING TO
THE NORTH-NORTHEAST WITH THE COMMA CLOUD SHIELD EARLIER THIS EVENING
NOW INTO THE BEGINNING OF A SPIRAL...AN INDICATOR THAT THE LOW STILL
HAS NOT FULLY MATURED. MODEL ESTIMATES LOWEST PRES AROUND 974 TO 978
MB AS THE LOW NEARS PASSES OFF THE SOUTH OREGON COAST THIS
MORNING...THEN BEGINS FILL TO AROUND 980 MB BY TIME IT REACHES THE
SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST LATE THIS AFTERNOON. OVERALL MODELS IN DECENT
AGREEMENT WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE NAM WHICH CONTINUES TO SHOW A
DOUBLE LOW DEVELOPING OFF THE COAST. THE NAM SOLUTION WOULD DELAY OR
LESSEN THE IMPACT OF HIGH WINDS. GFS/ECMWF SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN
CONSISTENT AND IN BETTER AGREEMENT AND ACCEPTED. THE ECMWF HAS A
DEEPER LOW OF THE TWO AND TRACK SLIGHTLY WEST OF THE GFS. BOTH MODELS
TRACK THE LOW ABOUT 60-80 MILES OF THE OREGON COAST SO THE WIND AND
PRESSURE FIELDS FOR THE LAND AREAS ARE ABOUT THE SAME. THE
SPEED AND TRACK OF THE LOW SUGGESTS THE WIND SPEEDS WILL RAMP UP
QUICKLY SINCE THE GRADIENT WILL REMAIN EAST TO SOUTHEAST UNTIL THE
LAST MINUTE..EVEN THOUGH THE DURATION OF THE STRONGEST WIND WILL BE
REASONABLY SHORT...SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS SUCH AS DOWNED TREES AND
NUMEROUS POWER OUTAGES...ARE LIKELY.
BASED ON THE LATEST GUIDANCE HAVE FINE TUNED TIMING OF THE HIGH WIND
WARNING HEADLINES. THE MAIN CHANGES WERE TO THE NORTHERN ZONES BY
DELAYING THE START TIME UNTIL THIS AFTERNOON...AND AN EARLIER END FOR
THE SOUTHERN ZONES. ANTICIPATED WIND SPEEDS ON LATEST RUNS ARE A
TOUCH LOWER THAN CURRENT FORECAST SO WILL MAKE SMALL ADJUSTMENT
THERE. STRONGEST WINDS NOW LOOK TO BE LATE MORNING FOR THE CENTRAL
COAST AND MID TO LATE AFTERNOON FOR THE NORTH OREGON/SOUTH WASHINGTON
COAST. FOR INLAND AREAS...THE SOUTH AND CENTRAL ZONES IN THE MID
AFTERNOON...AND MID AFTERNOON TO EARLY EVENING FOR THE NORTHERN ZONES.
THE LOW DEPARTS TO THE NORTH AND WEAKENS TONIGHT WITH DECREASING
SHOWERS. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN ON THE WARM SIDE WITH HIGHS IN THE
50S AND LOWS IN THE 40S THROUGH THURSDAY...BEFORE GRADUAL COOLING
FRIDAY THROUGH THE WEEKEND. THUNDERSTORMS ARE STILL POSSIBLE WITH AS
AN COOL UPPER TROUGH TRANSITS THE WATERS TONIGHT AND INLAND
ON FRIDAY.
A SHORT WAVE RIDGE WILL MOVE OVER THE PACIFIC NW FRIDAY NIGHT
RESULTING IN DRY WEATHER FOR AT LEAST THE FIRST HALF OF THE WEEKEND.
WITH LIGHT WINDS...INCREASING SUBSIDENCE...AND CLEARING SKIES EXPECT
SOME FOG IN THE INTERIOR VALLEYS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY MORNING.
WEISHAAR/MH
.LONG TERM...NO CHANGES. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS...SATURDAY NIGHT
THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT...HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH THE DAY ON SUNDAY...WHICH WILL KEEP
CONDITIONS DRY. EASTERLY WINDS PICK UP ON SUNDAY AHEAD OF THE NEXT
FRONTAL SYSTEM...WHICH APPROACHES LATE SUNDAY OR MONDAY. EASTERLY
WINDS WILL CAUSE TEMPERATURES TO BE COOLER ON SUNDAY AND MONDAY. THE
FIRST CHANCE OF RAIN COMES AS THE WARM FRONT MOVES THROUGH ON MONDAY
OR TUESDAY. THERE IS SOME DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE MODELS ON THE
TIMING OF THIS FRONT. THE COLD FRONT WITH THIS SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH
18 TO 24 HOURS BEHIND THE WARM FRONT. PARADE OF FRONTS LOOK LIKELY TO
CONTINUE THROUGH NEXT WEEK. -MCCOY
&&
.AVIATION...AN INTENSE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL BRING WINDY
CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...AND MAINLY VFR CONDITIONS
FOR MOST TAF SITES THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY. EXPECT STRONG SOUTH WINDS TO
DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON. WIND GUSTS OF 50-70 KT APPEAR LIKELY ALONG
THE COAST...WITH WIND GUSTS GENERALLY IN THE 40 TO 45 KT RANGE FOR
INTERIOR TAF SITES. EXPECT SOUTHERLY TAF SITES TO PEAK BETWEEN 19Z
AND 23Z THURSDAY...AND 22Z THURSDAY AND 03Z FRIDAY FOR MORE
NORTHERLY TAF SITES. COASTAL LOCATIONS COULD SEE SOME TEMPORARY
LOWER MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES TODAY. AS WINDS SLACKEN LATE
TONIGHT...FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS MAY DEVELOP AT SEVERAL TAF SITES
BETWEEN 12Z AND 18Z FRIDAY...BUT UNCERTAINTY IS HIGH.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...EXPECT PRIMARILY VFR CONDITIONS THROUGH 18Z
FRIDAY. THERE IS A CHANCE LOWER FLIGHT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP AFTER
12Z FRIDAY. EAST WINDS WILL SHIFT ABRUPTLY TO SOUTHERLY THIS
AFTERNOON AND INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY WITH GUSTS OF 40 TO 45 KT
POSSIBLE. THIS WIND SHIFT WILL MOST LIKELY OCCUR BETWEEN 22Z
THURSDAY AND 00Z FRIDAY. EXPECT THE STRONGEST SOUTHERLY WINDS TO END
BY 03Z FRIDAY. /NEUMAN
&&
.MARINE...RAPIDLY DEVELOPING LOW GENERALLY ON TRACK WITH REGARD
TO POSITION. STILL LOOKS LIKE THE LOW PRESSURE CENTER WILL TRACK
NORTH NEAR OR JUST OUTSIDE OUR WATERS AT 50 TO 80 NM OFFSHORE.
RECENT MODEL RUNS HAVE MAINTAINED A SIMILAR STRENGTH TO PAST RUNS
BUT WE ARE NOW WELL WITHIN THE WINDOW OF THE HRRR FORECAST WINDOW.
A SHIP REPORT IN THE NORTHEAST SECTOR OF THE LOW HAS PROVED
INVALUABLE IN CONFIRMING SOME HIGHER WIND SPEEDS SHOWN BY THE HRRR
MODEL. SUSTAINED SPEEDS EAST OF THE LOW ARE MODELED TO BE IN THE
40 TO 45 KT RANGE WITH SOUTHEAST QUADRANT WINDS 50 TO 55 KT. MOST
INTERESTINGLY...THE HRRR MODELS GUSTS REACHING INTO THE 65 TO 75
KT TERRITORY AND HAVE THUS DECIDED TO UPGRADE THE STORM WARNING
TO A HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING. FEEL THOSE WINDS WILL LARGELY
BE WITHIN 30 NM OF SHORE AS THE AIR GETS PACKED UP AGAINST THE
COAST RANGE TERRAIN AND ACCELERATED. WINDS OUTSIDE OF 30 NM WILL
STILL BE ON THE HIGHER END OF STORM FORCE AS WELL. ALSO FEEL THE
LOW WILL WEAKEN ENOUGH SUCH THAT GUSTS NORTH OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER
WILL STAY AROUND A 60 KT MAXIMUM.
EXPECT THE STRONGEST STORM FORCE WINDS TO DEVELOP OFF THE COAST
OF NEWPORT AROUND NOON TODAY...AND BY AROUND 5 PM OFF THE COAST OF
ASTORIA. STEEP SEAS WILL DEVELOP RAPIDLY WITH THE ONSET OF HIGH
WINDS...WITH PEAK SEAS EXPECTED TO APPROACH 30 FT THIS AFTERNOON.
AS THE LOW MOVES UP CLOSE OFF THE WA COAST THIS EVENING THE STORM
IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN SOME. AS SUCH...EXPECT WINDS TO DIMINISH
OVERNIGHT...WITH SEAS FOLLOWING SHORTLY THEREAFTER. AFTER 1 AM
EXPECT MOST OF THE COASTAL WATERS TO BE BACK DOWN TO SMALL CRAFT
WINDS...WITH SEAS DROPPING BELOW 20 FT AFTER 4 AM.
EXPECT MUCH QUIETER WEATHER TO FOLLOW FRI AND FOR SEVERAL DAYS
AFTER. NEXT CHANCE FOR WINDS TO GET UP TO SMALL CRAFT CRITERIA COMES
SUN...WITH SEAS IN THE 11 TO 14 FT RANGE FRI LOWERING BELOW 10 FT
SUN. /JBONK
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR CASCADE
FOOTHILLS IN LANE COUNTY-CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY-NORTHERN
OREGON CASCADE FOOTHILLS-SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST THIS
EVENING FOR GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-LOWER COLUMBIA.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR CENTRAL COAST
RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-CENTRAL OREGON COAST.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR CENTRAL
OREGON COAST-NORTH OREGON COAST.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST THIS
EVENING FOR COAST RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON-NORTH OREGON
COAST.
WA...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST THIS
EVENING FOR GREATER VANCOUVER AREA-I-5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ
COUNTY-SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADE FOOTHILLS.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR SOUTH
WASHINGTON COAST.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST THIS
EVENING FOR SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST-WILLAPA HILLS.
PZ...HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING UNTIL 7 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR
COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO FLORENCE OR OUT 60 NM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA RIVER BAR UNTIL NOON PST
FRIDAY.
&&
INTERACT WITH US VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/NWSPORTLAND
WWW.TWITTER.COM/NWSPORTLAND
THIS DISCUSSION IS FOR NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON
FROM THE CASCADE CREST TO 60 NAUTICAL MILES OFFSHORE. THE AREA IS
COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS THE FORECAST AREA.8 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Ten weather stations measured sustained winds greater than 38 mph with gusts greater than 58 mph. The highest gust of 9 mph was from the Sea Lion Caves with the second highest of 76 mph reported from a National Weather Service Spotter located in Newport. Numerous power outages were reported.
Sustained winds of 40 mph were reported at the Eugene Airport, but there were reports of at least 3 large trees downed. One of these trees fell on top of a SUV in Albany. The strong winds also resulted in numerous power outages in the Corvallis area.
Strong winds resulted in several downed trees and power outages. One tree damaged the roof of a home in Dayton. Peak wind gusts for the Aurora and McMinnville Airports measured at 61 mph, and wind a peak wind gust of 71 mph was measured at Chehalem Mountain.
A HAM Radio operator reported that Mount Hebo measured a peak gust of 90 mph. Another weather station near Forest Grove reported a gust of 58 mph.
The Rockhouse RAWS measured a maximum gust of 63 mph in the early evening. A national Weather Service Spotter also reported shingle damage to their roof and observed small tree limbs downed by the wind.
Gusty strong winds resulted in several downed trees for the Portland Metro Area. There were widespread road closures and power outages due to the downed trees. One fatality and one injury resulted from a tree falling onto a moving car. The Portland International Airport experienced re routing and delays of aircraft, and the Portland Mass Transit, MAX system had system-wide delays due to power outages. In downtown Portland, loose material from a roof of a nearby building were lofted and blown against windows of the Standard Insurance Plaza damaging several windows on the fifteenth floor. A Parapet of a Portland apartment in NW Portland fell and caused major damage to the apartment building. At least one power pole was downed by the winds in Washington County. A large tree fell onto a moving car injuring a mother and killing her son.
Four weather stations along the North Oregon coast reported sustained winds between 37 and 51 mph in the afternoon on December 11th. The highest wind gust was 63 mph reported at Garibaldi.
A Department of Transportation sensor measured sustained winds of 40 mph on Sauvie Island.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind, Greater Portland Metro Area | 2014-12-11 | 11 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, December 2014
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: 553011, 553045, 553044, 553017, 553417, 553043, 552999, 553439.