A cold front produced strong winds for the North and Central Oregon coast. This front was the last of a series of three fronts that produced periods of strong winds from February 15th through the 18th.
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 cold front produced strong winds for the North and Central Oregon coast. This front was the last of a series of three fronts that produced periods of strong winds from February 15th through the 18th.
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 Feb 18, 4:37 AM PST, 3 hours 58 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
437 AM PST TUE FEB 18 2014
.SYNOPSIS...THE NEXT IN A CONTINUING SERIES OF FRONTAL SYSTEMS WILL
BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF WIND...RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW TODAY. A MUCH
COOLER AND SHOWERY PATTERN WILL DEVELOP BEHIND THIS FRONT TUESDAY
NIGHT...WITH SNOW LEVELS DROPPING TO THE CASCADE FOOTHILLS AND
COASTAL MOUNTAINS. THE COOL AND SHOWERY PATTERN PERSISTS WEDNESDAY
AND THURSDAY...FOLLOWED BY A DRYING TREND FOR THE WEEKEND.
&&
.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY...LINGERING SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE
EARLY THIS MORNING BEFORE WARM ADVECTION SWITCHES PRECIPITATION OVER
TO STRATIFORM MODE. 00Z AND ESPECIALLY 06Z MODEL RUNS BRING FAR MORE
WARM ADVECTION ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON BRINGING SNOW LEVELS
UP TO THE 5500 FT LEVEL RIGHT AS THE HEAVIEST AFTERNOON PRECIP
IMPACTS THE AREA. THE HIGHER SNOW LEVELS WILL REDUCE THE PASS LEVEL
SNOW, HOWEVER, WITH AMOUNTS BECOMING ALMOST NEGLIGIBLE. AWAY FROM
THE CASCADES, THE MAIN CONCERN WILL BE FOR STRENGTHENING SOUTHERLY
PRESSURE GRADIENTS. THIS WILL BE PRIMARILY A HEADLANDS WIND EVENT
TODAY AS ANOTHER LOW LEVEL COASTAL JET DEVELOPS AND RECEIVES
SOMEWHAT DEEP VERTICAL DIRECTIONAL ALIGNMENT SUPPORT AS WELL. THIS
EVENT WILL BE FAR SHORTER IN DURATION THAN THE LAST FEW, HOWEVER AS
THE COLD FRONT WILL NOT BE FAR BEHIND. STRONGEST WINDS WILL HIT THE
HEADLANDS/BEACHES WITH NEAR 70 MPH GUSTS AND AROUND 60 MPH ALONG THE
COASTAL COMMUNITIES. WE ARE SEEING ANOTHER DECENT SET UP FOR ALONG
THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY/METRO AS WELL WITH THE SOUTHERLY GRADIENT
GETTING MODERATE ALIGNMENT WITH WINDS ALOFT...NOT AS PERFECT AS
SUNDAY NIGHT HOWEVER. STILL FEEL LIKE A LOW END ADVISORY INLAND IS
WARRANTED THOUGH AS THERE COULD BE SOME SPORADIC GUSTS TO 50 MPH AS
THE SURFACE COLD FRONT DRAGS SOUTH THIS AFTERNOON.
THERE WILL BE A DRAMATIC SHUT DOWN TO THE WINDS BEHIND THE FRONT
LATE TODAY AS THE FRONT TURNS WINDS MORE WESTERLY AND LOSES THE
VERTICAL ALIGNMENT WITH THE SURFACE GRADIENT. THIS WILL, HOWEVER,
BRING A NOTABLE AMOUNT OF OROGRAPHICS INTO PLAY WITH DECENTLY STRONG
LOWER LEVEL SW TO W FLOW. TIME HEIGHT ANALYSIS INDICATES
TEMPERATURES ALOFT WILL BE SOMEWHAT SLOW TO COOL BEHIND THE FRONT
THIS EVENING AS THIS SYSTEM DOES NOT HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF
COLD ADVECTION UNTIL LATER TONIGHT. STILL...THE OROGRAPHICS WILL
PROVIDE A QPF FOCUS ACROSS THE SOUTHERN END OF THE NORTHERN OREGON
CASCADES AS SNOW LEVELS DROP BACK DOWN THIS EVENING. HIGH END
ADVISORY LEVELS ARE STILL LOOKING GOOD FOR THE OREGON CASCADES WITH
THE WARNING IN GOOD SHAPE FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE
WASHINGTON CASCADES.
WEST TO NORTHWEST FLOW WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS WITH
OROGRAPHIC FLOW PROVIDING NEARLY CONTINUOUS PRECIP TO THE COAST AND
MOUNTAINS WITH MORE SPORADIC SHOWER ACTIVITY TO THE VALLEY. SNOW
LEVELS REACH DOWN TO THE HIGHER FOOTHILLS. ANOTHER QUICK MOVING
FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL CROSS LATE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY WITH A FINAL
FOCUS AND BURST OF PERHAPS ADVISORY LEVEL ACCUMULATION RATES FOR THE
CASCADES AND PERHAPS THE HIGHER CASCADE FOOTHILLS AS WELL. IN ALL, A
GOOD WEEK FOR CASCADE SNOW PACK BUILDING. /JBONK
.LONG TERM...FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...NO CHANGES. LATE FRIDAY
AN UPPER RIDGE IS EXPECTED TO BUILD OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC AND
WILL ATTEMPT TO MOVE OVER THE PACIFIC NW THIS WEEKEND. MODELS HAVE
CHANGED THEIR TUNE A BIT TODAY...STILL HAVE THE RIDGE MOVING IN BUT
IT IS LOOKING MUCH WEAKER DUE TO THE SOUTHERN STREAM OF THE JET
UNDERCUTTING IT. THIS IS MOST AGGRESSIVELY ADVERTISED IN THE
ECM...WHICH IS NOW ALSO BRINGING A FRONT THROUGH THE REGION SUNDAY.
THEREFORE ADDED A SLIGHT CHANCE OF PRECIP TO THIS TIME FRAME TO
REFLECT THIS POTENTIAL. OVERALL THE PATTERN LOOKS TO REMAIN
PROGRESSIVE. BB
&&
.AVIATION...GENERALLY VFR INLAND THIS MORNING WITH SCATTERED SHOWERS
IN AN UNSTABLE AIR MASS...WITH A FEW POCKETS OF MVFR IN THE HEAVIER
SHOWERS. THE NEXT FRONT WILL SPREAD ONSHORE THIS MORNING AND WILL
LIKELY SEE MORE MVFR CONDITIONS DEVELOP. S WINDS WILL INCREASE
ACROSS REGION AFTER 16Z. MAY ALSO SEE SOME LOW LEVEL SPEED SHEAR
ALONG THE COAST BETWEEN 12Z AND 18Z WITH NAM SOUNDINGS SHOWING ABOUT
50 KT DOWN TO 1600 FT. INLAND AREAS NORTH OF KSLE MAY SEE WIND SPEED
SHEAR ALSO. IN THE KPDX AREA BETWEEN 15Z AND 21Z 50 TO 55 KT AROUND
2000 FT.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR CIGS EARLY THIS MORNING WITH SOME SHOWERS.
RAIN INCREASING LATER THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON WITH OCCASIONAL
MVFR CONDITIONS. S WINDS INCREASE AFTER 16Z...WITH GUSTS ABOVE 30 KT
THIS AFTERNOON...THEN SWITCH TO WEST TO SOUTHWEST 22Z-00Z WITH
FRONTAL PASSAGE. EXPECT VFR CIGS WITH BRIEF MVFR IN A FEW SHOWERS
TONIGHT. PT/MC
&&
.MARINE...ANOTHER STRONG FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE COASTAL WATERS
THIS MORNING AND EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON BEFORE MOVING ONSHORE. GALE
FORCE WINDS WILL INCREASE THIS MORNING...WITH A COASTAL JET EXPECTED
TO DEVELOP NEAR SHORE AND PRODUCE LOW END STORM FORCE WINDS. THE
STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE NEAR OR A COUPLE HOURS AFTER 10 AM. WINDS
WILL TURN WESTERLY AND EASE INTO THE SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CRITERIA
TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. TO TONIGHT AND BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG
WINDS TO THE WATERS. EXPECT GALES BEYOND 10 NM LATE TONIGHT. MAY
AGAIN SEE BRIEF GALES WITH THE NEXT STORM BUT HELD OFF ON ISSUING A
WATCH FOR NOW. QUIETER WEATHER MAY BE ON THE WAY FOR THE WEEKEND.
SEAS HAVE SUBSIDED A LITTLE EARLY THIS MORNING TO AROUND 13 FT...BUT
SHOULD BUILD BACK INTO THE MID AND UPPER TEENS WITH THE NEXT FRONT
TODAY. SEAS WILL HOVER IN THE MID TEENS TONIGHT AND
WEDNESDAY...POSSIBLY RISING A FOOT OR TWO WITH THE NEXT FRONT LATE
WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY. SEAS PROBABLY DO NOT FALL BELOW
10 FT UNTIL LATE IN THE WEEK. PT/MC
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM PST WEDNESDAY FOR CASCADES IN
LANE COUNTY-NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
FOR CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY-GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-
SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR CENTRAL
OREGON COAST-NORTH OREGON COAST.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-COAST
RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON.
WA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM PST WEDNESDAY FOR SOUTH
WASHINGTON CASCADES.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON
FOR GREATER VANCOUVER AREA.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH
WASHINGTON COAST.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR WILLAPA HILLS.
PZ...GALE WARNING UNTIL 1 AM PST WEDNESDAY FOR WATERS FROM CAPE
SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR FROM 10 TO 60 NM-WATERS
FROM CASCADE HEAD TO FLORENCE OR FROM 10 TO 60 NM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA RIVER BAR UNTIL 6 AM PST WEDNESDAY.
STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR COASTAL WATERS
FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR OUT 10 NM-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CASCADE HEAD TO FLORENCE OR OUT 10 NM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS UNTIL 7 AM PST THIS
MORNING FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO
CASCADE HEAD OR OUT 10 NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM CASCADE HEAD
TO FLORENCE OR OUT 10 NM.
&&
MORE WEATHER INFORMATION ONLINE AT..
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/PORTLAND
INTERACT WITH US VIA SOCIAL MEDIA
WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/US.NATIONALWEATHERSERVICE.PORTLAND.GOV
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.2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several stations reported high winds along the Central Oregon Coast on February 18, 2014. Some of the more noteworthy observations were a peak wind of 65 mph reported at Lincoln City (AR659) and sustained winds of 48 mph measured at the Yaquina Bridge (ODT38).
Megler Bridge (ODT76) reported sustained winds of 47 mph with a peak gust of 57 mph, and the weather station at Garibaldi (GARO3) measured sustained winds of 41 mph.
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, February 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: 501987, 501986.