Southeasterly gradients tightened enough for some spotty high wind exceeding 40 mph and/or gusts of 58 mph. This was the first of three storms.
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.
Southeasterly gradients tightened enough for some spotty high wind exceeding 40 mph and/or gusts of 58 mph. This was the first of three storms.
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 Dec 8, 9:35 PM PST, 3 hours 33 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
935 PM PST MON DEC 8 2014
.SYNOPSIS...FRONTAL SYSTEMS WILL MOVE THROUGH WESTERN WASHINGTON
TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY. HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL...ESPECIALLY IN THE
OLYMPICS AND NORTH CASCADES. IT WILL BE WINDY AT TIMES...MAINLY
ALONG THE COAST AND IN THE NORTH INTERIOR. COOLER DRIER WEATHER WILL
ARRIVE FOR THE WEEKEND.
&&
.SHORT TERM...WET FRONTAL SYSTEMS WILL MOVE ACROSS WESTERN WA
TONIGHT THRU THU. HEAVY RAIN WILL BRING FLOODING TO SOME RIVERS AND
IT WILL BE WINDY AT TIMES...MAINLY COAST AND NORTH. TWO DEEP LOW
PRESSURE SYSTEMS WILL TRACK WEST OF THE CHARLOTTES...THE FIRST ONE
AT 9PM THIS EVENING IS CENTERED AROUND 47N 137W AND THAT TRACKS JUST
WEST OF THE CHARLOTTES TUESDAY. A SECOND DEEP LOW TRACKS WEST OF THE
CHARLOTTES WED AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE ASSOCIATED FRONTAL SYSTEMS
WILL BE MOVING SLOWLY THROUGH WRN WA TONIGHT THRU WED WITH NOT MUCH
OF A BREAK BETWEEN THE TWO SYSTEMS. A THIRD VIGOROUS WEATHER SYSTEM
IS SHOWN ON THE 00Z GFS TO HAVE A 975 MB LOW CENTER JUST OFF THE
OREGON COAST BY DAYBREAK THURSDAY...AND THAT LOW TRACKS NNE THROUGH
THE WA COASTAL WATERS AND ENDS UP AROUND 988MB LATE THU AFTERNOON
OVER THE B.C. STRAIT OF GEORGIA...SO THURSDAY COULD BE A RATHER
WINDY DAY FOR WRN WA. 850MB TEMPS WILL BE RATHER WARM THROUGH THE
PERIOD...PEAKING AROUND +8C MIDDAY WED WHICH OF COURSE MEANS THAT
THE PRECIP IN THE MOUNTAINS WILL BE RAIN.
.LONG TERM...SPLIT FLOW DOMINATES THE UPPER AIR PATTERN FRIDAY INTO
THE WEEKEND. A WEAK TROUGH WILL PRODUCE SOME SHOWERS BUT NOT ENOUGH
TO WORSEN ANY POTENTIAL RIVER FLOODING ALREADY IN PROGRESS. HIGH
PRESSURE ALOFT BUILDS OVER THE REGION SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. THE NEXT
SPLIT SYSTEM WILL POSSIBLY BRING SOME LIGHT RAIN BACK INTO WRN WA BY
LATER SUNDAY AFTERNOON/NIGHT. SATURDAY WILL BE POTENTIALLY DRY BUT
WILL MAINTAIN CHANCE POPS FOR NOW GIVEN THE FAST CHANGING PATTERN
THIS WEEK. TEMPERATURES WILL BE NEAR OR ABOVE NORMAL. A RETURN TO
WET WEATHER IS EXPECTED NEXT WEEK.
&&
.HYDROLOGY...THERE IS A HIGH DEGREE OF CERTAINTY OF AN ATMOSPHERIC
RIVER EVENT TONIGHT THROUGH AT LEAST WEDNESDAY. A SERIES OF WAVES IN
VERY MOIST SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL BRING HEAVY RAIN TO THE
COAST...THE OLYMPICS...AND THE NORTH CASCADES. NEW 12Z MODELS ARE
LITTLE CHANGES WITH 48 HOUR PRECIPITATION TOTALS OF UP TO 6 INCHES
ON THE COAST AND 10-15+ INCHES IN THE OLYMPICS. 6-11+ INCHES WILL
FALL OVER THE NORTH CASCADES AND ALONG MOUNT RAINIER...OTHERWISE
LESS THAN 5 INCHES OVER OTHER CENTRAL CASCADE BASINS. THESE ARE
IMPRESSIVE RAINFALL TOTALS AND IF CORRECT WILL CAUSE RIVER FLOODING
ON MANY RIVERS...POSSIBLY MAJOR.
AT THIS TIME...THE RAIN FORECAST FOR THE COAST AND OLYMPICS WILL
CAUSE THE SKOKOMISH RIVER TO FLOOD...POSSIBLY TO ITS MAJOR FLOOD
STAGE. A FLOOD WATCH IS EFFECT FOR MUCH OF WESTERN WASHINGTON AS THE
SKOKOMISH RIVER COULD HIT MINOR FLOOD STAGE LATE TONIGHT OR TUESDAY
MORNING. OTHER OLYMPIC MOUNTAIN RIVERS INCLUDING THE BOGACHIEL...
ELWHA...DUNGENESS...AND SATSOP RIVERS COULD ALSO FLOOD. THE ELWHA
COULD HIT THE MODERATE FLOOD CATEGORY. IN THE NORTH CASCADES...
RIVERS FROM THE NOOKSACK TO THE STILLAGUAMISH...INCLUDING THE
SKAGIT...COULD FLOOD WITH THE SKAGIT RIVER FACING POSSIBLE MAJOR
FLOOD. FLOODING WOULD PROBABLY START AROUND TUESDAY WITH CRESTS ON
WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY. FURTHER SOUTH...THERE IS A CHANCE FOR THE
NEWAUKUM...PUYALLUP NEAR ORTING...AND TO A LESSER DEGREE THE
CHEHALIS RIVERS TO FLOOD.
FORECAST RAINFALL IN THE CENTRAL CASCADES DOES NOT SEEM LIKE ENOUGH
TO CAUSE FLOODING ON RIVERS FROM ABOUT THE SKYKOMISH SOUTH. HOWEVER
EXPERIENCE SHOWS ACTUAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND LOCATIONS CAN DIFFER
SIGNIFICANTLY FROM FORECASTS MADE 2-4 DAYS AHEAD. A HYDROLOGIC
OUTLOOK STATEMENT CONTINUES IN ORDER TO HIGHLIGHT THE THREAT OF
FLOODING OVER KING AND THURSTON COUNTIES...THE ONLY FLOOD-THREATENED
COUNTIES NOT ALREADY UNDER A FLOOD WATCH.
THE SNOW LEVEL WILL BE QUITE HIGH FOR MOST OF THIS EVENT...ABOVE
7000 FEET. THIS MEANS NEARLY ALL THE MOUNTAINS WILL BE GETTING RAIN
RATHER THAN SNOW. BY THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY THE SNOW LEVEL WILL
FALL TO 3000-4000 FEET SO THAT MOST OF THE PRECIPITATION IS SNOW
SHOWERS IN THE MOUNTAINS. THE THREAT OF FLOODING WILL BE OVER BY THE
END OF THE WEEK. BOWER
&&
.AVIATION...A STRONG FRONT WILL APPROACH THE COASTAL WATERS THIS
EVENING AND MOVE ONSHORE BY MIDDAY TUE. STRONG SW FLOW ALOFT WILL
TONIGHT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH MIDDAY TUE. THE AIR MASS WILL BE
STABLE AND MOIST.
CEILINGS OVER THE INTERIOR NEAR 5000 FEET THIS EVENING WITH LOWER
CEILINGS...2000-3000 FEET ALONG THE COAST. ISOLATED VISIBILITIES
3-5SM IN MODERATE RAIN. CEILINGS WILL SLOWLY LOWER OVER THE INTERIOR
OVERNIGHT TO NEAR 3500 FEET WITH REDUCED VISIBILITIES...3-5SM...
BECOMING MORE COMMON AS THE RAIN INTENSITY INCREASES. CEILINGS ALONG
THE COAST WILL LOWER TO 1000-2000 FEET WITH VISIBILITIES 1-3SM IN
MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN. CEILINGS WILL LOWER AGAIN LATER TUESDAY
MORNING DOWN TO 2000-3000 FEET OVER THE INTERIOR AND AS LOW AS
500-1000 FEET ALONG THE COAST AS THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA.
STRONG SOUTHERLY FLOW ALOFT WITH WINDS AT 020-030 INCREASING TO
50-60 KNOTS AFTER MIDNIGHT. THE STRONG WINDS ALOFT WILL CONTINUE
UNTIL THE FRONTAL PASSAGE GIVING AREAS OF LLWS. FELTON
KSEA...CEILINGS AOA 5000 FEET FALLING TO 3500 FEET AFTER MIDNIGHT
THEN DOWN TO NEAR 2500 FEET MIDDAY TUESDAY. VISIBILITIES 3-5SM IN
MODERATE RAIN AT TIMES THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING. SE WIND 8-12 KT
INCREASING TO 10-15 KT OVERNIGHT THEN SHIFTING TO S 15-20 KNOTS WITH
GUSTS 25 -30 KNOTS MIDDAY TUESDAY. WIND AT 020 RISING TO S 50-55 KT
08Z-20Z TUE GIVING LLWS. FELTON
&&
.MARINE...A STRONG FRONT OVER THE OFFSHORE WATERS TONIGHT WILL MOVE
THROUGH THE COASTAL WATERS TUE MORNING AND INLAND EARLY MIDDAY TUE.
THIS FRONT WILL BE FOLLOWED BY AN EVEN STRONGER ONE LATE TUE NIGHT
INTO WED. EACH OF THESE FRONTS WILL BRING STORM FORCE WINDS TO THE
COASTAL WATERS AND GALE FORCE WINDS TO THE NORTH INLAND
WATERS...EAST ENTRANCE AND ADMIRALTY INLET. GALE FORCE SOUTHERLY
WINDS ARE POSSIBLE WED OVER PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL AS THE SECOND
FRONT MOVES INLAND.
THERE ARE INDICATIONS THAT A DEEP 975 TO 985 MB LOW WILL MOVE
THROUGH THE WATERS MIDDAY THU. IF THIS LOW MATERIALIZES...STORM
FORCE WINDS ARE POSSIBLE OVER ALL WATERS ON THU. STAY TUNED.
COMBINED SEAS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS WILL RISE TO 17 TO 25 FT
TONIGHT INTO TUE MORNING. AFTER DIMINISHING SOMEWHAT TUE
NIGHT...THEY WILL LIKELY REBUILD TO OVER 20 FT WED AND AGAIN ON THU.
WINDS WILL BECOME LIGHT FRI. ALBRECHT/FELTON
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...FLOOD WATCHES IN EFFECT FOR PORTIONS OF WESTERN WA.
WIND ADVISORY NORTH AND CENTRAL COAST...WESTERN
WHATCOM...WESTERN SKAGIT...ADMIRALTY INLET...SAN JUANS.
WIND ADVISORY NORTH AND CENTRAL COAST...AND THE NORTH INTERIOR
THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING.
HIGH WIND WATCH NORTH AND CENTRAL COAST...AND THE NORTH
INTERIOR FROM TUESDAY EVENING THROUGH WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON.
PZ...STORM WARNING COAST.
GALE WARNING ENTRANCES TO THE STRAIT...CAMANO ISLAND TO POINT
ROBERTS AND ADMIRALTY INLET.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL AND CENTRAL
STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH TO SEVERE GRAYS HARBOR BAR.
&&
YOU CAN SEE AN ILLUSTRATED VERSION OF THIS FORECAST DISCUSSION AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE/GAFD/LATEST_WEBAFD.HTML
&&
YOU CAN SEE AN ILLUSTRATED VERSION OF THIS FORECAST DISCUSSION AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE/GAFD/LATEST_WEBAFD.HTMLThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind, 1 avalanche. Local standard time, as filed.
Lopez Island had 40-44 mph sustained wind.
KBLI had a peak wind of 67 mph.|Sandy Point Shores had 45g62 mph.
Destruction Island CMAN had 50+ KT sustained wind, verifying gusts on the land.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2014Every state in 2014This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, 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: 546460, 546459, 546458.