A cold front produced strong winds for the South Washington coast and coast range. 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 South Washington coast and coast range. 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, 8:51 AM PST, 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
851 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
TONIGHT...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 THURSDAY...THE NEXT SYSTEM OF THE ONGOING
SERIES IS APPROACHING 130W THIS MORNING PER WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. WARM
ADVECTIVE OVER-RUNNING PRECIP WILL BE THE NORM THROUGH EARLY
AFTERNOON. BASED ON LATEST OBSERVATIONAL DATA IT APPEARS SNOW LEVELS
ARE AROUND 4000 FEET IN THE N OREGON CASCADES...SLIGHTLY LOWER IN THE
S WA CASCADES AND UP TO NEAR PASS LEVELS IN THE CENTRAL OREGON
CASCADES. THESE VALUES MAY CLIMB JUST A BIT MORE THIS MORNING BASED
ON THE MODEL WET-BULB 0 VALUES VALID 18Z. PRECIP SHOULD PICK UP ALONG
THE S WA AND N OREGON COAST LATE THIS MORNING AND THEN INLAND EARLY
IN THE AFTERNOON. THE NAM SHOWS THE COLD FRONT REACHING THE S WA AND
N OREGON COAST AROUND 21Z...THEN MOVING THROUGH THE SW WA LOWLANDS
AND N WILLAMETTE VALLEY CLOSE TO 00Z WED. HEAVIEST PRECIP WILL BE IN
THE 18Z-00Z TIME FRAME...EXCEPT 21Z-03Z IN THE SRN PART OF THE
FORECAST AREA. 850 MB WLY FLOW OF 35-45 KT INTO THE CASCADES WILL
RESULT IN EXCELLENT OROGRAPHICS FOR SNOWFALL RATES OF AT LEAST 2
INCHES PER HOUR. HOWEVER...THE FRONT WILL BE A FAST-MOVER...REACHING
SE OREGON AROUND MIDNIGHT.
THIS SYSTEM WILL ALSO BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF STRONG WIND TO THE
COASTAL AREAS. THIS WILL BE PRIMARILY A HEADLANDS WIND EVENT
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. STRONGEST WINDS WILL HIT
THE HEADLANDS/BEACHES WITH NEAR 70 MPH GUSTS AND AROUND 60 MPH ALONG
THE COASTAL COMMUNITIES LATE THIS MORNING THROUGH MID-AFTERNOON.
LATEST NAM GUIDANCE HAS EASED OFF ON THE MAX 925 MB WIND SPEEDS
COMPARED TO 24-HRS AGO. NOT SO SURE THE OREGON COAST RANGE WILL SEE
ENOUGH 60 MPH OR GREATER GUSTS TO WARRANT A HIGH WIND WARNING BUT
WILL SEE HOW THINGS PLAY OUT THERE. NAM INDICATES ABOUT A 6 MB
KEUG-KPDX GRADIENT AROUND MID-AFTERNOON...WHICH IS USUALLY ENOUGH TO
PRODUCE 40-50 MPH WIND GUSTS TO THE VALLEY. MODEL SOUNDING FOR KPDX
STILL SHOWING 50-55 KT WIND SPEEDS ABOUT 2500 FT MSL AT MIDDAY. GOOD
POTENTIAL FOR MOMENTUM TRANSFER TO THE SURFACE WITH GOOD MIXING.
THE WIND WILL QUICKLY DROP OFF BEHIND THE FRONT LATE TODAY AS THE WLY
WIND DEVELOPS AND THE VERTICAL ALIGNMENT BECOMES LESS FAVORABLE WITH
THE SURFACE GRADIENT. 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. WEISHAAR
.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...FRONT MOVING ONSHORE THIS MORNING AND THROUGH NW OREGON
THIS AFTERNOON WILL BRING WIDESPREAD MVFR CONDITIONS. THE IFR CIGS
THIS MORNING ALONG THE COAST ARE EXPECTED TO LIFT TO AN MVFR LAYER
THIS MORNING. ONCE THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH INLAND VALLEYS BETWEEN
21Z AND 01Z EXPECT A TRANSITION BACK TO VFR CONDITIONS WITH A
SHOWERY AIR MASS.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...EXPECT MVFR CONDITIONS TO PREVAIL THROUGH MOST
OF THE DAY WITH RAIN AHEAD OF A FRONT. COLD FRONT EXPECTED TO MOVE
THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...AROUND 21Z OR SO. AFTER THAT PREVAILING
CIGS ARE LIKELY TO LIFT TO VFR CATEGORY...BUT WITH SHOWERS BRINGING
OCCASIONAL MVFR CONDITIONS THROUGH THE EVENING.
&&
.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 SOME TONIGHT
AND WEDNESDAY. WED NIGHT ANOTHER SYSTEM WILL BRING A ROUND OF STRONG
WINDS TO THE WATERS WITH GALES LIKELY. QUIETER WEATHER MAY BE ON THE
WAY LATE IN THE WEEK AND THIS WEEKEND.
SEAS SHOULD BUILD BACK INTO THE MID AND UPPER TEENS WITH THE FRONT
TODAY...THEN HOVER IN THE MID TEENS TONIGHT AND WEDNESDAY. EXPECT
SEAS TO RISE ANOTHER COUPLE OF FEET AGAIN WITH THE FRONT WED
NIGHT...BEFORE SUBSIDING LATE IN THE WEEK.
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 6 PM PST WEDNESDAY FOR CASCADES
IN LANE COUNTY-NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 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
COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-CENTRAL OREGON COAST-COAST
RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON-NORTH OREGON COAST.
WA...WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM PST WEDNESDAY FOR SOUTH
WASHINGTON CASCADES.
WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR GREATER
VANCOUVER AREA.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH
WASHINGTON COAST-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.
&&
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.
Two stations along the South Washington Coast reported high winds on February 18th. Cape Disappointment (82SW1) measured sustained winds of 40 mph with a peak gust of 51 mph, and Megler Bridge (ODT76) measured sustained winds of 47 mph with a peak gust of 57 mph.
The Abernathy RAWS (ABNW1) reported a peak gust of 59 mph between 1330 PST and 1600 PST.
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, 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: 501984, 501985.