A surface low produced strong gusty winds across Northwest Oregon as it moved north offshore the Central and Northern Oregon coasts before making landfall in Southwest Washington. Soils were well saturated due to a prolonged period of heavy rain, and many trees were downed impacting life and property.
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 surface low produced strong gusty winds across Northwest Oregon as it moved north offshore the Central and Northern Oregon coasts before making landfall in Southwest Washington. Soils were well saturated due to a prolonged period of heavy rain, and many trees were downed impacting life and property.
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 Mar 15, 9:07 AM PST, 53 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND
1007 AM PDT SUN MAR 15 2015
.SYNOPSIS...A FAIRLY DECENT LOW WAS CONTINUING TO DEEPEN OFF THE
OREGON COAST THIS MORNING AS IT MOVES NORTHWARD...PRODUCING MORE RAIN
AND WIND OVER SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON TODAY INTO
EARLY THIS EVENING. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH IN THE
LATE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. PRECIPITATION WILL DWINDLE
DRAMATICALLY TONIGHT AND MONDAY AS WE ARE IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS. THE
NEXT MUCH WEAKER SYSTEM WILL A CHANCE OF SOME RAIN TO THE AREA ON
TUESDAY. THE NEXT MORE ORGANIZED SYSTEM IS EXPECTED LATER IN THE WEEK
AND NEXT WEEKEND.
&&
.SHORT TERM...ANOTHER LOW WAS DEEPENING OFF THE OREGON COAST THIS
MORNING ALONG THE SLOW MOVING FRONTAL BAND ALONG THE COAST. THIS IS
SEEN WELL AS A DEVELOPING HOOK ON IR SATELLITE IMAGERY AND DARKENING
ON THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY. THE MODELS ARE FINALLY COMING INTO BETTER
AGREEMENT ON THIS LOW...WITH THE STRONGER INTENSITY OF THE GFS MODEL
BUT WITH THE FASTER SPEED OF THE ECMWF MODEL. THE MODELS SAY THE LOW
CENTER WILL PROBABLY MAKE LANDFALL ON THE CENTRAL WASHINGTON
COAST...SO THIS TRACK WOULD PRODUCE HIGH WINDS ALONG ALL OF OUR
COASTAL AREAS AND THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS...THE LATTER FOR WHICH I
ISSUED THIS MORNING. SHOULD SEE SOLID WIND ADVISORY SPEEDS IN THE
VALLEYS FROM ABOUT SALEM NORTHWARD AS WELL. WINDS WILL DECREASE LATER
TONIGHT ONCE THE SURFACE LOW MOVES AWAY FROM OUR AREA.
THE MOIST FRONTAL ZONE CONTINUED TO BE AIMED AT FAR NORTHWEST OREGON
AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON OVERNIGHT INTO THIS MORNING. AN AREA OF
ENHANCED WARM ADVECTION OVERRUNNING NORTHEAST OF THE DEVELOPING
OFFSHORE LOW CENTER SPREAD OVER THE NORTHERN TWO THIRDS OF OUR
FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING AND THUS WE ISSUED AN AREAL FLOOD ADVISORY
FOR THIS. THIS IS STARTING TO LIFT NORTH AS THE OFFSHORE LOW MOVES
NORTH...AND EXPECT RAIN RATES TO THEN EAST FOR A BIT SOON.
THE MODELS SAY THE MAIN COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ONSHORE LATER THIS
AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING WITH ANOTHER BURST OF RAIN...BUT LIKELY
NOT AS HEAVY AND CERTAINLY NOT AS SUSTAINED AS WHAT WE HAVE SEEN THE
PAST 36 HOURS. SO FAR THE RIVERS HAVE HAD GOOD RISES ON THEM...BUT
ARE STAYING WITHIN THEIR BANKS AND CURRENTLY ARE NOT FORECAST TO
REACH FLOOD STAGE. SO FAR...THE TUALATIN RIVER AT DILLEY AND JOHNSON
CREEK IN THE PORTLAND METRO AREA HAVE THE BEST CHANCE OF GETTING
CLOSE TO BANKFULL LEVELS. WITH THE EXPECTED LULL IN THE PRECIPITATION
THIS AFTERNOON...THIS MAY BE ENOUGH TO KEEP THINGS BELOW FLOOD STAGE
EVERYWHERE. HOWEVER...THIS STILL BEARS WATCHING.
ONCE THE LOW CENTER MOVES AWAY TONIGHT...PRECIPITATION REALLY
DWINDLES TONIGHT AND MONDAY AS ONSHORE FLOW FALLS APART. MAY HAVE TO
WATCH FOR SOME PATCHY FOG LATE TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING.
THE MODELS ARE SHOWING A FEW SHOWERS SPREADING BACK NORTH INTO THE
AREA MONDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM...ESPECIALLY NEAR THE
CASCADES. THE SOURCE FOR THIS MOISTURE APPEARS TO BE FROM THE FRONT
THAT MOVES THROUGH TONIGHT. THEN THE NEXT SYSTEM SWEEPS BY TO THE
NORTHEAST AND BRUSHES OUR AREA WITH A BIT OF RAIN ON TUESDAY.
TOLLESON
.LONG TERM...NO CHANGES. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS...TUESDAY NIGHT
THROUGH SATURDAY...FEW CHANGES TO THE FORECAST THROUGH THE LONG TERM
WITH THE MODEL CONSENSUS...IN A LOOSE SENSE OF THE TERM
CONSENSUS...IMPROVING ONLY SLIGHTLY FOR THE SECOND HALF OF NEXT WEEK.
THE UPPER SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL PUSH TO THE EAST WITH SOME LINGERING
SHOWERS POSSIBLE INTO EARLY WEDNESDAY. REDUCED POPS FOR WEDNESDAY
WITH MAY END UP BEING A DRY DAY FOR MOST...BUT MAINTAINED 20
PERCENT/SLIGHT CHANCE POPS IN A NOD TO THE ECMWF/CANADIAN
SOLUTION...WHICH IS ALSO FOUND IN A HANDFUL OF GEFS MEMBERS.
DRY...AND WARMER...WEATHER LIKELY ON THURSDAY WITH AFTERNOON
TEMPERATURE LIKELY INTO THE UPPER 60S AGAIN THROUGH THE WILLAMETTE
VALLEY.
THE NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM AND DEVELOPING PACIFIC LOW PRESSURE WILL THEN
MOVE TOWARDS THE REGION. THE 12Z ECMWF BRINGS PRECIPITATION SPREADING
ONSHORE BY LATE THURSDAY EVENING...WHILE THE GFS SOLUTION WOULD
INDICATE DRY WEATHER FOR ANOTHER 18 TO 24 HOURS. HOWEVER...THE GEFS
MEAN AND MANY MEMBERS ARE MORE IN LINE WITH THE 12Z SOLUTION...SO
CONTINUED TO TREND THE FORECAST IN THIS DIRECTION.
THIS IS ALSO IN LINE WITH THE MODEL PREFERENCES FROM WPC THIS
AFTERNOON. CONFIDENCE DOES REMAIN SOMEWHAT LOWER HOWEVER...AND THE
TEMPERATURE FORECASTS MAY NEED TO BE ADJUSTED ACCORDINGLY IF THE
RAIN/CLOUDS MOVE IN EARLIER OR LATER THAN THE CURRENT FORECAST
INDICATES. SNOW LEVELS REMAINS AROUND 6000 FT OR HIGHER THROUGH AT
LEAST EARLY FRIDAY...BUT MAY LOWER TO AROUND 4500 FT OR SO WITH SOME
CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION EARLY NEXT WEEKEND. CULLEN
&&
.AVIATION...THE FORECAST AREA WELL IN THE WARM SECTOR WITH VFR CIGS
PREVAILING. A COLD FRONT AND ASSOCIATED LOW PRES WILL MOVE THROUGH
LATER IN THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY EVENING. THIS WILL BRING GUSTY WINDS
TO THE COAST AS WELL AS INLAND AREAS. GUSTS TO 40 KT APPEAR LIKELY IN
THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND GUSTS MAY APPROACH 50 KT ALONG THE COAST.
MVFR CONDITIONS LIKELY AS THE FRONT APPROACHES AND MOVES
THROUGH...ROUGHLY 21Z AT THE COAST AND 00Z INLAND...BUT SHOULD TREND
TOWARD VFR IN THE MORE MIXED AIR MASS...ESPECIALLY INLAND.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...VFR PREVAILING WITH OCCASIONAL MVFR CONDITIONS
FOR A FEW HOURS AROUND 00Z AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. A 2 TO 4
HOUR BURST OF GUSTY SOUTH WINDS OF 35 TO 40 KT APPEARS LIKELY...
CENTERED AROUND THE 23Z SUNDAY TIME FRAME. VFR CONDITIONS SHOULD THEN
PREVAIL THROUGH 12Z MONDAY. /NEUMAN /MH
&&
.MARINE...THE LATEST MODELS HAVE TRENDED TOWARDS A SLIGHTLY WEAKER
LOW PRESSURE. NONETHELESS...SOLID GALE FORCE WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 45
KT ARE EXPECTED ACROSS MOST OF THE WATERS THIS AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING. STORM FORCE WIND GUSTS OF 50 KT ALSO APPEAR LIKELY TO
SURFACE ACROSS THE INNER CENTRAL OREGON WATERS. THERE IS A CHANCE
THESE HIGHER WIND GUSTS COULD SPREAD INTO THE NORTHERN INNER WATERS.
WINDS WILL RAPIDLY SWITCH TO WEST TO NORTHWEST BEHIND THE FRONT WITH
POSSIBLE GALE FORCE GUSTS OVER THE WATERS NORTH OF CASCADE HEAD LATE
THIS AFTERNOON. MAIN CHANGE TO MORNING UPDATE IS TO SHORTEN GALE AND
STORM WARNINGS BY A FEW HOURS BASED ON LATEST MODEL FORECASTS.
THE END RESULT IS THAT SEAS SHOULD SPIKE INTO AT LEAST THE 15 TO 17
FT RANGE LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. SEAS WILL ONCE AGAIN BE
QUICK TO SUBSIDE SUNDAY NIGHT THOUGH...LIKELY DROPPING BELOW 10 FT BY
MONDAY MORNING.
HIGH PRESSURE SHOULD THEN DOMINATE OUR WEATHER FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL
DAYS AND BRING MUCH QUIETER WEATHER. STILL...A WEAK FRONT MAY BRING
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY LEVEL WIND GUSTS OF 25 KT TO THE WATERS ON
TUESDAY...AND PERHAPS A STRONGER FRONT WILL ARRIVE THURSDAY OR
FRIDAY. /NEUMAN /MH
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WIND ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING
FOR CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY-GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-
LOWER COLUMBIA.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM PDT THIS
EVENING FOR CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-COAST
RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON-NORTH OREGON COAST.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 7 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR CENTRAL
OREGON COAST.
WA...WIND ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM PDT THIS EVENING
FOR GREATER VANCOUVER AREA-I-5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PDT THIS
EVENING FOR WILLAPA HILLS.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 3 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM PDT THIS
EVENING FOR SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST.
PZ...GALE WARNING UNTIL 8 PM PDT THIS EVENING FOR COASTAL WATERS
FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR OUT 60 NM. WATERS
FROM CASCADE HEAD TO FLORENCE OR FROM 10 TO 60 NM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA RIVER BAR UNTIL
3 AM PDT MONDAY.
STORM WARNING UNTIL 5 PM PDT THIS AFTERNOON FOR COASTAL WATERS
FROM CASCADE HEAD TO FLORENCE OR OUT 10 NM.
&&
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.7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Several stations along the Central Oregon Coast measured sustained winds greater than 45 mph and gusts greater than 60 mph. The ASOS at the Newport Airport measured a wind gust of 68 mph. The strongest wind gust of 71 mph was measured on the Yaquina Bridge.
A spotter in Canby measured a wind gust of 60 mph, and the Salem Airport measured a gust of 58 mph. Several trees were downed in the area with one large tree falling and damaging a house in Yamhill.
A trained spotter measured a wind gust of 70 mph at the Barview Jetty. There were several weather stations along the coast that measured sustained winds greater than 40 mph and gusts greater than 59 mph. The strongest gust of 83 mph was measured at Garibaldi. The second strongest wind gust was 74 mph measured in Lincoln City.
High Winds were measured near and around the coast range on Northwest Oregon. Chehalem Mountain measured a peak gust of 70 mph.
The Rockhouse RAWS measured sustained winds of 45 mph with gusts to 65 mph for five hours. A peak gust of 86 mph was measured at Marys Peak.
Around 50 trees were downed by strong winds in the afternoon on March 15 in the Portland Metro area. A large tree fell onto a jeep and trapped a injured driver for several hours. Scaffolding was knocked off of a building downtown onto a few cars. A large tree even fell in the parking lot of the National Weather Service Forecast Office. Siding of a chimney in Southwest Portland was peeled off by the winds. Several roads were closed from trees and there were bus and train delays due to power outages. Four airplanes on route to Portland were diverted to other cities. A peak gust of 70 mph was measured at Chehalem Mountain, and a BPA weather station in Troutdale measured gusts of 63 mph.
The Columbia River Fire and Rescue confirmed that a few large trees fell onto the Gable Park Apartment Building resulting in the displacement of 15 people. The trees also damaged a few cars.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, March 2015
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: 565331, 565329, 565330, 566856, 566858, 565328, 565332.