High wind briefly affected the far north interior.
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.
High wind briefly affected the far north interior.
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 3, 3:11 AM PST, 3 hours 15 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
311 AM PST THU DEC 3 2015
CORRECTIONS TO THE HYDROLOGY SECTION
.SYNOPSIS...A VIGOROUS DEVELOPING FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL REACH THE
COAST TODAY AND MOVE ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON THIS EVENING...
FOR RAINY AND VERY WINDY WEATHER. SHOWERY WEATHER WILL FOLLOW THE
FRONT FRIDAY. ANOTHER FRONT WILL BRING MORE RAIN...HEAVY AT
TIMES...SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. WET WEATHER WILL CONTINUE
SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY AS MORE FRONTAL SYSTEMS CROSS THE AREA.
&&
.SHORT TERM...SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT CONTINUES OVER WESTERN
WASHINGTON EARLY THIS MORNING...BETWEEN THE UPPER RIDGE DOWNSTREAM
ALONG THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS AND THE DEEP UPPER TROUGH OFFSHORE ALONG
140W. A PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM IS DEVELOPING IN THE SOUTHEAST
QUADRANT OF THE TROUGH...WITH A 993 MB LOW ABOUT 200 NM WEST OF
THE COAST AT THE OREGON/CALIFORNIA BORDER.
IN THE MEANTIME A WARM FRONT AHEAD OF THAT SYSTEM MOVED NORTH
ACROSS WESTERN WASHINGTON OVERNIGHT...BRINGING WIDESPREAD
PRECIPITATION TO THE FORECAST AREA. THE SNOW LEVEL CLIMBED TO 6000
TO 7000 FT...HOWEVER EASTERLY FLOW IS HOLDING THE TEMPERATURE IN
THE CASCADES PASSES AT OR A LITTLE BELOW FREEZING. AT 1 AM THE
WASHINGTON DOT PASS REPORT SHOWED SNOQUALMIE PASS AND STEVENS PASS
AT 26 AND 24 DEGREES...SO SOME OF THE PRECIPITATION THERE IS
PROBABLY FREEZING RAIN. UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN THE
OLYMPIC MOUNTAINS OVERNIGHT...WITH MAINLY A QUARTER TO THREE
QUARTERS OF AN INCH AT THE COAST...AND UP TO A HALF INCH IN THE
INTERIOR LOWLANDS AND THE CASCADES. TEMPERATURES AT 2 AM RANGED
FROM THE LOWER 40S TO THE MID 50S...WITH LOCALLY GUSTY WINDS
ESPECIALLY NEAR THE WEST SLOPES OF THE CASCADES IN THE EAST PUGET
SOUND LOWLANDS.
THE DEVELOPING SYSTEM OFFSHORE WILL MOVE TO THE COAST THIS
AFTERNOON AND INLAND THIS EVENING...AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO BRING
WIDESPREAD PRECIPITATION TO THE AREA WITH LOCAL FREEZING RAIN IN
THE PASSES. A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR
THE CASCADES THROUGH THIS EVENING.
THE SURFACE LOW IS FORECAST TO DEEPEN TO AROUND 983 MB AS IT
MAKES LANDFALL -- PROBABLY ALONG THE CENTRAL WASHINGTON COAST --
LATE THIS AFTERNOON...THEN CONTINUE NORTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHWEST
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA AND INTO SOUTHWEST BRITISH COLUMBIA LATE
THIS EVENING. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR MOST OF THE
WESTERN WASHINGTON LOWLANDS IN OUR FORECAST AREA FOR THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. CONFIDENCE IS NOT ESPECIALLY HIGH THOUGH...
BECAUSE MODEL SOLUTIONS HAVE BEEN QUITE INCONSISTENT. THE 06Z
SOLUTIONS OF THE NAM AND GFS TAKE THE LOW ON A TRACK FURTHER
WEST...AND IF THEY ARE RIGHT THEN HIGH WINDS WOULD BE UNLIKELY
OVER THE INTERIOR. THE HRRR SOLUTIONS...ON THE OTHER HAND...
CONTINUE TO LOOK SIMILAR TO THE 00Z SUITE OF MODELS UPON WHICH THE
HIGH WIND WARNING IS BASED.
A WEAK UPPER TROUGH WILL BRING MORE SHOWERY WEATHER LATER TONIGHT
AND FRIDAY AS IT MOVES WEST ACROSS THE REGION. THE SNOW LEVEL WILL
FALL TO AROUND 3500 FT BY FRIDAY MORNING...WITH MAINLY 1 TO 6
INCHES OF NEW SNOW ABOVE THAT LEVEL.
ANOTHER FRONTAL BAND WILL PROBABLY REACH THE COAST AND OLYMPIC
PENINSULA LATE FRIDAY NIGHT...AND MOVE SLOWLY ACROSS WESTERN
WASHINGTON SATURDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHT. IT WILL BRING CONSIDERABLE
PRECIPITATION AND LOCALLY WINDY CONDITIONS. WE CAN EXPECT STORM
TOTAL PRECIPITATION OF 1 TO 3.5 INCHES AT THE COAST...2 TO 6
INCHES IN THE OLYMPICS...0.5 TO 2 INCHES IN THE INTERIOR
LOWLANDS...AND MAINLY 1 TO 5 INCHES IN THE CASCADES. THE SNOW
LEVEL WILL BE AROUND 3000 FT AS THE SYSTEM ARRIVES BUT RISE TO
5000 TO 6000 FT AS IT MOVES THROUGH LATE SATURDAY AND SATURDAY
NIGHT. AS MENTIONED IN THE HYDROLOGY SECTION BELOW...THE RAINFALL
OVER THE OLYMPICS COULD BE SUFFICIENT TO DRIVE THE SKOKOMISH RIVER
ABOVE FLOOD STAGE. MCDONNAL
.LONG TERM...ALL THE MODELS SHOW A PROGRESSIVE PATTERN CONTINUING
WITH FAIRLY VIGOROUS FRONTAL SYSTEMS MOVING THROUGH WESTERN
WASHINGTON DURING THE EXTENDED PERIOD. THE FIRST ONE WILL PROBABLY
MOVE THROUGH AROUND SUNDAY OR SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH ANOTHER ONE OR
TWO SYSTEMS MOVING THROUGH BETWEEN MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY. THERE IS
LITTLE AGREEMENT WITH REGARD TO ANY FORECAST DETAILS...AND RUN TO
RUN CONSISTENCY IS RATHER POOR AS WELL. A BROAD BRUSH WET FORECAST
IS RIGHT FOR NOW. THERE IS A GOOD CHANCE THE SNOW LEVEL WILL BE
MAINLY 4500 FT OR HIGHER...POSSIBLY FALLING TO 3000 TO 4000 FT
WEDNESDAY OR WEDNESDAY NIGHT. IT COULD BE LOCALLY WINDY AT TIMES
AS WELL. MCDONNAL
&&
.AVIATION...SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A DEVELOPING 994 LOW ABOUT
250 NM W OF THE SOUTH OREGON COAST THAT IS EXPECTED TO DEEPEN TO
AROUND 984 MB AS IT MOVES ONTO THE CENTRAL WASHINGTON COAST LATE
THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO SW BC THIS EVENING. SW FLOW ALOFT WILL
BECOME STRONG SLY ALOFT THIS AFTERNOON. MOISTURE WILL INCREASE AND
CONDITIONS DETERIORATE IN LOWERING CIGS AND DECREASING VIS IN RA AS
THE LOW APPROACHES TODAY. INCREASING SLY FLOW AT FL020 WILL
CONTRIBUTE TO AREAS OF STRONG LLWS AFTER 20Z AND UNTIL THE LOW MOVES
NORTH OF THE AREA. STRONG SFC AND LOW LEVEL S TO SW WINDS WILL
FOLLOW THE LOW LATE THIS AFTERNOON INTO THIS EVENING. THERE WILL BE
ISOLATED TSTMS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND POSSIBLY ONTO THE
WASHINGTON COAST THROUGH THIS EVENING. ALBRECHT
KSEA...DESPITE RA AT TIMES...EXPECT CIGS TO REMAIN 030-050 THROUGH
EARLY THIS AFTERNOON. CIGS WILL LOWER TO BKN020 OVC040 IN SHRA AS
THE LOW MOVES BY TO THE NORTH. WINDS WILL BE E 10-12 KT TODAY WITH
GUSTS TO 25 KT IN THE AFTERNOON. FROM 21Z-01Z EXPECT SLY WIND AT
FL020 TO INCREASE TO 55-60 KT GIVING STG LLWS. SFC WIND WILL
INCREASE TO S 30KTG45 KT AS THE LOW PASSES BY TO THE NORTH 02Z-04Z
THEN SLOWLY SUBSIDE LATE IN THE EVENING. ALBRECHT
&&
.MARINE...SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS A DEVELOPING 994 MB LOW ABOUT
250NM W OF THE S OREGON COAST EARLY THIS MORNING. THIS LOW WILL
DEEPEN TO AROUND 984 MB AS IT MOVES ONSHORE AROUND THE GRAYS HARBOR
BAR LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. THE LOW WILL THEN MOVE INTO SW BC DURING
THE EVENING HOURS. WE NOW HAVE GALE WARNINGS FOR ALL WATERS...WITH
STORM WARNINGS FOR THE CENTRAL AND EAST ENTRANCE TO THE STRAIT LATE
THIS AFTN AND EVENING AS FLOW TURNS FROM SE TO W THERE.
WINDS WILL DIMINISH LATE TONIGHT INTO FRI MORNING BETWEEN SYSTEMS.
THEN ANOTHER ROUND OF GALES CAN BE EXPECTED OVER THE COASTAL WATERS
AND PORTIONS OF THE INLAND WATERS FRI NIGHT INTO SAT AS ANOTHER
STRONG FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA.
YET ANOTHER STRONG FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE WATERS SUN NIGHT.
A LONG FETCH OF STG WINDS OFFSHORE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO SEAS REACHING
TO 20-25 FT AT TIMES IN THE COASTAL WATERS SAT AND AGAIN SUN NIGHT.
ALBRECHT
&&
.HYDROLOGY...RIVER FLOODING IS UNLIKELY THROUGH FRIDAY. THE FORECAST
RAINFALL SATURDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT COULD BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE THE
SKOKOMISH RIVER TO EXPERIENCE MINOR FLOODING ON SUNDAY...AND WE
COULD ISSUE A FLOOD WATCH FOR THAT LATER TODAY. LONG RANGE MODELS DO
NOT AGREE WELL ON DETAILS FOR SUNDAY THROUGH MONDAY...BUT THEY ALL
KEEP THE PATTERN QUITE WET BUT PROGRESSIVE. NO PARTICULAR SYSTEM
KEEPS HEAVY RAIN OVER WESTERN WASHINGTON FOR VERY LONG...BUT THE
ACCUMULATION OF RAINFALL OVER A SEVERAL DAY PERIOD -- ON TOP OF THE
WET WEATHER BETWEEN TODAY AND SATURDAY -- COULD RESULT IN AT LEAST
SOME MINOR FLOODING NEXT WEEK. BURKE/MCDONNAL
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST THIS
EVENING FOR ADMIRALTY INLET AREA-BELLEVUE AND VICINITY-
BREMERTON AND VICINITY-EAST PUGET SOUND LOWLANDS-EVERETT
AND VICINITY-HOOD CANAL AREA-SAN JUAN COUNTY-SEATTLE AND
VICINITY-SOUTHWEST INTERIOR-TACOMA AREA-WESTERN SKAGIT
COUNTY-WESTERN WHATCOM COUNTY.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR
CASCADES OF PIERCE AND LEWIS COUNTIES-CASCADES OF SNOHOMISH
AND KING COUNTIES-CASCADES OF WHATCOM AND SKAGIT COUNTIES.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 9 PM PST THIS
EVENING FOR CENTRAL COAST-NORTH COAST.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM PST THIS EVENING
FOR LOWER CHEHALIS VALLEY AREA.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT
FOR EASTERN STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-WESTERN STRAIT OF JUAN
DE FUCA.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH BAR UNTIL 3 AM PST FRIDAY FOR
GRAYS HARBOR BAR.
GALE WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR ADMIRALTY INLET-
COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE FLATTERY TO JAMES ISLAND 10 TO 60
NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE FLATTERY TO JAMES ISLAND OUT 10
NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM JAMES ISLAND TO POINT GRENVILLE 10
TO 60 NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM JAMES ISLAND TO POINT
GRENVILLE OUT 10 NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM POINT GRENVILLE TO
CAPE SHOALWATER 10 TO 60 NM-COASTAL WATERS FROM POINT
GRENVILLE TO CAPE SHOALWATER OUT 10 NM-NORTHERN INLAND
WATERS INCLUDING THE SAN JUAN ISLANDS-WEST ENTRANCE U.S.
WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
STORM WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT
FOR CENTRAL U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA-EAST
ENTRANCE U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
GALE WARNING UNTIL 2 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR EAST ENTRANCE
U.S. WATERS STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA.
GALE WARNING FROM 2 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT PST TONIGHT
FOR PUGET SOUND AND HOOD CANAL.
&&
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE
YOU CAN SEE AN ILLUSTRATED VERSION OF THIS DISCUSSION AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE/GAFD/LATEST_WEBAFD.HTMLThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Lopez Island had 45 mph at 626 AM.
The CWOP on the bluff west of downtown Bellingham had 40g53 mph at 310 PM. Sandy Point Shores had 40g56 mph at 344 PM. Ferndale had 40g64 mph 322 PM to 411 PM. Lynden had 40g56 mph at 458 PM.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, December 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: 603542, 603543.