Brief high wind occurred in the Bellingham area.
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.
Brief high wind occurred in the Bellingham area.
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 Nov 11, 9:30 PM PST, 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
930 PM PST WED NOV 11 2015
.SYNOPSIS...A STRONG AND CONSOLIDATED JET STREAM WILL TAKE AIM AT
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST FROM THURSDAY THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY...
BRINGING WET AND WINDY WEATHER THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY.
RIVER FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL BRING SHOWERS
ON SUNDAY. THE WEATHER SHOULD REMAIN COOL AND UNSETTLED EARLY NEXT
WEEK.
&&
.SHORT TERM...A WET FLOOD-PRODUCING ATMOSPHERIC RIVER EVENT WILL BE
SETTING UP ON THU AND LASTING UNTIL SAT MORNING. THE PATTERN IS
BEING BEING AIDED BY THE DEVELOPMENT OF A STRONG AND CONSOLIDATED
UPPER JET STREAM OVER THE NE PAC...TO THE SOUTH OF A VERY DEEP 965
MB LOW CENTERED NEAR KODIAK ISLAND ALASKA. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS
THE JET TAPPING INTO A TROPICAL MOISTURE SOURCE ALL THE WAY BACK
NEAR GUAM.
THE LEADING NOSE OF THE JET WILL REACH THE B.C. COAST ON THU
MORNING...INITIALLY PUSHING AN ENERGETIC WARM FRONT ACROSS WRN WA.
THIS WILL SIGNAL THE START OF OUR RAIN EVENT...ALONG WITH A
SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN S-SE PRESSURE GRADIENTS AND WIND.
BY FRI...WRN WA WILL BE SQUARELY IN THE WARM AND MOIST AIR MASS
SOUTH OF A STRONG...OR HIGHLY BAROCLINIC...STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED
ACROSS VANCOUVER ISLAND. THE COMBINATION OF W-SW 850 MB WINDS IN THE
45-60 KT RANGE INTERSECTING OUR MOUNTAIN RANGES...ALONG WITH A
SUBTROPICAL AIR MASS WITH SFC DEWPOINTS EXCEEDING 55F...WILL YIELD
A CONTINUATION OF THE HEAVY RAINS THAT FIRST BEGAN ON THU.
THAT FRONT DRAPED ACROSS VANCOUVER ISLAND ON FRI WILL FINALLY MAKE
ITS MOVE SOUTH ON FRI NGT AND VERY EARLY SAT. AS THE FRONT SLIPS
SOUTH...WINDS WILL EASE SIGNIFICANTLY...AND HEAVY RAIN WILL TAPER
OFF TO SHOWERS.
BY THE TIME THIS SERIES OF EVENTS IS DONE...FLOOD-PRODUCING AMOUNTS
OF RAIN WILL HAVE OCCURRED. THE EVENING ROUND OF MODELS...INCLUDING
THE 00Z GFS AND THE 00Z NAM...CONTINUE THE PREVIOUS FOCUS OF RAIN
ACROSS THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA AND INTO THE NORTH CASCADES. IN
FACT...THE 00Z GFS PRODUCES EVEN MORE RAIN THAN PREVIOUS RUNS OVER
THE OLYMPIC PENINSULA AND THE NORTH CASCADES...WHILE PRODUCING LESS
RAIN OVER THE CASCADES SOUTH OF I-90. IN THE 48 HOURS FROM 10 AM THU
TIL 10 AM SAT...IT IS NOW SHOWING AN AMAZING 10-13 INCHES OF RAIN ON
THE WEST WET SIDE OF THE OLYMPICS...AND ABOUT 12 INCHES OF RAIN NEAR
MOUNT BAKER. AT FIRST GLANCE...MODEL QPF AMOUNTS WOULD PLACE ANY
OLYMPIC PENINSULA DRAINAGE OR ANY CASCADE DRAINAGE FROM THE
SNOQUALMIE DRAINAGE ON NORTH AT RISK FOR FLOODING. MEANWHILE...THE
LATEST MODEL TREND WOULD EASE SOME OF THE FLOODING CONCERN FOR
CASCADE RIVER DRAINAGES SOUTH OF I-90...AS WELL AS THE UPPER HALF OF
THE CHEHALIS BASIN. STAY TUNED.
WIND WILL BE THE OTHER MAIN WEATHER CONCERN. THE INITIAL WARM FRONT
ON THU WILL PROBABLY BRING THE STRONGEST WINDS OF THIS EVENT TO
SOUTHEAST-WIND PRONE LOCATIONS...SUCH AS THE NORTH INTERIOR AND THE
ADMIRALTY INLET AREA. HIGH-END WIND ADVISORY TYPE SPEEDS SHOULD BE
EXPECTED ON THU...WITH GUSTS AROUND 50-55 MPH...POSSIBLY MORE. OTHER
LOCATIONS WILL GET WINDY TOO...AND THE CURRENT ROUND OF WIND
ADVISORIES COVERS OTHER LOCATIONS WELL BY CALLING FOR GUSTS OF 45-50
MPH.
EVEN AFTER THE WARM FRONT PASSES...WE WILL STILL BE ON THE WINDY
SOUTH SIDE OF THAT STRONG STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED ACROSS VANCOUVER
ISLAND ON FRI. THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THIS WEATHER FEATURE ON FRI WILL
ALLOW THE WIND EVENT TO CONTINUE ON. IN FACT...WHAT SHOULD
CHARACTERIZE THIS WIND EVENT MORE THAN MAGNITUDE IS LONGEVITY. QUITE
A FEW LOCATIONS WILL KEEP THEIR STRONG WINDS GOING FOR 24-36+ HOURS.
HANER
.LONG TERM...FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...THE GFS MOVES THE HEAVY RAIN
BAND SOUTH OF THE AREA SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH SIGNIFICANTLY COLDER
AIR IN PLACE AFTER THAT. THE EURO IS A LITTLE SLOWER IN MOVING THE
PRECIPITATION OUT BUT STILL BRINGS COLDER AIR INTO THE AREA SATURDAY
NIGHT. HYDROLOGICALLY SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION SHOULD END AROUND
SATURDAY AFTERNOON.
THE NEXT SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE MORE OF A MOUNTAIN SNOW PRODUCER THAN A
HEAVY RAIN PRODUCER. THE PERIOD FROM MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY
NIGHT COULD BRING HEAVY SNOW TO THE MOUNTAINS. THERE IS AMPLE
MOISTURE IN THE MODELS AND THE SNOW LEVEL WILL BE IN THE 2000 TO
3000 FOOT LEVEL MOST OF THE TIME. BURKE
&&
.HYDROLOGY...FROM THE 330 PM PST DISCUSSION...FLOODING IS UNLIKELY
ON AREA RIVERS THROUGH THURSDAY.
THE FORECAST HEAVY RAINFALL FOR THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY
SATURDAY WOULD CAUSE FLOODING ON MANY AREA RIVERS. THIS INCLUDES ANY
RIVERS FLOWING OFF THE CASCADES FROM THE NOOKSACK IN THE NORTH TO
THE COWLITZ IN THE SOUTH. ALSO ANY OLYMPIC PENINSULA RIVERS COULD
FLOOD IF THIS RAIN OCCURS. EVEN THE RIVERS OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON
SUCH AS THE CHEHALIS AND ITS TRIBUTARIES COULD FLOOD.
HEAVY RAIN WILL BEGIN OVER THE OLYMPICS THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THEN
CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. RIVER FLOODING MAY BE POSSIBLE ON
SOME RIVERS FLOWING OFF THE OLYMPICS BY FRIDAY MORNING. HEAVY RAIN
BEGINS OVER THE CASCADES LATER THURSDAY NIGHT WITH FLOODING ON
CASCADE RIVERS POSSIBLE FRIDAY. CURRENT RIVER MODELS SHOW FLOODING
ON ALL RIVERS FROM THE NOOKSACK SOUTH TO THE SNOQUALMIE. SOUTH OF
THERE RIVERS GET CLOSE TO FLOOD STAGE BUT GENERALLY DO NOT RISE OVER
FLOOD STAGE. THE MODEL ALSO SHOWS SOME RIVERS ON THE OLYMPIC
PENINSULA ARE LIKELY TO REACH FLOOD STAGE...INCLUDING THE ELWHA AND
THE SKOKOMISH. A FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR ALL COUNTIES THAT
HAVE MAIN STEM RIVERS. BURKE
&&
.AVIATION...WESTERLY FLOW ALOFT WILL PREVAIL THROUGH THURSDAY. A
STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL REACH THE AREA ON THURSDAY. AIR MASS
STABLE WITH MOSTLY MID AND HIGH LEVEL MOISTURE TONIGHT...LOW
LEVELS BECOMING MOIST THURSDAY.
KSEA...MOSTLY MID AND HIGH CLOUDS TONIGHT. LOW CLOUDS WILL
DEVELOP THURSDAY AS A FRONT REACHES THE AREA. SOUTHERLY WIND 5-10
KNOTS...INCREASING TO 12 TO 22 KNOTS THURSDAY WITH GUSTS TO 32
KNOTS. SCHNEIDER
&&
.MARINE...HIGH PRESSURE WILL SHIFT EAST OF THE AREA TONIGHT.
STRONG FRONTAL SYSTEMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA THURSDAY AND FRIDAY
WITH GALES FORECAST FOR THE WATERS. WEST SWELL 18-23 FEET WILL
REACH THE COASTAL WATERS FRIDAY...THEN SUBSIDE ON SATURDAY.
ONSHORE FLOW WILL PREVAIL THIS WEEKEND. ANOTHER STRONG FRONTAL
SYSTEM MAY IMPACT THE AREA ON MONDAY. SCHNEIDER
&&
.SEW WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
WA...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT MOST WESTERN WASHINGTON COUNTIES.
WIND ADVISORY COAST AND INTERIOR.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY CENTRAL COAST.
PZ...GALE WARNING ALL WATERS EXCEPT CENTRAL STRAIT.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY CENTRAL STRAIT.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH GRAYS HARBOR BAR.
&&
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE
YOU CAN SEE AN ILLUSTRATED VERSION OF THIS DISCUSSION AT
WWW.WEATHER.GOV/SEATTLE/GAFD/LATEST_WEBAFD.HTML1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The CWOP on the bluff west of downtown Bellingham recorded 40g50 mph at 959 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, November 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: 603531.