A strong cold front produced a burst of strong winds across the southwest Washington coast, coast range and Cascade foothills.
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 strong cold front produced a burst of strong winds across the southwest Washington coast, coast range and Cascade foothills.
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 Oct 30, 8:23 PM PST, 3 hours 37 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
923 PM PDT FRI OCT 30 2015
.SYNOPSIS...RAIN AT TIMES FOR NEXT FEW DAYS. HEAVIEST RAIN SITTING
OVER EXTREME NW OREGON AND SW WASHINGTON THIS EVENING...BUT THAT WILL
SHIFT NORTH TONIGHT. HOWEVER...IT MOVES SOUTH ACROSS ALL THE
REGION ON SATURDAY AS THE COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO THE REGION. BREEZY
CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SATURDAY...ESPECIALLY OVER THE
HIGHER TERRAIN. ONCE THE COLD FRONT MOVES SOUTH SATURDAY NIGHT AND
SUNDAY...COLDER AIR WILL PUSH INTO THE REGION WITH LOWERING SNOW
LEVELS. DRIER BUT COOL WEATHER LOOKS TO RETURN BY MIDWEEK AS HIGH
PRESSURE BUILDS.
&&
.SHORT TERM...TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. FORECAST CONTINUES TO REMAIN ON
TRACK THIS EVENING WITH ONLY MINIMAL CHANGES TO QPF TIMING AND
AMOUNTS. THE UPPER AIR SOUNDING FROM SALEM THIS EVENING INDICATES
JUST OVER 1.3 INCHES OF PRECIPITABLE WATER...OR ALMOST 3 STANDARD
DEVIATIONS ABOVE NORMAL...AS ABUNDANT MOISTURE CONTINUES TO BE
TRANSPORTED INTO THE REGION. THE CORE OF HEAVIER RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH
THE WARM FRONT CONTINUES TO SLIDE NORTH INTO SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON
WITH MODERATE RAIN ALSO CONTINUING NORTH OF A TILLAMOOK TO MOUNT HOOD
LINE...WITH LOCALLY HEAVIER RAIN IN THE NORTH OREGON CASCADES. SOUTH
OF THIS LINE...EXPECT RAINFALL TO BE LIGHTER AND PERHAPS ONLY
INTERMITTENT FOR MUCH OF LINN...BENTON...AND LANE COUNTIES.
WINDS MAY EASE A LITTLE THROUGH THE EARLY PART OF TONIGHT...BUT
EXPECT BREEZY SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY WINDS WILL AGAIN DEVELOP OVER
MUCH OF THE REGION. EXPECT GUSTS 25 TO 40 MPH OVER MOST AREAS...WITH
GUSTS TO 55 MPH ON THE COASTAL HEADLANDS. FORECAST MODELS DEPICT A
SIMILAR OR SLIGHTLY STRONGER SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT TO TODAY
DEVELOPING OVER THE REGION ON SATURDAY...SO WITH THE COMBINATION OF
SATURATED GROUND AND LEAF-LADEN TREES...GUSTS IN THE 35 TO 45 MPH
RANGE MAY HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO CAUSE SOME DAMAGE. WILL LET THE
MIDNIGHT SHIFT EVALUATE LATEST GUIDANCE AND MAKE THE DECISION ON THE
NEED FOR A POTENTIAL WIND ADVISORY FOR THE INTERIOR.
COLD FRONT OVER THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL PUSH SOUTHWARD ON SATURDAY.
AS IT DOES...THE STEADY RAIN WILL RETURN. STILL LOOKS REASONABLE TO
EXPECT AREAS OF HEAVY RAIN TO BE ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE FRONT.
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 1.5 INCHES IN THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY...2 TO 3
INCHES IN THE SW WASHINGTON LOWLANDS...2 TO 5 INCHES FOR THE OREGON
COAST AND COAST RANGE...AND 4 TO 8 INCHES FOR THE WILLAPA
HILLS...NORTH OREGON COAST RANGE AND CASCADES...AND SOUTH WASHINGTON
CASCADES ALL SEEM ON TRACK. A FEW OF THE HIGH RESOLUTION MODELS
SUGGEST SLIGHTLY SLOWER ADVANCEMENT OF THE FRONT TOMORROW...SO HAVE
ADJUSTED THE FORECAST TO REFLECT A 2 TO 3 HOUR DELAY.
THEREFORE...TIMING FOR THE FRONT...AND THE BACK EDGE OF THE HEAVY
RAIN...LOOKS TO ABOUT MID TO LATE AFTERNOON AT ASTORIA...LATE
AFTERNOON OR EARLY EVENING FOR PORTLAND...7 PM FOR NEWPORT AND
SALEM...AND 9 PM FOR EUGENE. ONCE THE FRONT MOVES
PAST...THE HEAVY TO MODERATE RAIN WILL LET UP...BUT RAIN STILL
CONTINUES AT TIMES THROUGH THE EVENING. LATER SATURDAY NIGHT THE RAIN
WILL END...BUT WITH COOLER AIR MASS PUSHING INTO THE REGION WILL SEE
SHOWERS DEVELOP.
WE THEN TRANSITION TO A COOLER...SHOWERY MODE BEHIND THE FRONT AS THE
PARENT UPPER TROUGH SETTLES INTO THE PAC NW SUNDAY. NAM/GFS SOUNDINGS
ARE SHOWING THE POTENTIAL FOR A FEW THUNDERSTORMS SUNDAY AS COOLER
AIR MOVES IN ALOFT AND DESTABILIZES THE ATMOSPHERE. SNOW LEVELS WILL
FALL TO AROUND CASCADE PASS LEVEL BY SUNDAY NIGHT...WITH THE FIRST
ACCUMULATING SNOW OF THE SEASON POSSIBLE BY MONDAY MORNING. CULLEN
.LONG TERM...NO CHANGES. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS...NORTHWESTERLY
FLOW ALOFT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE UPPER LEVEL
TROUGH PUSHES INTO THE GREAT BASIN. THIS WILL MAINTAIN A SHOWERY AIR
MASS OVER THE FORECAST AREA THROUGH LATE TUESDAY. SHORTWAVE RIDGING
LOOKS TO BRIEFLY BUILD INTO THE REGION EARLY WEDNESDAY BRINGING
SLIGHTLY WARMER TEMPERATURES AND MUCH DRIER CONDITIONS THROUGH MOST
OF THURSDAY...WITH AREAS OF FOG POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY
MORNING. A WEAK SHORTWAVE TROUGH LOOKS TO MOVE ACROSS THE PACIFIC
NORTHWEST LATE THURSDAY...BUT THERE REMAINS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY WITH
THIS SYSTEM AT THE MOMENT. /64
&&
.AVIATION...MIXED FLIGHT CONDITIONS WITH PREDOMINANTLY LIFR CIGS
AND IFR VIS ALONG THE COAST...AND MOSTLY MVFR VIS AND CIGS INLAND.
BREEZY SW WINDS WITH GUSTS 20-25 KT STILL BLOWING ALONG THE
COAST...BUT HAVE DROPPED OFF A BIT THIS EVENING INLAND. AS COLD
FRONT APPROACHES AFTER 10Z SAT...SW WINDS STRENGTHEN ALONG THE
COAST AND THROUGH THE VALLEY. GUSTS UP TO 35 KT EXPECTED TO
PERSIST MUCH OF SAT...STRONGER ALONG THE COAST. HEAVIER RAIN
ARRIVES AFTER 15Z- 17Z SAT... OBSCURING MTNS AND BRINGING LOWER
VIS AND CIGS.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...BRIEF VFR CONDITIONS THIS EVENING WILL
DETERIORATE TO MOSTLY MVFR WITH CIGS AROUND 2000-3500 FT AFTER
06Z-08Z SAT. SOUTH WINDS HAVE EASED...BUT WILL STRENGTHEN AGAIN
WITH GUSTS 25-30 KT EXPECTED AFTER 13Z-15Z SAT AS COLD FRONT
APPROACHES. /27
&&
.MARINE...SW WINDS AND SEAS BEGINNING TO PICK UP THIS EVENING AS
A COLD FRONT SLOWLY APPROACHES FROM THE NW. EXPECT GUSTS TO 25 KT
THROUGH THIS EVENING...THEN A COLD FRONT WILL PRODUCE STRONGER
WINDS LATE TONIGHT. GALES EXPECTED ACROSS THE NORTHERN WATERS LATE
TONIGHT AND THE SOUTHERN WATERS SATURDAY MORNING. SEAS WILL
INCREASE TO AROUND 15 FT BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON DUE TO THE
COMBINATION OF FRESH SWELL AND LARGE WIND WAVES.
A LARGE LONGER PERIOD POST-FRONTAL WEST SWELL WILL MOVE INTO THE
WATERS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY WITH SEAS PEAKING TO AROUND 22 FT
SUNDAY AFTERNOON. A POST-FRONTAL TROUGH MAY ALSO BRING ANOTHER
ROUND OF GALES TO THE WATERS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY. MAY NEED
TO CONSIDER HIGH SURF ISSUES WITH THE SEAS AND RIVERS RUNNING HIGH
BY SUNDAY...WILL KEEP AN EYE ON THIS AS THIS WET SYSTEM
PROGRESSES. LONGER RANGE MODELS IN GENERAL AGREEMENT SHOWING HIGH
PRES OVER THE WATERS TUE THROUGH THE END OF NEXT WEEK. TJ/27
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...NONE.
WA...FLOOD WATCH THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHWESTERN
WASHINGTON.
PZ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS UNTIL 1 AM PDT SATURDAY FOR
COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO FLORENCE OR
GALE WARNING FROM 1 AM TO 2 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR COASTAL
WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS UNTIL 1 AM PDT
SATURDAY FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO
CASCADE HEAD OR.
GALE WARNING FROM 5 AM TO 7 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR COASTAL
WATERS FROM CASCADE HEAD OR TO FLORENCE OR.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS UNTIL 5 AM PDT
SATURDAY FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM CASCADE HEAD OR TO
FLORENCE OR.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA RIVER BAR UNTIL 9 PM
PDT THIS EVENING...THEN FROM 5 AM TO 11 AM PDT SATURDAY.
&&
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.2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A weather station on the Naselle Bridge measured sustained winds of 48 mph with a peak gust of 72 mph. Strong winds were also reported at the Abernathy RAWS station where a peak gust of 67 mph was measured.
Sustained winds of 43 mph with a peak gust of 53 mph was measured at a Cape Disappointment weather station. Maximum sustained winds of 45 mph was also reported at Megler Bridge.
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, October 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: 604914, 604915.