A deep low pressure system moved along the Northern Oregon coast and produced strong winds across the region. The winds took down trees and power lines that obstructed traffic and resulted in one fatality.
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 deep low pressure system moved along the Northern Oregon coast and produced strong winds across the region. The winds took down trees and power lines that obstructed traffic and resulted in one fatality.
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 9, 10:09 AM PST, 11 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
1008 AM PST WED MAR 9 2016
.SYNOPSIS...A WARM FRONT AHEAD OF THE NEXT STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
WILL LIFT NORTH THROUGH NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON
WITH A GOOD SHOT OF RAIN AND INCREASING WIND TODAY. THE STRONGEST
WINDS WILL BE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT AS A STRONG COLD FRONT MOVES
NEAR AND THROUGH THE FORECAST AREA AND AS A STRONG LOW MOVES
TOWARD THE NORTHERN TIP OF VANCOUVER ISLAND. RAIN WILL BE HEAVY AT
TIMES WITH THIS SYSTEM. THE COLD FRONT WILL FINALLY EXIT THE LOCAL
AREA THURSDAY MORNING. THERE SHOULD BE A BRIEF LULL IN THE ACTION
THURSDAY NIGHT. SEVERAL MORE SYSTEMS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE FORECAST
AREA THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK...INCLUDING ON FRIDAY...
SATURDAY...SUNDAY AND AGAIN MONDAY.
&&
.SHORT TERM...RADAR THIS MORNING SHOWS WIDESPREAD MODERATE RAIN
ACROSS THE LOCAL AREA WITH A WARM FRONT APPROACHING FROM THE SOUTH.
HIGH RES SHORT TERM MODELS SHOW RAIN CHANCES DECREASING BEHIND THE
WARM FRONT AFTER ABOUT NOON FOR THE SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY AND
POINTS EAST INTO THE CASCADES SO HAVE DECREASED POPS TO CHANCE THIS
AFTERNOON THERE.
SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS DARKENING ON THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY AND
SURFACE LOW DEVELOPMENT ON INFRARED IMAGERY OUT NEAR 45N/130W THIS
MORNING THAT WILL DEVELOP INTO A STRONG LOW TODAY. THIS LOW WILL
DEEPEN TO AROUND 970 MB AND REACH THE NORTHERN TIP OF VANCOUVER
ISLAND BY ABOUT 4 AM THURSDAY. THIS LOW WILL PUSH A STRONG COLD FRONT
ONTO THE COAST TONIGHT AND INLAND AND SOUTH OF THE AREA BY MID DAY OR
SO THURSDAY. THE MODELS CONTINUE TO FORECAST A VERY STRONG LOW LEVEL
JET AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT... WITH 850 MB WINDS OF OVER 80 KT AND
975 MB WIND OF 60 TO 70 KT JUST OFFSHORE PRIOR TO LANDFALL. WILL
CONTINUE WITH A STRONGLY WORDED HIGH WIND WARNING FOR
THE COAST AND COASTAL MOUNTAINS AND A WIND ADVISORY FOR THE VALLEYS
THROUGH TONIGHT. NOT EVERYTHING IS SET UP PERFECTLY FOR THE VALLEYS
AS THE GRADIENT TENDS TO STAY SOUTHEASTERLY THROUGH MOST OF THE
EVENT...BUT SUSPECT WITH SUCH STRONG WINDS ALOFT THAT SOME OF THE
WINDS WILL BRIEFLY MIX DOWN AND BECOME SOUTHERLY WITH A BURST OF THE
STRONGEST WINDS WHEN THE FRONT MOVES THROUGH BETWEEN MIDNIGHT AND 4
AM THURSDAY. LATEST MODELS ARE ALSO SHOWING THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME
GOOD MIXING THIS AFTERNOON...PARTICULARLY IN THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
WILLAMETTE VALLEYS. THE FRONT WILL LINGER OVER OUR SOUTHERN CASCADES
EARLY THURSDAY BEFORE MOVING EAST AND SOUTH OF THE AREA LATER
THURSDAY MORNING.
SNOW LEVELS APPEAR TO BE NEAR 4000 FT THIS MORNING SO WILL CONTINUE
TO SEE SOME SNOW IN THE CASCADES INTO THE AFTERNOON. SNOW LEVELS
SHOULD BE UP AROUND 6000 FEET OR HIGHER BY LATE THIS AFTERNOON
THOUGH...WITH MOSTLY RAIN AFTER THEN.
WILL ALSO HAVE A DECENT EAST WIND THROUGH THE GORGE BEFORE THE WARM
FRONT MOVES NORTH AND THE LOW CENTER OFF THE COAST ALSO MOVES NORTH.
THE NAM12 MODEL STILL SHOWS AROUND -5 MB KTTD-KDLS GRADIENT...BUT IT
WILL LIKELY END UP CLOSER TO -6 OR -7 MB. THIS WOULD YIELD WIND GUSTS
UP TO 50 MPH IN THE WINDIEST GORGE LOCATIONS TODAY AND EARLY TONIGHT.
THERE LOOKS TO BE A LULL IN THE ACTIVE PATTERN THURSDAY NIGHT. THE
NEXT SYSTEM SWINGS IN FRIDAY FOR MORE RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW. THIS
WILL BE FOLLOWED BY MORE SYSTEMS THIS WEEKEND. BOWEN/TOLLESON
.LONG TERM...NO CHANGES. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS...
FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN WILL
PERSIST THROUGH THE LONG TERM AS WELL. ECMWF AND GFS SHOW ANOTHER
WELL-DEFINED FRONT REACHING THE COAST NEAR 12Z SAT. THIS ONE SHOULD
BRING SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW TO THE CASCADES...WITH 1000-500 MB
THICKNESS VALUES DOWN TO THE LOWER 530S BY 00Z SUN. BEST FORCING AND
DYNAMICS APPEAR TO BE FOCUSED ON THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH OREGON
CASCADES. MODELS SHOW MORE VARIANCE BEYOND SAT. THE ECMWF DEVELOPS
ANOTHER LOW IN THE SRN JET STREAM BRANCH 18Z SUN WHILE THE GFS
CONTINUES WITH AN ELONGATED UPPER TROUGH. SHOULD THE ECMWF
VERIFY...ANOTHER COASTAL WIND EVENT WOULD BE POSSIBLE SUN AFTERNOON.
A BROAD UPPER TROUGH PERSISTS INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK...FOR ADDITIONAL
CASCADE SNOWFALL AND BELOW-NORMAL DAYTIME TEMPERATURES. WEISHAAR
&&
.AVIATION...WARM FRONT LIFTING NORTH ACROSS WESTERN OREGON WILL
SPREAD RAIN FROM SOUTH TO NORTH. CIGS/VSBYS REMAIN LARGELY VFR THIS
MORNING...BUT EXPECT A PERIOD OF IFR TO LOWER MVFR LATER THIS
MORNING ALONG WITH STEADIER RAIN THROUGH 21Z ASSOCIATED WITH THIS
WARM FRONT. THEN EXPECT MIX OF MVFR AND IFR TO PERSIST THROUGH THIS
AFTERNOON WITH COLD FRONT PASSING ACROSS REGION LATER TONIGHT WITH
CONDITIONS TRENDING BACK TOWARDS VFR TONIGHT FOR MOST LOCATIONS.
SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENTS WILL STRENGTHEN AND SUPPORT GUSTY S WINDS
ALONG THE COAST WITH GUSTS TO 60 KT POSSIBLE FOR THE COASTAL
TERMINALS...AND S-SE GUSTS TO 40 KT FOR THE INLAND TAF SITES.
STRONGEST WINDS BETWEEN 23Z WED AND 06Z THU. WINDS EASE AND VFR
CONDITIONS LIKELY CONTINUE LATE OVERNIGHT THROUGH THU.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...EXPECT VFR CIGS EARLY THIS MORNING. CONDITIONS
DETERIORATE TOWARDS MVFR LATER THIS MORNING AS STEADY RAIN DEVELOPS
AND FRONT LIFTS NORTH...WITH BRIEF PERIOD OF IFR CIGS/VSBYS
POSSIBLE. CIGS LIKELY RETURN TO VFR LATER THIS EVENING AND CONTINUE
OVERNIGHT. GUSTY EAST WINDS NEAR THE GORGE WILL IMPACT EASTERN
APPROACHES EARLY TODAY TODAY. GUSTY S-SE WINDS DEVELOP AFTER 00Z THU
WITH GUSTS TO 40 KT POSSIBLE THROUGH 06Z THU...AND VERY STRONG SOUTH
LOWER LEVEL WINDS ALOFT WILL MAINTAIN THREAT OF LLWS PRIMARILY 00Z-
06Z THU. CULLEN
&&
.MARINE...IMPRESSIVE AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING SITUATION
EVOLVING FOR THE COASTAL WATERS LATER TODAY INTO TONIGHT...AS A
HURRICANE FORCE LOW CONTINUES TO DEVELOP ABOUT 300 NM OFF THE
SOUTHERN OREGON COAST. THIS SYSTEM WILL LIFT N-NE...REACHING
VANCOUVER ISLAND THU MORNING. 12Z NAM/GFS SHOW WINDS AS HIGH AS
70-80 KT REACHING AS LOW AS 950 MB...WITH A NEARLY IDEAL TRACK FOR
COASTAL JET FORMATION. THIS WILL LIKELY CAUSE GUSTS IN EXCESS OF
65 KT IN THE INNER WATERS...SPREADING NORTHWARD INTO OUR SOUTHERN
WATERS THIS AFTERNOON AND INTO OUR NORTHERN WATERS BY THIS
EVENING. THE BEST CHANCE FOR HURRICANE FORCE GUSTS WILL BE ABEAM
CAPES ALONG THE OREGON COAST AND NEAR CAPE DISAPPOINTMENT. AS
SUCH...OPTED TO UPGRADE THE STORM WARNING TO A HURRICANE FORCE
WIND WARNING FOR THE INNER WATERS. THE OUTER WATERS WILL COME
CLOSE TO HURRICANE FORCE...BUT WITHOUT THE ACCELERATION PROVIDED
BY THE COASTAL TERRAIN CONFIDENCE IS NOT QUITE AS HIGH SO WE OPTED
TO STICK WITH THE STORM WARNING IN THE OUTER WATERS. PAST STUDIES
SUGGEST THAT WINDS OF THIS MAGNITUDE CAN EASILY PRODUCE COMBINED
SEAS OF 30 FEET OR GREATER...SO WE INCREASED SEAS AND WILL BE
LOOKING INTO POTENTIALLY UPGRADING THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY TO A
WARNING ALONG THE COAST. BEST CHANCE OF THIS WILL BE NORTH OF
NEWPORT.
A COUPLE ITEMS TO WATCH FOR POTENTIAL SURPRISES WITH THIS SYSTEM.
THE DEVELOPING LOW WILL HAVE VERY STRONG WINDS ASSOCIATED WITH THE
BENT-BACK OCCLUSION...WHICH WILL AT LEAST CLIP OUR NORTHERN OUTER
WATERS. THIS MAY PUSH WINDS UP TO HURRICANE FORCE THERE...WHILE
PROVIDING EVEN MORE ENHANCEMENT TO SEAS. HOWEVER THE TRAJECTORY OF
THE LOW IS MORE FAVORABLE FOR A DYNAMIC FETCH INTO THE WA/BC COAST
RATHER THAN THE OREGON COAST. IF THE LOW DEVELOPS FASTER THAN
EXPECTED...OR TAKES A TRACK CLOSER TO THE COAST...THE OUTER WATERS
COULD EASILY HAVE SEAS WELL INTO THE 30S WITH THIS SYSTEM. ALL IN
ALL...IT WILL BE A BAD TIME TO BE OUT ON THE COASTAL WATERS TODAY
THROUGH AT LEAST THURSDAY MORNING. ACTIVE WEATHER WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE UPCOMING WEEKEND.
BACK TO THE HIGH SURF ADVISORY AND COASTAL FLOOD THREAT...THERE
ARE PROS AND CONS HERE DESPITE THE LARGE SEAS. SEAS GENERATED BY
THIS SYSTEM WILL PRIMARILY BE FROM THE S-SW...SO THE ANGLE OF
INCIDENCE ON THE COAST MAY MAKE IT TOUGH TO GENERATE MUCH IN THE
WAY OF COASTAL FLOODING. HOWEVER WE ARE NEAR THE HIGHEST TIDES OF
THE MONTH...AND THERE WILL BE PLENTY OF RUNOFF FROM THE COASTAL
RIVERS. BOTH OF THESE FACTORS MAY COMPENSATE SOMEWHAT FOR THE HIGH
ANGLE OF INCIDENCE. ALSO...EXTRATROPICAL SURGE MODELS SUGGEST A
1.5 TO 2.5 FT TIDAL ANOMALY DUE TO STORM SURGE AND THE MAGNITUDE
OF LOW PRESSURE. EARLY PART OF THE SHIFT WAS FOCUSED ON THE
COASTAL WATERS FORECAST...SO WILL LOOK FURTHER INTO THIS OVER THE
COMING HOURS.
SEAS WILL LIKELY REMAIN ABOVE 20 FT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING
BEFORE GRADUALLY SUBSIDING LATE THURSDAY INTO THE MID TEENS. SEAS
DROP BACK DOWN NEAR 10 FT BY LATE IN THE WEEK...BUT ARE EXPECTED
TO INCREASE AGAIN GOING INTO THE WEEKEND AND POSSIBLE REACH 20 FT
LATE SUNDAY. SEAS LOOK TO FINALLY SUBSIDE BELOW 10 FT SOMETIME
NEXT WEEK. WEAGLE
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR
NORTHERN OREGON CASCADES.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM PST THURSDAY FOR
GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-LOWER COLUMBIA.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM PST THURSDAY FOR
CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY-SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST THURSDAY
FOR CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-COAST RANGE OF
NORTHWEST OREGON.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST THURSDAY
FOR CENTRAL OREGON COAST-NORTH OREGON COAST.
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST THURSDAY FOR CENTRAL
OREGON COAST-NORTH OREGON COAST.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 2 AM PST THURSDAY
FOR CENTRAL OREGON COAST-NORTH OREGON COAST.
WA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH
WASHINGTON CASCADES.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 AM PST THURSDAY FOR
GREATER VANCOUVER AREA-I-5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST THURSDAY
FOR WILLAPA HILLS.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST THURSDAY
FOR SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST.
COASTAL FLOOD ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST THURSDAY FOR SOUTH
WASHINGTON COAST.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 2 AM PST THURSDAY
FOR SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST.
PZ...STORM WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST THURSDAY FOR
WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD OR FROM 10
TO 60 NM.
STORM WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST THURSDAY FOR WATERS FROM CASCADE
HEAD TO FLORENCE OR FROM 10 TO 60 NM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA RIVER BAR UNTIL 9 AM
PST THURSDAY.
STORM WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 6 PM PST THIS EVENING
FOR COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO CASCADE HEAD
OR OUT 10 NM.
HURRICANE FORCE WIND WARNING FROM 6 PM TO 11 PM PST THIS
EVENING 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.
STORM WARNING UNTIL 6 PM PST THIS EVENING 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.4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Many weather reporting stations along the Central Oregon coast recorded sustained winds between 36 and 48 mph with gusts around 64 mph. The highest wind gust of 74 mph was measured at the Sea Lion Caves.
Many weather reporting stations along the north Oregon coast measured sustained winds between 40 and 60 mph, and several of them had gusts between 73 and 79 mph. The winds downed several large trees, and Pacific Power estimated 22,000 customers along the coast were without power.
A couple of weather reporting stations across the central Oregon coast range measured wind gusts between 68 and 79 mph. The winds downed several trees, some which blocked traffic on Highway 18.
A couple of weather reporting stations measured wind gusts up to 65 mph. The winds downed several large trees including one that fell onto a moving vehicle resulting in a fatality.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind, Northern Oregon Coast | 2016-03-09 | 37 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Indirect |
| High Wind, Coast Range of Nw Oregon | 2016-03-09 | 37 | Male | Vehicle/Towed Trailer | Direct |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, March 2016
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: 625575, 625574, 625578, 625577.