A cold front backed by a deep surface low resulted in strong winds across Southwest Washington. The winds took down several trees and power lines.
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 cold front backed by a deep surface low resulted in strong winds across Southwest Washington. The winds took down several trees and power lines.
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 1, 3:21 AM PST, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
320 AM PST TUE MAR 1 2016
.SYNOPSIS...WARM FRONT IS LIFTING NORTHWARD ACROSS SOUTHWEST
WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON TONIGHT. TRAILING STRONG PACIFIC COLD
FRONT WILL MOVE ONSHORE TUESDAY AFTERNOON...PRODUCING STRONG WIND
ALONG THE COAST AND ADJACENT COASTAL MOUNTAINS. WINDY CONDITIONS CAN
BE EXPECTED INLAND AS WELL...INCLUDING THE VALLEYS AND INTO THE
CASCADES. THE NEXT SYSTEM IS EXPECTED WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND
THURSDAY...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER FRIDAY AND ADDITIONAL SYSTEMS OVER THE
WEEKEND.
&&
.SHORT TERM...RAIN WITH THE WARM FRONT IS LIFTING NORTHWARD THROUGH
SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON THIS MORNING. SNOW LEVELS
ARE RISING WITH THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE FRONT. WILL ALLOW THE WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY FOR SNOW TO EXPIRE ON TIME AS SNOW LEVELS ARE
ALREADY UP AROUND 7000 FT PER THE TROUTDALE PROFILER.
WINDY CONDITIONS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TODAY WITH THE APPROACH OF A
STRONG PACIFIC COLD FRONT. MOST RECENT MODELS SUGGEST THE SURFACE LOW
WILL TRACK FURTHER NORTH THAN THEY WERE SHOWING YESTERDAY...SO HAVE
WEAKENED WINDS A BIT...MAINLY INLAND EAST OF THE COAST RANGE. WILL
STILL SEE HIGH WINDS ALONG THE COAST AND IN THE COAST RANGE SO AM
KEEPING THE HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THESE AREAS. INLAND AREAS COULD
STILL SEE GUSTS TO ADVISORY CRITERIA RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THE COLD
FRONT MOVES THROUGH...SO DID NOT HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO DROP THE WIND
ADVISORY.
SNOW LEVELS LOWER BELOW PASS ELEVATIONS TUESDAY NIGHT BEHIND THE
FRONT. THIS COULD BRING CLOSE TO ADVISORY LEVEL SNOW AMOUNTS TO THE
SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES WHERE SHOWERS LINGER LATER INTO WEDNESDAY
MORNING. FURTHER SOUTH IN THE OREGON CASCADES...SNOW LEVELS WILL ONLY
GET LOW ENOUGH TO DROP A COUPLE INCHES BEFORE SHOWERS COME TO AN END.
AS SHOWERS COME TO AN END WEDNESDAY MORNING...WE'LL SEE SOME PATCHY
FOG DEVELOP INLAND AS AN UPPER-RIDGE MOVES OVER THE AREA.
DAYTIME TEMPERATURES WILL STAY RIGHT AROUND NORMAL THROUGH THURSDAY
AS ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN CONTINUES. THE NEXT FRONT MOVES THROUGH
NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON WEDNESDAY NIGHT BRINGING
ANOTHER ROUND OF RAIN...TURNING TO SHOWERS ON THURSDAY. MODEL
SOUNDINGS FROM THE GFS AND THE NAM SUGGEST MODERATE INSTABILITY
THURSDAY MIDDAY THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THIS COMBINED WITH THE
NEGATIVE TILT TO THE SHORTWAVE MOVING THROUGH SUGGESTS A SLIGHT
CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE COAST AND INLAND WEST OF THE
CASCADE FOOTHILLS THURSDAY AFTERNOON UNTIL AROUND SUNSET. -MCCOY
.LONG TERM...NO CHANGES. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION FOLLOWS...THURSDAY NIGHT
THROUGH MONDAY. LITTLE CHANGE TO THE FORECAST FOR THE END OF THE WEEK
THROUGH THE WEEKEND WITH THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN REMAINING IN
PLACE OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. A FRONT WILL MOVE ONSHORE EARLY
THURSDAY NIGHT BEFORE PUSHING EAST OF THE CASCADES BY EARLY FRIDAY
BRINGING ANOTHER ROUND OF STEADY RAIN FOLLOWED BY CONTINUING SHOWERS
IN THE POST-FRONTAL AIR MASS. AFTER A BRIEF BREAK EARLY FRIDAY...THE
NEXT FRONT WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF STEADY...PERHAPS LOCALLY HEAVY
RAIN...LATER FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT.
THE NEXT...AND PERHAPS MOST POTENT...FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVES INTO THE
FORECAST AREA BY SATURDAY EVENING. MODELS SOLUTIONS STILL DIVERGE A
BIT WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF A CLOSED LOW THAT WILL TRACK WELL TO THE
NORTH AND WEST OF THE FORECAST AREA...BUT JUST HOW CLOSE IT TRACKS TO
THE PACIFIC NW REMAINS TO BE SEEN. SOME SUGGESTION IN MODEL GUIDANCE
THAT THIS SYSTEM WILL SPLIT...WITH MOST OF THE ENERGY ON EITHER SIDE
OF THE FORECAST AREA. SO WHILE PRECISE DETAILS...AND THE POTENTIAL
FOR WIND IMPACTS FOR THE WEEKEND...REMAIN UNCERTAIN AT THIS
POINT...CONFIDENCE REMAINS HIGH THAT THE EXTENDED PERIOD WILL BE
MARKED BY ABUNDANT PRECIPITATION. FAR TOO SOON TO DISCERN ANY
HYDROLOGICAL IMPACTS...BUT WITH MODELS CONTINUING TO SUGGEST AN
ACTIVE PATTERN WITH BREAKS IN BETWEEN SYSTEMS AS OPPOSED TO A
STATIONARY BAND OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION OR ATMOSPHERIC RIVER
SETUP...CONCERNS MAY REMAIN MINIMAL. SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN ABOVE
THE CASCADE PASSES FOR MOST TO ALL OF THE EXTENDED PERIOD. CULLEN
&&
.AVIATION...A WARM FRONT CURRENTLY OVER SW WASHINGTON AND FAR NW
OREGON WILL GRADUALLY LIFT NORTH OF THE REGION EARLY THIS MORNING.
CONDITIONS ARE PREDOMINANTLY MVFR IN STEADY RAIN AT THE COAST AND
INLAND MAINLY NORTH OF KSLE. RAIN TO TAPER OFF AFTER 12Z WITH
CONDITIONS POSSIBLE IMPROVING FOR A FEW HRS. HOWEVER...A TRAILING
COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ONSHORE LATER IN THE MORNING AND MOVE THROUGH
THE REGION IN THE AFTERNOON. THIS WILL BRING HEAVIER RAIN AND
MAINLY MVFR CONDITIONS...WITH POTENTIAL FOR IFR VSBYS. SOUTH
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO INCREASE NEAR THE FRONT...WITH GUSTS 40-50
KT ALONG THE COAST BY 18Z...THEN 25-35 KT GUSTS ARE EXPECTED TO
SPREAD INTO THE WILLAMETTE VALLEY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EARLY
EVENING. RAIN TRANSITIONS TO SHOWERS LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING...WITH CONDITIONS EVENTUALLY TRANSITIONING TO VFR.
SHOWERS TAPER OFF CONSIDERABLY OVERNIGHT INTO WED MORNING.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...MODERATE EAST WINDS AND MVFR CONDITIONS IN -RA
CONTINUES THROUGH ABOUT 12Z THIS MORNING. THEN EXPECT A BRIEF
BREAK WITH CONDITIONS POTENTIALLY RETURNING TO VFR. A COLD FRONT
TO BRING MORE RAIN AND MVFR CONDITIONS THIS AFTERNOON...ALONG WITH
SOUTHERLY WINDS GUSTING 25 TO 35 KT. RAIN TAPERS TO SHOWERS LATER
THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING...WITH CONDITIONS LIKELY IMPROVING
TO VFR. PYLE
&&
.MARINE...A WARM FRONT WILL LIFT NORTH OF THE WATERS EARLY THIS
MORNING...BUT A TRAILING COLD FRONT WILL QUICKLY MOVE IN LATER IN
THE MORNING. EXPECT SOUTHERLY WINDS 25 TO 30 KT WITH GUSTS TO 35
KT THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HRS. THE COLD FRONT TO BRING GUSTS
4O TO 45 KT LATER THIS MORNING AND THIS AFTERNOON. ISOLATED GUSTS
TO 50 KT WILL BE POSSIBLE RIGHT AHEAD AND ALONG THE FRONTAL
BOUNDARY FROM ABOUT 7 AM THROUGH 11 AM. THE FRONT MOVES ONSHORE BY
AROUND MIDDAY...WITH SHIFTS SHIFTING TO THE SW FOR THE AFTERNOON. A
SECONDARY FRONT WILL KEEP GALES GOING TROUGH THIS EVENING.
ADDITIONAL SYSTEMS ARE EXPECTED WED AND FRI...BRINGING THE
POTENTIAL FOR MORE GALES. THE ACTIVE WEATHER PATTERN LOOKS TO
CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEKEND.
SEAS HAVE SETTLED BACK DOWN TO THE EXPECTED 10-13 FT
OVERNIGHT...BUT WILL INCREASE CONSIDERABLY TODAY WITH THE COLD
FRONTAL PASSAGE...WITH THE SECONDARY LOW KEEPING THEM ELEVATED
THROUGH TONIGHT. EXPECT SEAS INTO THE UPPER TEENS BY MIDDAY...WITH
SEAS AROUND 20 FT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE ACTIVE PATTERN
FOR THE SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK LOOKS LIKELY TO PUSH SEAS ABOVE 20
FT AT TIMES. PYLE
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM PST THIS EVENING
FOR CENTRAL WILLAMETTE VALLEY-GREATER PORTLAND METRO AREA-
LOWER COLUMBIA-SOUTH WILLAMETTE VALLEY.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM PST THIS
EVENING FOR CENTRAL COAST RANGE OF WESTERN OREGON-COAST
RANGE OF NORTHWEST OREGON.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 6 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR CENTRAL OREGON COAST-NORTH OREGON COAST.
WA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST EARLY THIS MORNING FOR
SOUTH WASHINGTON CASCADES.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 10 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM PST THIS EVENING
FOR GREATER VANCOUVER AREA-I-5 CORRIDOR IN COWLITZ COUNTY.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 8 AM THIS MORNING TO 7 PM PST THIS
EVENING FOR WILLAPA HILLS.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 6 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 PM PST THIS
AFTERNOON FOR SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST.
PZ...GALE WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR COASTAL WATERS
FROM CAPE SHOALWATER WA TO FLORENCE OR OUT 60 NM.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR ROUGH COLUMBIA RIVER BAR UNTIL 10 PM
PST THIS EVENING.
&&
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.3 high wind, 2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A peak gust of 58 mph was measured at Ocean Park, and there were sustained winds of 42 mph at Cape Disappointment with a peak gust of 62 mph.
The Abernathy RAWS measured a peak gust of 69 mph. The BPA tower on the Naselle Ridge measured sustained winds of 55 mph with a peak gust of 78 mph.
The Three Corner RAWS measured sustained winds of 47 mph with a peak gust of 79 mph.
Strong winds downed several trees and tree limbs resulting in power outages to several thousand people in Cowlitz County.
Strong winds downed a few trees and tree limbs in Clark County. One tree fell across Highway 503 in Amboy.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, 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: 625556, 625557, 625558, 625559, 625560.