A strong low pressure system moves northeasterly up the Oregon and Washington coast, creating a strong pressure gradient across the area. This brought strong winds to all of northwest Oregon, bringing down many trees across the 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 PQR wrote it up.
A strong low pressure system moves northeasterly up the Oregon and Washington coast, creating a strong pressure gradient across the area. This brought strong winds to all of northwest Oregon, bringing down many trees across the area. One fatalitly occurred due to a fallen tree branch, and another fatality was due to rough conditions on the Columbia River.
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 Apr 7, 2:57 AM PST, 1 hour 3 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion...UPDATED
National Weather Service Portland OR
357 AM PDT Fri Apr 7 2017
UPDATED MARINE DISCUSSION
.SYNOPSIS...An unusually strong early April storm will track
northward just off the coast and produce strong winds today along the
coast and in the coastal mountains and very windy conditions in the
inland valleys and foothills, plus high seas along the coast. There
is a chance of a thunderstorm today. Cooler air and showers will
spread in tonight and Saturday with snow levels lowering below the
Cascade passes. The next front is expected mainly Sunday night into
Monday as snow levels remain mostly below the Cascade passes. The
next system is expected the middle of next week.
&&
.SHORT TERM...Today through Sunday...A strong low pressure system was
moving northward off the coast inside 130W early this morning, and is
forecast to move onshore near the northern tip of Vancouver Island
this evening. This low is forecast to deepen to near 970 mb while off
the coast, driven by an unusually strong early April jet stream of
nearly 160 kt.
This storm will produce strong winds today along the coast and in
parts of the coastal mountains, and very windy conditions in the
interior valleys and Cascade foothills. The associated cold front was
moving through the forecast area overnight and early this morning
with rain and mountain snow. The strongest winds and a good batch of
rain will be associated with the bent back occlusion around the low
center as it moves onto the coast in the 12z-15z time frame this
morning and then across the remainder of the forecast area through
the remainder of the morning. There will also be a chance of thunder
as this low pressure system moves through today.
Cooler air spreads into southwest Washington and northwest Oregon
tonight and Saturday and snow levels in the Cascades will drop below
the Cascade passes to around 2500 to 3000 feet by Saturday morning.
Amounts will probably stay below snow advisory criteria, but could
cause the passes to become snow covered. The models right now suggest
the south Washington Cascades will see the greatest accumulations,
but the Oregon Cascades could see several inches as well.
Showers will decrease Saturday night as the associated upper trough
moves east. Sunday could be rather dry as the next front is still
offshore, spreading rain onshore late Sunday and especially Sunday
night. Tolleson
.LONG TERM...No Changes. Previous discussion follows...
Sunday night through Thursday...A cool showery weather pattern on
Monday looks increasingly likely to take a break Tuesday as weak
shortwave ridging tries to build over the Pacific Northwest. Still
maintained some PoPs in this portion of the forecast, but seems
increasingly likely these can be cut further as confidence grows in a
24 hour dry period developing Tuesday. Models are in general
agreement that a closed low pressure system will then move eastward
towards California towards the middle of next week. While the bulk of
the unsettled weather looks likely to stay to our south, some cooling
aloft and south-southwesterly flow should lead to some showers
spreading back into the region during the middle part of next week.
&&
.AVIATION...A strong low will continue to move north off the
Oregon and Washington coast today. As rain spreads north across
the forecast area this morning expect coastal TAF sites to become
predominately MVFR. Inland TAF sites will likely remain VFR, with
occasional periods of MVFR under moderate rain. Conditions will
become showery this afternoon with a chance for thunderstorms.
Coastal TAF sites will likely improve to VFR by this evening,
with widespread VFR conditions expected tonight.
Strong southerly wins will develop across the forecast area
today. Expect winds along the coast to increase rapidly after
13Z, with gusts to 60 kt possible. Gusty south winds will spread
inland later this morning, with gusts to 45 kt possible after
15Z.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...Predominately VFR, with occasional periods
of MVFR under moderate rain. Conditions become showery this
afternoon with a chance of thunderstorms between 18Z and 03Z.
Strong southerly winds with gusts to 45 kt possible between 15Z
and 02Z. /64
&&
.MARINE...A 973 mb low will continue to move north today off the
Oregon and Washington coast, passing about 120 nm west of the
mouth of the Columbia River. Expect winds to increase rapidly
this morning, with widespread storm force gusts to 60 kt possible
after 7 AM. Storm force winds will continue through this evening,
with seas building into the mid 20s by this afternoon.
Winds will subside slowly tonight and Saturday as the low moves
towards British Columbia. Expect winds to drop below 20 kt by
Saturday afternoon. Seas will also fall as the winds decrease,
but likely remain near 10 ft on Saturday. A cold front will
approach the waters late Saturday and bring another round of
southerly gales on Sunday. Seas will likely build back into the
low to mid teens in response to the winds on Sunday and likely
remain above 10 ft through late Monday.
Weak high pres looks to move over the waters early next week and
could bring a day or two of winds less than 20 kt and seas below
10 ft. /64
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 5 PM PDT this afternoon
for Central Willamette Valley-Greater Portland Metro Area-
Lower Columbia-South Willamette Valley.
High Wind Warning from 8 AM this morning to 5 PM PDT this
afternoon for Central Coast Range of Western Oregon-North
Oregon Coast.
High Surf Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 11 PM PDT this
evening for Central Oregon Coast-North Oregon Coast.
High Wind Warning from 8 AM this morning to 8 PM PDT this
evening for Coast Range of Northwest Oregon.
High Wind Warning until 2 PM PDT this afternoon for Central
Oregon Coast.
WA...Wind Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 5 PM PDT this afternoon
for Greater Vancouver Area-I-5 Corridor in Cowlitz County.
High Wind Warning from 8 AM this morning to 5 PM PDT this
afternoon for South Washington Coast.
High Surf Advisory from 7 AM this morning to 11 PM PDT this
evening for South Washington Coast.
High Wind Warning from 8 AM this morning to 8 PM PDT this
evening for Willapa Hills.
PZ...Storm Warning until 5 PM PDT this afternoon for Coastal Waters
from Cape Shoalwater WA to Florence OR out 60 nm.
Small Craft Advisory for Rough Columbia River Bar until 9 AM
PDT Saturday.
&&
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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.6 high wind, 1 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Weather stations in Yachats, South Beach, Newport, and Gleneden Beach all recorded wind gusts up to 60 to 68 mph.
Weather stations in higher terrain saw the strongest winds, with gusts up to 73 mph at the Newberg/Chehalem Mountain weather station and wind gusts up to 66 mph on Mt Hebo.
Many weather stations across the area recorded wind gusts up to 60 to 75 mph. The weather station on top of OMSI recorded the highest wind gust, up to 76 mph. The Troutdale and Hillsboro airport ASOS stations recorded wind gusts up to 61 mph. Several trees came down across the area. One large tree limb fell down on a person in Garden Home in his backyard, killing him.
A weather station on Chehalem Mountain measured wind gusts up to 73 mph, while the ASOS at the Salem Airport recorded wind gusts up to 60 mph. There were reports of downed trees and power outages around Salem and Keizer.
A weather station in Pacific City recorded winds gusting up to 72 mph. Other weather stations near Cannon Beach, Tillamook, and Garibaldi recorded wind gusts up to 60 to 65 mph.
Weather stations recorded wind gusts generally up to 45 mph, with the highest wind recorded in Corbett. There was one fatality and three injuries on the Columbia River near Multnomah Falls, where rough conditions caused a boat to capsize.
A weather station on Marys Peak recorded wind gusts up to 93 mph. The Rockhouse RAWS recorded wind gusts up to 76 mph, and a spotter in Swisshome recorded a peak gusts of 60 mph.
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, Greater Portland Metro Area | 2017-04-07 | 67 | Male | Under Tree | Indirect |
| Strong Wind, Western Columbia River Gorge | 2017-04-07 | 56 | Male | Boating | Indirect |
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, April 2017
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: 696340, 696347, 696351, 696364, 696336, 696357, 696348.