A shortwave lifting NNE brought a quick-hitting cold front into southwest Washington. The front brought a short period of high winds to beaches and headlands along the coast.
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 shortwave lifting NNE brought a quick-hitting cold front into southwest Washington. The front brought a short period of high winds to beaches and headlands along the coast.
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 10, 2:13 AM PST, 47 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Portland OR
313 AM PDT Tue Apr 10 2018
.SYNOPSIS...A cold front will move across nw OR and sw WA today
bringing a short period of windy conditions to the coast along with
a shot of rain to most of the area. Another front is expected
Wednesday with snow levels decreasing in the Cascades. Showers will
continue Thursday with snow in the Cascades. A warm front will brush
the area Friday with some rain, then possibly some drier weather
Saturday before the associated cold front moves in next Saturday
night and Sunday.
&&
.SHORT TERM...Today through Thursday...The shortwave seen in
satllite imagery this morning off the south OR coast will lift nne
this morning, pushing a cold front quickly inland today. A
relatively narrow band of moisture with the front coupled with the
fronts quick movement should bring a short period of rain to most of
the region this morning, although pops over the se part of the
forecast area, furthest removed from the upper shortwave, will see
pops a little under those further nw. Surface pres gradients carry
an offshore component ahead of the front, so the main threat for
high winds on the coast comes with the front itself, as nam
indicates 50 kt winds as low as 950 mb, and gfs shows 850 mb winds
as strong as 60 to 70 kt this morning.
Behind the front this afternoon and into tonight low levels remain
moist in a sw onshore flow, while model soundings indicate some low
level instability that will help to retain a chance for showers.
Best pops will tend to be over orographically favored terrain. Snow
levels behind the front will quickly drop down to Cascade pass
levels this afternoon, while anticipated qpf values support only
light accumulations.
Another front arrives Wed, as the main upper trough moves in closer.
The shortwave energy is shown getting stretched out as it pushes
inland, with the strongest energy headed south into CA. Moisture
however is deeper than with the Tue system, as continued low level
onshore flow ahead of the system keep low levels moist. As such,
categorical pops are in order across the forecast area Wed, The
front itself, coupled with a continuing onshore flow behind the
front and another shortwave Thu, suggests Cascades are in for a
prolonged period of accumulating snow Wed through Thu, that may
ultimately require a winter weather advisory. The approach of the
upper trough will also cool mid levels, resulting in deeper
instability for the showers Wed afternoon through Wed night. Model
soundings indicate the main threat for thunderstorms will be over
coastal areas. The Wed front may also bring a threat for gusty winds
not unlike todays front, but the stretching trough may wind up
diffusing the gradients.
.LONG TERM...Thursday night through Monday...No changes. Previous
discussion follows. Cool and unsettled weather looks to continue
through much of the long term period. Expect showers to persist
through late Thursday as the upper level trough moves into the Great
Basin. Models then show a weak warm front moving across the region
on Friday, but they continue to keep the cold front offshore until
late Saturday. This may bring a brief period of drier conditions and
slightly warmer temps to portions of the forecast area on Saturday.
The cold front looks to finally move onshore late Saturday, and
inland on Sunday. This will bring another round of rain and Cascade
snow to the region on Sunday. The upper level trough looks to move
onshore late Sunday and Monday which will keep scattered showers
going across the area, with snow levels to lower to around 3000 ft
by Monday morning. /64
&&
.AVIATION...A fast moving front spreading northeastward
across the region will bring a period of rain this morning and a
couple hours of MVFR conditions along the coast and perhaps an
hour or two of MVFR conditions for inland taf sites. Otherwise,
expect predominantly VFR conditions through 12z Wednesday across
most of the region.
KPDX AND APPROACHES...A fast moving front spreading northeastward
across the region will bring a period of rain this morning and
perhaps an hour or two of MVFR conditions. Otherwise, expect
predominantly VFR conditions through 12z Wednesday. East winds
should abruptly switch to 10 to 15 kt with gusts to 25 kt out of
the south upon frontal passage. /Neuman
&&
.MARINE...A quick moving front will lift northeastward across
the waters early this morning. Expect a 1 to 3 hour period of Gale
Force wind gusts of 35 to 45 kt around daybreak with winds
arriving across the central Oregon waters first. There is a
chance for a very brief period of gusts to 50 kt, but do not
think these will be widespread or long enough in duration to
warrant a Storm Warning. Seas will rise sharply this morning and
climb into at least the mid teens by this afternoon. Another
front moving towards the region tonight will result in winds
increasing again into Gale Force thresholds of 35 to 40 kt late
Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning. This should push seas
more solidly into the mid to upper teens. A couple weaker storm
systems will likely bring additional rounds of gusty winds of 20
to 30 kt Thursday through the weekend with seas lingering in the
teens. /Neuman
&&
.PQR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...High Wind Warning until 9 AM PDT this morning for Central
Oregon Coast-North Oregon Coast.
WA...High Wind Warning until 9 AM PDT this morning for South
Washington Coast.
PZ...Gale Watch from late tonight through Wednesday morning for
Coastal Waters from Cape Shoalwater WA to Florence OR out
60 NM.
Gale Warning until noon PDT today for Coastal Waters from Cape
Shoalwater WA to Cascade Head OR out 60 NM.
Gale Warning until 9 AM PDT this morning for Coastal Waters
from Cascade Head OR to Florence OR out 60 NM.
Small Craft Advisory for Rough Columbia River Bar from 6 AM
this morning to 6 AM PDT Thursday.
&&
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. This area is
commonly referred to as the CWA or forecast area.1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A Oregon DOT weather station on Megler Bridge reported wind gusts up to 61 mph. Another weather station on Cape Disappointment reported sustained winds up to 44 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Washington in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Washington, April 2018
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: 753278.