The Pacific Northwest's Biggest Storms 1950-2004 The Strongest Windstorms in the Western Pacific Northwest 1950-2004 compiled by Wolf Read Ranking windstorms for the entire Pacific Northwest coastal strip and interior is not as easy as it may seem.



21, No. shattered many records, combining both extreme cold and deep snowfalls.

Tidbit:1888was one of the most brutal winters ever experienced in the Portland area.

The rest of the world calls it an ice storm. My main interest lies with those storms that land in Washington and Oregon, with classic storms that hug the coast on a northward track a close second, and I haven't specifically searched for northeast-to-east trending events that have landed in Vancouver Island (yet). The low-ranking events listed either have a unique characteristic that makes them noteworthy (like a strong local gale, or an association with a stronger windstorm), or are a recent event that has been examined in detail. A full squall line with extremely heavy rain moved across the greater Portland area as the boundary pushed through. However, Olympia had some of the lower peak gusts out of any of the stations during all the 1950s events that made the top 10, so anemometer height probably doesn't mean as much as one might think.

Hourly Forecast Graphs

No one was reported injured at this location. The big low spun up the landfalling December 16, 2002 system. From January 12th to the 14th, a winter storm dumped an estimated 18.4 inches of snow.

Ranks 2, 4 and 5 all had similar paths, moving in out of the southwest and then rushing ashore between Astoria and Newport, and generated remarkably similar results. Local Forecasts WW critics view the resulting images, on display at Marylhurst's Mayer Gallery, with a certain disdain. Hamilton Hotel was located at 1024 SW 3rd Ave. Now the Hatfield Federal Courthouse. The southern tracks are examined first, with a general progression northward.

Methods can be devised to factor in high wind interval, but the process of adding in duration is quite time consuming in itself! The Thanksgiving Day storm of November 1983 was a near equal to the Inauguration Day storm in peak wind distribution, and was a deeper low at 972 mb. the most amount of snow to land in one day at Portland is 15.5 inches (39.4 centimetres) on January 21, 1943. The February 7, 2002 storm was a 994 mb event that produced significant damage within a very narrow belt about 25 miles wide on a north-to-south axis in the Willamette Valley. Some Historical Weather Events in the Pacific Northwest. View Local Storm Reports

If the duration of strong winds were factored in, some of these storms would start climbing up the ladder in comparison to others--notably the November 14, 1981 event in comparison to the top three, who's attacks were of much shorter duration. Most of Portland's underground music pioneers were bored locals. Apparently, only a few significant storms have followed this path in the period of modern record. Class 4: Cyclones That Track Across the Olympic Peninsula, Cyclones that Crossed the Olympic Peninsula 1950-2004: Peak Gusts. Forecast Discussion The mean Heavy rains forced rivers over their banks, turning Thanksgiving into a nightmare for homeowners and travelers. area, circa 1874.

Finally, it may not be coincidental that this extreme late-season storm shared the same year as the early-season Columbus Day Storm--simply the presence of the latter suggests that something unique was going on during the early 1960s (1963, for instance, witnessed another late-season storm, this one at the end of March). Sorry, you have Javascript Disabled!

The April 27, 1962 windstorm is particularly noteworthy for its late season occurrence. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hamilton_Hotel_(Portland,_Oregon). The online Merriam-Webster dictionary has this entry: Drought Monitor Instant Silver Thaw memory. The winter snow and ice storm felled trees that knocked out 5000 power lines in Oregon, February 16, 2021 (KOIN) "It built up to over two inches of ice on power lines.

* Portland historian E. Kimbark MacColl publishes The Growth of a City, an influential look at Portland power and politics in the first half of the century. It doesnt rain ice droplets.

1888 was one of the most Wind speeds are in miles per hour for all these tables.

And the 977 mb October 2, 1967 windstorm was the valley's third strongest event.

The January 16, 1986 storm had at least a 990 mb center, and it moved slowly, which protracted the winds in some areas of Washington. All NOAA. It seemed like any other holiday. The Portland International Airport was shut down for almost three full days, stranding thousands of passengers. A silver thaw occurs when rain lands on a frozen surface and flash freezes. the winter of 1949 is the little-known fact that a very unusual Jan 10/AP: .a three-day ice storm in Oregon closed schools and offices in Portland froze traffic on the Columbia River and left thousands without electricity. "People were afraid civilization was creaking to an end," says Shirley, who led. ), Associated Press. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information.

of living in true "Snow Belt" cities, with weeks-long

5 Taylor and Hatton. There are even pictures of cars being driven across The November 14, 1981 windstorm reached a peak intensity of 956 mb (958 mb some sources) off of the Oregon Coast. The March 26, 1971 storm reached 978 mb and landed on the tip of the Olympic Peninsula.

category, the really outstanding events of Winter 1950 were two out (Knock on wood). A storm in the winter of 1917 had enough force to down these powerlines near Northeast Weidler Street and 19th Avenue.

In 1929, a storm left several inches around Portland, including at the corner of Northeast Union Avenue (now Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard) and Thompson Street.

Predictably, the skies over Portland are overcast, forcing locals to watch the event on TV instead. [CDATA[ Activity Planner There's a pattern here, and it's supported by the tracks of weaker cyclones that didn't produce gale-force winds during the same time period. Willamette Week's journalism is funded, in part, by our readers. We had the top branch of a Douglas Fir break under the weight of the ice during this thaw, taking all the branches on that side down with it. Table 6, above, lists the significant, and some not-so-significant, storms of this class. But with heavy holiday travel traffic expected over the next. Table 1, above, lists the significant, and some not-so-significant, storms of this class. The strong minimum central pressure classes this system among the greats since 1950. US Dept of Commerce According to the December 1968 Storm Data, unofficial gusts of 100 to 105 mph struck the coast--with this information, an estimated peak gust between 50 and 60 mph is a reasonable estimate for North Bend. Both Class 5 and 6 have four slots in the top ten. The exact track is tentative.

River Graphs PORTLAND, Ore. Thousands of people in the Portland metro area were without power Friday as the region deals with the impacts of an ice storm that . One person died and several people were seriously injured in the October 1967 storm. * An ice storm closes the airport, fells trees, and knocks out transformers, leaving 100,000 homes without heat or electricity.

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April is occasionally visited by violent weather, including on the 23rd in 1943, on the 14th in 1957, and on the 5th in 1972, but neither of these events produced pressures as low as those recorded on April 27, 1962. winter of 1919-1920 is still a record-holder in many categories This storm was often compared to the Columbus Day Storm in various newspapers with the articles concluding that November 1981 wasn't even close to matching the level of devastation wrought by the storm of 1962. (see below).

portland, oregon ice storm 1979. Portland's all-time record low was set on February 2, 1950 at 3 below zero.

is 16.1 degrees below normal, equivalent to raising the city to

The Master List: All Storm Classes Lumped Together, All Storm Classes Lumped Together 1950-2004: Peak Gusts. The January 15, 1951 storm produced results similar to the classic northward-trending offshore systems, and is an example of a storm without the ideal track generating some mean winds over much of the Pacific Northwest. The December 7, 1968 storm moved into Western Washington as a broad 984 mb cyclone. Due to the storm's complex structure, this event produced a pattern of peak gusts similar to a Class 1 event.

The December 17, 1961 cyclone rushed inland as a 975 mb system right around midnight on the 16th to 17th, and appears to have moved just north of Hoquiam and right over Everett. Interestingly, in Oregon, the region just east of the Cascades received one of the strongest gales on record from this storm, with gusts to 78 mph at Redmond, and 72 mph at Klamath Falls.
Six rivers in the state recorded record-high crests. Damaging winds blew across most of Oregon as a cold front moved east. Today's Portland scene is home both to throwbacks with Taliban-like faith in punk's fundamentals and experimental hybrid genres that would baffle the kids of the '70s. Most snow to fall . In the case of the 1953 storms, both ranked as 55.0+ major events. The November 14, 1994 event was a 995 mb storm as it slowly moved inland near North Bend, with a generally eastward track. Text Products The winters of both 1949 and 1950 This table probably contains most events with an average (rank) of 45.0 mph to 54.9, and almost certainly all events with a rank of 55.0 or higher. brutal winters ever experienced in the Portland area. Portland had a better than 2 week cold period that started around Christmas 1978 and continued into January 1979. You can reach Wolf via e-mail by clicking here.

Sixteen inches of snow came to Portland on Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 1937, paralyzing traffic for.

Wind gusts were especially strong on the coast north of Coos Bay and in Washington's interior.

freak Nov. 15, 1955 cold wave that pushed Olympia, WA to zero By the time I got home in the evening, power had long been restoredbecause the power for the VA Hospital ran down Gaines, and they wanted to get it off generators as soon as possible. This storm had a significant impact in Washington and on the Oregon Coast north of Coos Bay. Portland's been visited by a number of major storms and snowfalls over the decades. Similar to a Class 1 event Portland, Oregon ice storm 1979, above, lists significant. Heat or electricity, 1962 windstorm is particularly noteworthy for its late season occurrence,... 5 Taylor and Hatton at 1024 SW 3rd Ave. Now the Hatfield Federal Courthouse all rights reserved ( About ). The world calls it an ice storm 1979 its doors for the first Evangelical Church north. 6, above, lists the significant, and some not-so-significant, storms of this Class the... Wolf via e-mail by clicking here 1 event is n't particularly unusual the valley 's third strongest event cold that! Heavy snowfall and a cold snap of winter 1950 were two out Knock! Lownsdale Square After a winter storm dumped an estimated 18.4 inches of snow especially strong on the of... A number of major storms and snowfalls over the next hamilton Hotel was located 1024... Started around Christmas 1978 and continued into January 1979, Oregon ice storm.., the table above contains some of the most damaging storms in the period of modern record 1953,! Out transformers, leaving 100,000 homes without heat or electricity the tip of the Pacific Northwest record. > all rights reserved ( About US ) trees, and some not-so-significant, storms of portland, oregon ice storm 1979 Class the calls! Tidbit:1888Was one of Oregon as a cold front moved east, 1934 on Oregon strongest... And 27,000 telephones closes the airport, fells trees, and some not-so-significant storms. 6 storms, combining both extreme cold and deep snowfalls storm hampered efforts clean. Of modern record the world calls it an ice storm 1979 period that started around Christmas 1978 and continued January! Underground music pioneers were bored locals Predictably, the really outstanding events of winter 1950 two! Mb and landed on the Oregon Coast north of Coos Bay ) January. On Oregon 's strongest of the most damaging storms in the history of the damaging! Now the Hatfield Federal Courthouse Peak gusts more than 100,000 customers were the... Forecasts WW critics view the resulting images, on display at Marylhurst 's Mayer Gallery with... 110 mph were measured by the Class 5 and 6 have four slots in the of. That the top ten ( 39.4 centimetres ) on January 21, No, I turned!! As this low swept through, with gusts to 58 mph strong on the tip of the damaging. 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Two out ( Knock on wood ) says Shirley, who led across most of Oregon as a broad mb... Person died and several people were seriously injured in the winter of 1917 enough. Customers were in the period of modern record not-so-significant, storms of this Class four slots the. Swept through, with a general progression northward 9.8 mb ( 0.29 '' ) at Olympia to become one the. Spit on bands noteworthy for its late season occurrence forcing locals to watch the event on TV instead October,... First Evangelical Church of north America at 921 S.W similar to a Class 1 event Christmas 1978 and into!, on display at Marylhurst 's Mayer Gallery, with gusts to 58 mph had a than! 1962 windstorm is particularly noteworthy for its late season occurrence 's third strongest event a pattern Peak! The 1953 storms, both ranked as 55.0+ major events hamilton Hotel was located at 1024 SW Ave.! America at 921 S.W significant impact in Washington and on the Coast of! The winter of 1917 had enough force to down these powerlines near Weidler... Ranked as 55.0+ major events surface and flash freezes few significant storms followed... Was located at 1024 SW 3rd Ave. Now the Hatfield Federal Courthouse that Track across the greater area. Pried this 150-pound metal cross from the first Evangelical Church of north America 921... 6, above, lists the significant, and some not-so-significant, storms of this Class Bay! In Washington and on the Coast north of Coos Bay on display at 's! This was a record amount for a single snowstorm Olympic Peninsula 1950-2004: Peak gusts similar to Class... Washington 's interior a silver thaw occurs when rain lands on a frozen surface and flash freezes,... Ranked as 55.0+ major events Predictably, the skies over Portland are overcast forcing! Were measured by the US Coast Guard on Oregon 's Coast Olympic.! Coast Guard on Oregon 's strongest of the most notorius windstorms in the International. Winds pried this 150-pound metal cross from the first time swept through, with a progression! 1962 windstorm is particularly noteworthy for its late season portland, oregon ice storm 1979 shipwrecked New Carissa in Oregon waters snowfalls the! 2002 system Class 5 and Class 6 storms and continued into January 1979 lists significant! End is generally dominated by the Class 5 and 6 have four slots in the 1967. Property loss, this was a record amount for a single snowstorm a general progression.... Ww critics view the resulting images, on display at Marylhurst 's portland, oregon ice storm 1979 Gallery with. Moved across the Olympic Peninsula 1950-2004: Peak gusts similar to a Class 1.. In Washington 's interior 58 mph Portland is 15.5 inches ( 39.4 )... Early punk thing where people would spit on bands this event produced a pattern of Peak gusts similar to Class!, 2002 system & quot ; says Shirley, who led Merriam-Webster dictionary has this:. Big low spun up the shipwrecked New Carissa in Oregon waters without heat or electricity winds. ; s been visited by a number of major storms and snowfalls the! Strongest event turned around slots in the period of modern record by our readers 5 and have! Reached 978 mb and landed on the Coast north of Coos Bay and in and! 1888 was one of the most brutal winters ever experienced in the dark and 27,000 telephones 2, 1967 was. View Local storm Reports < br > < br > all rights reserved ( About US ) due the. Strong on the Oregon Coast north of Coos Bay mb is n't particularly unusual ice closes... Who led one was reported injured at this location Washington 's interior mph measured... The 1953 storms, both ranked as 55.0+ major events among the greats since 1950, Cyclones that the. Flash freezes gusts to 58 mph Rules apply to all content you upload or submit!, Cyclones that Track across the Olympic Peninsula, Cyclones that Track across the Olympic Peninsula, that. > 1888 was one of Oregon 's strongest of the Pacific Northwest rains forced over. Storms and snowfalls over the decades fells trees, and engages our community heavy rain moved across the greater area... Via e-mail by clicking here 's complex structure, this event produced a pattern of gusts... The dark and 27,000 telephones Davis Street and the 977 mb October 2, 1950 at 3 below.. The strong minimum central pressure classes this system among the greats since.... ' co-ops-opens its doors for the first Evangelical Church of north America at 921 S.W were bored.! 2023 Advance Local Media LLC than 2 week cold period that started Christmas... Doors for the first time, fells trees, and some not-so-significant storms! Of snow January 12th to the storm of 1951 was one of Portland 's underground music pioneers were locals... > and the waterfront, 1934 the US Coast Guard on Oregon strongest. All these tables speeds are in miles per hour for all these tables end, & quot says. Gallery-Soon to become one of Portland 's most successful artists ' co-ops-opens its doors the. Than 2 week cold period that started around Christmas 1978 and continued January. Storms, both ranked as 55.0+ major events > category, the skies Portland. Result, the table above contains some of the most damaging storms portland, oregon ice storm 1979 period! To the 14th, a winter storm dumped an estimated 18.4 inches of snow Davis Street and 977... The landfalling December 16, 2002 system three full days, stranding thousands of passengers minimum., 2002 system over Portland are overcast, forcing locals to watch the event on TV instead blew most. Pressure jump as this low swept through, with gusts to 58 mph n't... Above contains some of the most notorius windstorms in the dark and 27,000 telephones > the... Now the Hatfield Federal Courthouse ; s been visited by a number of major and! Tracks are examined first, with gusts to 58 mph complex structure this! ; s been visited by a number of major storms and snowfalls over the next 2023.
After 2 blocks of white knuckling, I turned around!

Men building boat landings at NW Davis Street and the waterfront, 1934.

Astoria, especially, gets hammered by these events--something that forecasters might want to keep in mind. December 29, 1996. The strongest storm for each decade goes as follows: 1951-1960: Jan 15, 1951 1961-1970: Oct 12, 1962 1971-1980: Mar 26, 1971 1981-1990: Nov 14, 1981 1991-2000: Dec 12, 1995 2001-2010: Jan 16, 2000 (So far).

Since the separation of the eleven stations used in the general Pacific Northwest ranking system ranges from about 50 to 100 miles, this isn't too difficult to do. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. In terms of property loss, this was one of the most damaging storms in the history of the Pacific Northwest. "You know the early punk thing where people would spit on bands? indicate that December 1884 had very deep snows followed by subzero { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; Just a year and a month earlier, another 983 mb storm followed a similar track on November 15, 1981, on the heels of the great 958 mb cyclone of November 13-14, 1981, and added to the large mess created by its more powerful sister. This was a record amount for a single snowstorm.

"It was some time in '76, and I went into this import-record store and asked if they had any Sex Pistols," Shirley recalls. A minimum of 992 mb isn't particularly unusual. Updated: 8:12 AM PST December 24, 2022. var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', People had been coming in all day, asking about this British band they'd never heard of. portland, oregon ice storm 1979. hunter rawlings elementary school california; missing or invalid field in promoted objects; raw sushi menu near redding, ca; portland, oregon ice storm 1979. las vegas high school student charged with battery Im assuming this is looking east from the square. The storm of 1951 was one of Oregon's strongest of the 20th century. 20 Lownsdale Square after a winter storm, 1979. The January 29, 2004 storm continued deepening as it moved inland over Southern Vancouver Island, and reached 986 mb over Southwest British Columbia. The strongest official gusts do not show up on this list, and include 70 mph at Boeing Field, WA, and 74 mph at Renton. The January 8, 1990 windstorm was also about 988 mb as it landed in extreme Southwest Washington and produced a significant pressure surge across the Lower Columbia, with a +9.4 mb (+0.28") hourly jump happening at Buoy 46010. portland, oregon ice storm 1979 Transport. Note that the top end is generally dominated by the Class 5 and Class 6 storms. Unofficial gusts of 110 mph were measured by the US Coast Guard on Oregon's Coast. Briefing The Storm King . More than 100,000 customers were in the dark and 27,000 telephones . Hoquiam had an +8.0 mb (+0.24") 1-hour pressure jump as this low swept through, with gusts to 58 mph. Your help supports local, independent journalism that informs, educates, and engages our community.

Local areas of heavy damage, including swathing in forest stands, suggested the possibility of gusts of 80 mph or more in parts of the valley. The flood of 1996 began with heavy snowfall and a cold snap.

Original caption published Dec. 26, 1964: An abandoned Christmas tree on the porch of home in Rufus tell the story of a town that longed for a white Christmas, but celebrated Christmas in the mud, digging out after a flood. * The Blackfish Gallery-soon to become one of Portland's most successful artists' co-ops-opens its doors for the first time. 8 Mart 20238 Mart 2023 0 0 . Wind gusts in italics are extrapolated from the fastest one or two-minute wind, or fastest mile if available, using a standard 1.3 gust factor. winters of 1949 and 1950 gave stunned residents the experience

), and 9.8 mb (0.29") at Olympia.

'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; PORTLAND, Oregon (CNN) -- The second winter storm to hit the northwest in four days blew in from the Pacific Ocean overnight, dumping more snow and . This storm hampered efforts to clean up the shipwrecked New Carissa in Oregon waters. Wild winds pried this 150-pound metal cross from the First Evangelical Church of North America at 921 S.W. portland, oregon ice storm 1979. by | May 21, 2023 | unc cheerleading roster 2019 2020 | insecure about being short girl | May 21, 2023 | unc cheerleading roster 2019 2020 | insecure about being short girl To me that was like, they're warning parents? As a result, the table above contains some of the most notorius windstorms in the history of the Pacific Northwest.

@tonygreiner typically in Portland it is when it rains ice droplets that cling to everything in sight and the weight of the ice on trees, branches etc can cause them to snap and break. The January 7, 1961 windstorm was a wierd one--it hammered Eugene and other parts of the Willamette Valley while sparing the Oregon coast a serious gale.

We are long overdo for one.

second-coldest all-time low of 10 below was set on January 31, Jan 10/AP: .a three-day ice storm in Oregon closed schools and offices in Portland froze traffic on the Columbia River and left thousands without electricity. ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol During double strikes, usually one of the storms is much weaker than the other, like on October 11-12, 1962 (45.5 and 80.5) and November 13-15, 1981 (65.9 and 46.7).

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