High Winds and Waves for Oregon Coast This Weekend, Flooding Possible
Published 01/25/2018 at 4:45 PM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff
(Oregon Coast) – The beaches are headed for another sizable storm or two, with possible flooding for Oregon coast rivers, a small run of wind gusts up to almost 60 mph and waves around 20 feet high for the weekend and some of next week.
The National Weather Service (NWS) in Portland is predicting rains will be heavy enough over the weekend that flooding could be a problem on some parts of the coastline, and Friday overnight will see some strong winds. More needs to be seen in the next day or so, but conditions may warrant warnings or watches.
“The coast will likely have a brief period of gusty winds late Friday night or early Saturday morning as the low nears the coast,” the NWS said. “The wind gusts are expected to be just below warning criteria (58 MPH), but would not be surprised if a few of the more exposed weather stations report 1 or 2 hours with gusts slightly higher than 58 mph.”
Both the Oregon coast and the inland areas will get inundated with rain.
“Heavy rain at times is expected this weekend, and some rivers could rise above flood stage,” the NWS said. “Rivers are already running high from the rain this week, and soils are fully saturated. Rainfall amounts Friday night through Sunday could be as high as 4 inches in the Coast Range and Cascades and 2 inches for inland valleys. The timing and location of heavy rain this weekend remains uncertain. If conditions warrant, watches or warnings for specific areas or rivers will be issued.”
Just offshore, there is a small craft advisory for hazardous seas and winds in effect through Friday, and a gale watch in effect from Friday night through Saturday morning. This translates to some massive waves over the weekend and into the early week. The largest waves will be tonight through Saturday at around 20 feet high.
Late tonight (Thursday), combined seas will be around 18 feet high, increasing to 19 feet in the daytime on Friday. By Saturday morning, seas will be at a whopping 20 feet high, dropping slightly to 18 feet that night. From Sunday through Tuesday, combined seas will remain at about 17 feet high, still sizable enough to be dangerous on some beaches.
Oregon Coast Lodgings for this event - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours
Stay clear of jetties and rocky ledges during this period. Keep in mind one man died this past week in Depoe Bay when he ventured too close to the basalt shelves of the town. Stay off of smaller, shorter beaches with cliff walls and little space between them and the tide, like those at Gleneden Beach, Newport's Nye Beach, Oceanside and some parts of Lincoln City.
Temps on the coast will remain mild, in the 40s and low 50s. Sunday and Monday clear up just a little bit to qualify as “mostly cloudy,” according to the NWS. The agency said there could be more clear skies after Thursday.
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