High Wind Warnings for Portland, Oregon Coast, Valley
Published 12/21/2015 at 4:13 AM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff
(Oregon Coast) – Portland and other valley towns will get to experience a coastal storm of their own, with the National Weather Service (NWS) issuing high wind warnings for not just the Oregon coast today, but also most of northwest Oregon and southwest Washington. (Photo above: Newport on a stormy day).
The NWS is calling this “likely an unusually strong and significant wind storm for most of southwest Washington and northwest Oregon.”
The high wind warning for the Oregon coast is in effect from 5 a.m. to 2 p.m., and then the system moves inland to Portland and the valley.
Coastal communities are likely looking at south to southwest winds in the 30's and 40's, with gusts up to 70 mph. Headlands and beaches will get slammed much harder, with the NWS predicting gusts as high as 70 mph to even 80 mph. The strongest should be done around noon.
Occasional heavy rains could be a problem again on the coast, however the NWS said the threat of flooding is lesser than before. This storm will produce more winds than rain, but it could be heavy enough at times to create urban flooding and some minor issues with coastal rivers that are still swollen.
Power outages are also likely.
“Saturated soils combined with the unusually strong winds will likely damage or even uproot some trees, causing damage and disrupting power,” the NWS said.
Portland was upgraded to a high wind warning, in effect until 4 p.m. This also includes valley towns like Salem and Eugene, as well as the Columbia Gorge.
Look for steady winds in the 20's and 30's, while gusts could reach up to 65 mph – which is generally coastal storm conditions. Winds will start developing in the late morning and peak in the early afternoon.
Breakers on the Oregon coast won't be especially high today, measuring around 13 feet or so. But swells get enornous Tuesday and Wednesday, in and around 23 feet or more, making for some good stormwatch action. More Oregon Coast Weather.
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