The first strong wind storm (and almost certainly not the last) of this winter season barreled through the Northwest Monday with some impressive wind gusts. The top gust was measured at Cape Meares in Tillamook County at 92 mph. Top for the Coast, that is. On Mt Hood, winds reached 107 mph at the top of the Magic Mile chairlift, at 7,000 ft. There were many more gusts on the Coast over 70 mph.

Swells measured by buoys off the Coast were equally impressive:

23 miles west of Newport: 33 ft
Columbia River Bar: 30 ft
West of Tillamook: 31 ft

In eastern Oregon there were several reports of wind damage. Around Joseph in Wallowa County, trees fell on homes and I had one email from a viewer saying half her neighbor's barn blew away. Something, possible shingles from her roof, blew through the rear window of her car.

Northwest weather settles down Tuesday. For one day. The cold front that brought the stormy weather has stalled in southern Oregon, but will begin to march northward again as a warm front (meaning warm air is advancing), pushed along by another strong storm developing in the eastern Pacific. The new storm, however, will stay much farther offshore than Monday's storm, sparing us the damaging winds. The exception will be in the western Gorge and eastern Multnomah County, where east winds will gust to 40 mph on a very wet and windy Wednesday. The saving grace is it'll be far too warm for ice or snow. For now.

Stay tuned,

Matt Zaffino
KGW Chief Meteorologist

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