High Wind — W Pacific, Washington

1998-12-25 · W Pacific, Washington

Wider weather episode

A Christmas Day Pacific storm brought high winds to the coast and Kelso/Longview area, freezing rain to the Columbia River Gorge, and heavy rain to Southwest Washington, which contributed to a major flood episode a few days later. Winds at Cape Disappointment along the reached 52 mph, while many trees were blown down and roofs damaged in the Kelso/Longview area. The last of the cold air from the arctic outbreak the previous week filtered through the Columbia River Gorge and caused freezing rain that created hazardous holiday driving conditions on State Highway 14.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5677704. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.