We are still monitoring an area of low pressure that is expected to move up the Oregon coast on Wednesday, perhaps causing severe winds in the Willamette Valley and southwest Washington.
The National Weather Service in Portland has issued a Wind Advisory for Wednesday, starting at 7 a.m. NWS meteorologists predict south winds of 10 to 25 mph, with gusts reaching 45 to 55 mph.
In the Storm Tracker 2 Weather Center, our in-house model, the Baron 3km, predicts wind gusts that high.
On Wednesday morning. Winds will first come from the east before fast shifting to the south as the low moves north.
The NWS Seattle office has issued a High Wind Watch for Lewis and Grays Harbor counties, as far as points north.
The strength of the winds is unknown. Regional and global models have proposed numerous solutions to what we will see tomorrow.
Model Differences:
- GFS: 50 – 60 mph
- ECMWF: 20 – 30 mph
- NAM: 70 – 75 mph
Baron 3km: 45 – 55 mph
The low-pressure center’s track will be a crucial factor tomorrow. If the center of the low lingers offshore, hugging the coastline, winds will most likely be strongest in the valley and along the shoreline.
If the center of the low moves onshore, the chances of a windstorm are considerably decreased.
Models agree that the quantity of rain we see will be light.
The amounts through Friday have been about a quarter of an inch. Along the coast, quantities range from a half inch to 1 inch.