Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Special Weather Statement

North Oregon Coast (Oregon)
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
618 AM PST TUE DEC 29 2009
ORZ001-002-WAZ021-292230-
NORTH OREGON COAST-CENTRAL OREGON COAST-SOUTH WASHINGTON COAST-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...ASTORIA...CANNON BEACH...TILLAMOOK...
LINCOLN CITY...NEWPORT...FLORENCE...RAYMOND...LONG BEACH...
CATHLAMET
618 AM PST TUE DEC 29 2009
...INCREASING THREAT FOR COASTAL FLOODING LATE THIS WEEK...
INCREASINGLY HIGH ASTRONOMICAL TIDES COMBINED WITH A POTENT
PACIFIC STORM SYSTEM WILL BRING STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS TO THE
COAST AND THE POTENTIAL FOR COASTAL FLOODING TOWARD THE END OF
THE WEEK. THE FIRST OF THESE STRONGER FRONTS IS EXPECTED TO MAKE
LANDFALL MIDDAY THURSDAY WHICH COINCIDES WITH ONE OF THE HIGHEST
HIGH TIDES OF THE YEAR.
A SECOND POWERFUL FRONT WILL SWING ON SHORE ON FRIDAY ALSO NEAR
THE TIME OF HIGH TIDE. LARGE WESTERLY SWELL GENERATED BY THE STORM
SYSTEM WILL ARRIVE AT THE COAST ON FRIDAY POSSIBLY GENERATING
HAZARDOUS SURF CONDITIONS AS WELL AS ADDING TO THE COASTAL
FLOODING POTENTIAL.
AT TOKE POINT NEAR WILLAPA BAY...ASTRONOMICAL HIGH TIDES OF 11.1
FT WILL OCCUR AT THE MIDDAY TIDES THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. WATER
LEVELS OVER 11 FT CREATE MINOR TIDAL OVERFLOWS WHILE 14.5 FT IS
THE THRESHOLD FOR MORE WIDESPREAD COASTAL FLOODING PROBLEMS. THE
MAGNITUDE OF TIDAL ANOMALY...THE ADDITIONAL BOOST TO THE COASTAL
WATER LEVEL DUE TO THE ACTION OF FRONTAL SYSTEM ITSELF...IS STILL
UNCERTAIN. HOWEVER IF THE STORM IS A STRONG ONE IT COULD ADD AN
ADDITIONAL 2 TO 4 FEET TO THE BASE ASTRONOMICAL TIDE.
FACTORS THAT WILL INFLUENCE THE FINAL WATER HEIGHT INCLUDE...THE
DEPTH OF THE LOW PRESSURE AREA AND STRENGTH OF THE WINDS...THE
AMOUNT OF RUNOFF ADDED TO THE COASTAL RIVERS AND THE AMOUNT WAVE
ACTION ALONG THE BEACHES TO DRIVE THE WATER FURTHER UP.

From the Hillsboro Argus - Icy conditions on Tualatin Valley Roads

Icy conditions on Tualatin Valley roads
By Nick Christensen, The Hillsboro Argus
December 28, 2009, 11:52AM
Icy roads across the Tualatin Valley are being blamed as several crashes are keeping police busy this morning.


While the temperature at Hillsboro Airport has been above freezing since 10 a.m., several roads remain slick after a late night rain shower in the Tualatin Valley was followed by several hours of sub-freezing temperatures. The low at Hillsboro Airport was 26 degrees last night.

Weather update

A Pacific storm will bring rain and mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest from Washington to Northern California today. Snow showers are forecast from the Northern Rockies southward to New Mexico. Scattered rain showers will be prevalent up and down the western U.S. with precipitation extending as far south as central California by Wednesday evening. Five to eight inches of snow is possible across the Sacramento Mountains in southern New Mexico. Highs will be seasonally cool from the 20s and 30s across the Intermountain West to the 50s and 60s in the Southwest.