Pacific Northwest windstorm

Hanukkah Eve wind storm of 2006 off the Washington Coast on December 15, 2006 at 2:00 UTC.

Pacific Northwest windstorms, sometimes colloquially known as Big Blows,[1] are extratropical cyclones which form in the Pacific basin, and affect land areas in the Pacific Northwest of the United States of America and British Columbia, Canada. They form as cyclonic windstorms associated with areas of low atmospheric pressure that track across the North Pacific Ocean towards western North America. Deep low pressure areas are relatively common over the North Pacific. They are most common in the winter months. On average, the month when most windstorms form is December.

The closest analogue to these storms are European windstorms, which also develop over the eastern portion of a major ocean.<ref "name=Mass&Dotson" >Mass, Clifford; Dotson, Brigid (2010). "Major Extratropical Cyclones of the Northwest United States: Historical Review, Climatology, and Synoptic Environment". Monthly Weather Review 138 (7): 2499–2527. doi:10.1175/2010MWR3213.1. Retrieved 18 August 2013.</ref>

Categories and frequency

Storm tracks of the central low pressure of the storms which hit the Pacific Northwest in 1962, 1981 and 1995
Office of Washington State Climatologist Windstorm Categories[2]
Average Peak Instant Gust (mph) Windstorm Category Approximate Return Interval
39-44 Minor Several per year
45-54 Moderate Annual
55-64 Major Once every 2–3 years
65-74 Extreme Once every 5–10 years
75+ Phenomenal Once every 25–50 years

Notable Pacific Northwest windstorms

References

  1. ↑ Knox, John A.; Frye, John D.; Durkee, Joshua D.; Fuhrmann, Christopher M. (2011). "Non-Convective High Winds Associated with Extratropical Cyclones". Geography Compass 5 (2): 63–89. doi:10.1111/j.1749-8198.2010.00395.x. Retrieved 16 April 2013.
  2. ↑ "Some Historical Weather Events in the Pacific Northwest". Office of Washington State Climatologist. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  3. ↑ Read, Wolf. "Two Windstorms in Three Days November 13 - 15, 1981". The Storm King, hosted by the Office of Washington State Climatologist. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  4. ↑ "Wind Storms". Office of Emergency Management, Seattle. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
  5. ↑ "Washington's Top 10 Weather Events of 1900s". National Weather Service, Portland Oregon. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
  6. ↑ Read, Wolf. "The Major West Coast Windstorm of December 12, 1995". The Storm King, hosted by the Office of Washington State Climatologist. Retrieved 14 April 2013.
  7. ↑ Read, Wolf. "December 14-15, 2006 Windstorm". The Storm King, hosted by the Office of Washington State Climatologist. Retrieved 14 April 2013.

External links