I sure expected strongest wind to be on the west side of the metro area last night and today, but the disparity between the two sides of town was more than I expected. This storm in the north Willamette Valley seemed to be a weaker version of the December 2007 big storm. Heaviest rain and wind on the west and northwest parts of the metro area. And less than expected wind on the east side with just occasional strong gusts surfacing out there. In fact the Nehalem river at Vernonia had it’s highest crest since the 2007 storm this evening; luckily about 5.5′ lower this time around.
Here are the peak gusts, from official NWS sites and some MADIS sites too. For the first time someone has a home weather station online up on Bald Peak, about halfway down it’s length from west to east, at 1300′. It recorded a gust to 60 mph. The NWS put that down as Newberg, but I’m pretty confident it didn’t gust to 60 IN Newberg!
Chief Meteorologist Mark Nelsen