14 minute read
Storm Watching on the Oregon Coast
Eye of the Storm
Storm watching along the Oregon Coast reveals the region’s natural dynamism
written by Daniel O’Neil
In one corner, the Oregon Coast, forged by fault lines, long-ago volcanics and distant lava flows. In the other, the early winter north Pacific Ocean, with its incessant battering waves and wind. Watching the two clash is a spectacle of Mother Nature’s brutal strength and beauty, one that is quickly gaining aficionados. With plenty of cliffs and headlands, punchbowls and blowholes, not to mention warm hospitality and a relaxed offseason vibe, storm watching on the Oregon Coast does not disappoint. With the right timing, and plenty of precaution, taking in the action is yet another way to enjoy and appreciate Oregon’s rugged coastline.
Storm watching offers plenty of opportunities from late fall until the end of winter. Some people go for the storm itself, the unimpeded ocean winds and sideways rain that challenge one’s balance and weather hardiness. Others prefer the contest of sea and shore, the mesmerizing thrill of watching 30-foot swell arrive in relatively calm weather, throw all of that water, energy and weight against land’s end and finally erupt in a fury of whitewater and sky-high spray—such a sight makes summer fireworks seem child’s play.
The classic storm season for Oregon’s coast occurs in late fall and early winter, when the strongest low pressure systems appear over the distant or nearby waters of the north Pacific Ocean. These low pressure systems, or storms, are generated by a strong contrast in temperatures over short distances. In fall, much of the Northern Hemisphere remains warm. But as the weeks go by, the Arctic cools rapidly. This creates a window of time in which a relatively large temperature gradient exists between the Tropic of Cancer and the northernmost latitudes.
Such instability in the atmosphere soon develops into “lows” that form along these boundaries of warm and cold. The ocean, still retaining summer’s warmth, provides even more energy for storms to develop and intensify.
When wind blows across a stretch of ocean, it pushes the water into swells, like blowing across tranquil bath water. Stronger wind, for longer, across a long swath of ocean delivers bigger swell, which breaks as waves when it reaches shore.
Two types, or locations, of low pressure systems produce the heavy seas that crest and detonate along Oregon’s coastline. The more common systems form in the western Pacific, where frigid Siberian air meets the warm Kuroshio Current off Japan (the Pacific’s Gulf Stream). These storms blow hard across the Bering Sea, and the swells they whip up travel several thousand miles to reach Oregon as seas in the 10- to 20-foot range.
Waves from these swells can put on a show, and they can coincide with fair weather here, always a bonus for most storm watchers. But the most powerful, spectacular and dangerous waves originate much closer to Oregon. These Herculean swells emanate from lows that intensify quickly over the central Pacific or approach Haida Gwaii and Vancouver Island. They become especially potent when backed by consistent westerly or northwesterly winds.
“These big lows, when they develop really rapidly, are not that different than if you were to take a rock and drop it into a calm lake, that sort of disruption,” said Colby Neuman, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Portland. “Those waves are forming almost instantly. A storm intensifying is happening over a twenty-four-hour period. The same sort of ripple effect is happening in the atmosphere, and it’s translating to the ocean surface in the form of swells. That’s when we have the really big swell events that are 25, 30, 35 feet.”
Some storms surpass even those heights. In early December 2007, a series of extraordinary lows struck the Oregon Coast with tree-snapping gusts over 100 mph and 45-foot seas. This “Great Coastal Gale,” however, did not eclipse the Columbus Day Storm of 1962, still the Pacific Northwest’s most destructive windstorm in recorded history, which raged with the force of a Category 3 hurricane and claimed forty-six lives.
Such storms, rare and powerful though they may be, make for terrible, life-threatening storm watching. Even with the exceptional lows that pass through the region each fall and winter, timing and safety are crucial to catch them at their most impressive. Heavy winds and rain, plus all sorts of risks on shore, accompany these lows as they arrive off the coast, and visibility can be poor.
“The worst of the storm, or the strongest winds, have to move past, and then you’re in more of the showery part of the storm,” Neuman said. “That tends to be when the winds back off a bit, but we still have a big swell coming in, so you’ll see big waves coming into the coast, and you can get outside and not have it be unpleasant.”
The greater challenge with timing is when to catch the storms themselves. The National Weather Service issues high surf advisories and high surf warnings (the latter being the more serious), but due to the ever-evolving nature of the lows that produce such seas, these announcements give storm watchers little time to prepare.
“We don’t get a whole lot of notice from the National Weather Service to expect high surf,” said Janice Langlinais, executive director of the Coos Bay-North Bend-Charleston Visitor and Convention Bureau. “So they’re very unpredictable, when those wave crashes are going to hit that monster level, swells of 20 to 35 feet. Anything under 20 feet, it’ll crash and be dramatic, but it won’t be as dramatic.”
Up and down the Oregon Coast, from Astoria to Brookings, storm watching viewpoints await the sudden arrival of a punchy low pressure system. While pretty much everywhere along Oregon’s exposed, headland-studded coastline receives the heavy winds and waves of storm season, certain locations offer the best, and safest, vantage points.
Just west of Coos Bay, the 5-mile stretch of coastline from Cape Arago north to Bastendorff Beach seems made for storm watching. Close-in reefs and a series of uplifted sandstone cliffs await incoming waves here like nowhere else.
“The way these cliffs are formed provides the perfect opportunity,” Langlinais said. “The waves come in over one rock, into a gully created by the cliff, and have nowhere else to go but right back up again, which is how they spew up so high. They’re coming in at such force that there’s no place else for that wave, that energy of water, to go but straight up in the air.”
The way these cliffs are formed provides the perfect opportunity. The waves come in over one rock, into a gully created by the cliff, and have nowhere else to go but right back up again, which is how they spew up so high. They’re coming in at such force that there’s no place else for that wave, that energy of water, to go but straight up in the air.
Shore Acres State Park is the most popular storm watching viewpoint along Cape Arago, and possibly on the entire Oregon Coast. Positioned 80 feet above sea level, complete with storm watching hut and fortified stone wall, the bluff allows spectators to feel the waves’ impact viscerally as thunderous energy and sprays of whitewater several hundred feet high.
Farther north, Devils Punchbowl State Natural Area offers a similar sky-bound whitewater show. Nearby, Depoe Bay serves some up-close storm watching opportunities of its own. Other towns like Florence, Bandon and Brookings also provide access to prime-time storm watching viewpoints and plenty of sea stacks that take a pounding when waves get big. In Port Orford, Battle Rock receives storm swells head on, as do Cape Lookout and Cape Kiwanda farther north near Pacific City. Even some of the coast’s iconic lighthouses, like at Heceta Head, give a good birds-eye view of arriving swell and crashing waves.
For those who like the ferocity of a proper Oregon Coast storm, all wind and rain and raucous seas, Lincoln City is a great place to stay dry and safe while taking in the action. With plenty of ocean-view lodging and restaurant options, it’s easy to enjoy the storm watching while savoring a bowl of clam chowder or sipping a cocktail near a crackling fireplace, even from the cozy seclusion of a hotel room.
At this same time of year, once a month in November, December and January, some people travel to the coast just to see the king tides. These unusually high tides occur when the sun, moon and Earth align, resulting in the strongest gravitation pull. While offering a spectacle of their own, they are not to be confused with storm watching because king tides themselves do not create waves. In fact, they are known to cause flooding, erosion and other beach hazards. But when the king tides do coincide with a high surf advisory or warning, watch out—the ocean will surge farther up shore than normal, adding more drama, but also more danger.
Just as storm watching opportunities exist all along Oregon’s 362 miles of coastline, so do the hazards involved in confronting nature’s raw energy. Power outages, falling trees, flooding, landslides and road closures all happen every fall and winter on the Oregon Coast. Even on the sunniest, warmest storm season day, the risks to life are real. Sneaker waves, rolling logs, frigid water and more all threaten observers. Fatalities do occur. But awareness, caution and respect for the ocean and its environs can make for an inspiring storm watching experience.
No agency is more attuned to these dangers than the U.S. Coast Guard. With bases up and down the Oregon Coast, the Coast Guard has boats, helicopters and crew ready to assist those in need. But they cannot always arrive quickly enough—the wintery Pacific Ocean can claim lives in minutes—and they also answer distress calls at sea, not just along the coastline. Rather than a reactive approach, the Coast Guard, and everyone else who promotes visiting the Oregon Coast in storm season, urges a proactive strategy to stay safe.
“Storm watching is one of the most thrilling ways to observe the power of the sea without being on a ship,” said Steve Strohmaier, public affairs specialist for the U.S. Coast Guard Northwest District. “But it is imperative to view this from a safe distance. The Pacific Ocean is cold and unforgiving.”
Storm watching is one of the most thrilling ways to observe the power of the sea without being on a ship. But it is imperative to view this from a safe distance. The Pacific Ocean is cold and unforgiving.
In late fall and throughout the winter, water temperatures along the Oregon Coast dip into the 40s. Exposure to such cold water can cause paralysis in the limbs within minutes, making it impossible to swim or even stay afloat. Washed away by a wave, even a strong swimmer will drown.
To avoid such a scenario, a few simple guidelines should always be front of mind. First, never turn your back on the ocean. Next, use common sense. Don’t climb on cliffs or logs, or venture onto jetties or past fences. Do consult a tide book to avoid getting stranded on a rock or an enclosed beach, and always have an escape route when at sea level.
“When you’re walking to the beach during rough weather, imagine what your safe distance should be in your mind, and then double that,” Strohmaier said. “You never know when the surf is going to reach far up the beach, and you won’t be able to outrun the water. What’s worse, the Oregon beaches are covered with logs and other debris that can quickly become projectiles with the power of water.”
Such advice is particularly important during high surf advisories, and especially during high surf warnings, because of sneaker waves. Even the most seasoned beachgoer keeps them in mind from fall to spring. Sneaker waves are actually more like a sneaker surge. Every so often during the day, a set of waves arrives that is bigger than most, and their powerful whitewater rushes up the beach higher than expected. Even a foot of fast-moving Pacific Ocean water can knock people off their feet and pull them into the cold, tumultuous sea, or set beach logs to rolling. Many fatalities have occurred on such days.
Oregon State Parks employees do their best to promote beach safety practices all year long but especially during storm watching season. Beach rangers do not enforce laws, but they gladly offer advice on how to stay safe and alive when big waves hit the coast.
“There’s no substitution for direct experience,” said Oregon State Parks beach ranger Ryan Parker. “And every winter I’ll encounter people that make a choice to where they’re immersed in a wave or get knocked over. One of the messages we tell people is, it may seem safe to you, but you get yourself in trouble, and now it’s a lifesaving issue. Be informed, observe at a distance, plan your visit ahead of time and use good judgment. That’s all we can ask.”
Knowing when to head to the coast for storm watching requires keeping an eye on weather reports from news outlets, the National Weather Service or even the social media pages of coastal visitor bureaus. Fortunately, in terms of tourism, storm season is much calmer than summer along the coast.
“It happens during a time of year when visitation isn’t as high, so the local communities are really excited and happy to have visitors during those times,” said Stacey Gunderson, global sales and marketing coordinator for the Oregon Coast Visitors Association. “It can be easier to book a stay, easier to get into restaurants and to experience some other parts of the Oregon Coast, in addition to watching storms.”
And because tourism on the Oregon Coast is seasonal, from November to March small businesses— i.e., the majority of establishments here—are grateful for the extra income during the lean months.
“It’s important to remember those favorite momand-pop places in the offseason so that they can be around for the next summer season,” said Stephanie Hull, event and outreach coordinator for Explore Lincoln City. “Storm watching allows for those shops, restaurants, hotels and vacation rental properties to survive through those months as well. And maybe you go into a local antique shop, wander around and purchase a few fun treasures of your own and then go hit the beach. I think it’s just a way to bring in more opportunities for those businesses.”
The showdown of ocean and shore provides a spectacle worth traveling for. It also helps people connect in a new way with the Oregon Coast, whether that’s during a barrage of wind and rain or after the storm when it’s all about the waves. “Storm watching gives you a different perspective of the ocean and certainly unveils its power,” Gunderson said.
But before heading to the coast in fall and winter, it’s crucial to understand the safety protocols of watching storms and heavyweight swells smash ashore. Respect for the ocean’s immeasurable power is key. The idea is to remain a spectator, out of the ring, and to return in coming years, because once anyone has experienced the magical and mesmerizing power on display during storm season on the Oregon Coast, it’s natural to want an encore.
