Wet, Windy Thanksgiving for Oregon Coast; Snow in Cascades

Published 11/22/2016 at 3:43 AM PDT - Updated 11/22/2016 at 3:44 AM PDT
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff

(Oregon Coast) – Look for the Thanksgiving holiday to be a soaker along the Oregon coast, but a little difficult for the Cascade mountain passes with snow affecting some travel deeper inland. Wednesday and Thursday will see some extremely large wave action on the beaches, but that will calm considerably throughout the rest of the holiday weekend. (Above: Newport's Moolack Beach in a rainy mood).

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Portland calls it a “very active period of winter weather,” but travel to, from and around the Oregon coast will be largely uneventful. Some high winds may complicate driving.

Rain will be the most prominent sight, enough that towns like Yachats, Newport, and Lincoln City may have to look out for flooding.

“At lower elevations, rain will begin Tuesday and may be heavy at times,” the NWS said. “The heaviest periods at the coast are expected to be Tuesday afternoon and evening, and again Thursday. Heavy rain may cause some rivers to rise near or just above flood stage, particularly in the southern Willamette Valley and along the central coast of Oregon.”

The NWS said more storm systems will be coming in Friday through Sunday, and these will be closely watched for any impact on travel over the weekend.

Meanwhile, in the Cascades, snow levels will drop to the passes, continuing over the weekend and possibly dumping as much as two inches over that time.

For those spending time on the coast for the holiday, there will be some good storm watching – but only through Thursday, Turkey Day itself.

On Wednesday and into the evening, the Oregon coast will be breezy, and likely the same on Thanksgiving. By Wednesday night, winds will be steadily in the 20's with gusts as high as 36 mph. The NWs said it's possible high winds could pummel the beaches and coast range on the holiday.

The beaches and rocky areas of the Oregon coast will be particularly spectacular, however. On Wednesday, combined waves will be up around 19 feet. On Thanksgiving day, wave height could be up around 23 feet, dropping down to 17 feet at night and down to four or five feet for the rest of the weekend.

While the beaches may not be raging any longer over the holiday weekend, calm conditions should mean good beachcombing and agate hunting on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. However, this is not guaranteed: keep a close eye on what the breakers do. If you can see wet sand (where the tide has been) fairly close to any cliff on enclosed beaches like Hug Point or Gleneden Beach, stay away.

For storm wave watching on Thursday, stay off jetties and any small beach such as Oceanside, Newport's Nye Beach, or much of Waldport. Broad, sandy areas like Manzanita, Seaside, most of Cannon Beach, about half of Lincoln City, or Newport's Agate Beach will be safe. The best sights will be had at rocky areas, from viewpoints at Depoe Bay, Yachats, Cape Perpetua, Cape Meares, or Arcadia beach near Cannon Beach. Oregon Coast Lodgings for this - Where to eat - Maps - Virtual Tours. More on Oregon Coast Weather.

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