Western Oregon / Washington Windstorms Christmas Eve: Gusts Up to 60, Power Outages Possible

Published 12/23/25 at 6:55 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Portland, Oregon) – Not so much a white Christmas as much as a Windy Wonderland: that's what seems in store for most of western Oregon and Washington during the day on Christmas Eve, while higher terrain will see snow. The possibilities of this windstorm include gusts up to 60 mph even inland – which is par for the course on the coast but land-lubber power grids are much more vulnerable. (Above: Portland / Oregon Coast Beach Connection)

Thus, the National Weather Service (NWS) has put out a wide variety of wind advisories to warnings around Oregon and Washington, with highest winds on the south Oregon coast, but the most impact could be inland. Oregon Coast Weather  

PORTLAND METRO, etc

In fact, for the Portland / Vancouver Metro area, there's a wind advisory from December 23 to 4 p.m. on December 24, which includes the southern Willamette Valley, north and central coast range, Willapa Hills, the Lower Columbia River all the way over to the Cascades and down around Eugene.

Forecast models, however, are not completely certain about the strength of the storms, say regional forecasters. Top gusts could peak at under 50 mph, while other models indicate as high as over 60 mph. . Portland Oregon / Beaverton Weather

STORM TIMING

It's a roving storm: one that will start in the south and work its way up north, hitting areas for about two to three hours each. With loose, wet soils still an issue around the northwest, there's a fair possibility these kinds of gusts will knock trees over and take out powerlines. Power officials from the region are urging everyone to be prepared with flashlights and non-perishable foods.

“Wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph is expected across southwest Washington and northwest Oregon on Wednesday, December 24,” the NWS said. “The winds will start to the south in Lane County around 7 am, reach the Portland/Vancouver Metro area around 10 am, and southwest Washington around noon. The strong winds will persist 1 to 3 hours for each location.” - Full Oregon Weather: North, Central, Eastern Southern

COASTLINE

Ironically, the north Oregon coast has no wind watches going, but the southern shoreline will be nuts.

Along the south-central Oregon coast, a high wind warning continues from 4 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday, covering Curry, Coos and Douglas county coastal communities including Brookings, Gold Beach, Port Orford, Bandon, Coos Bay, North Bend and Reedsport. South to southwest winds of 40-50 mph, with gusts up to 65 mph - especially along headlands and exposed stretches of Highway 101 - may cause property damage, scattered outages and hazardous driving conditions. Forecasters note that additional wind hazards are possible Wednesday night into Christmas Day.

WASHINGTON

Areas of south Washington and well into Seattle will see some action. A high wind watch remains in effect for portions of northwest and west-central Washington from Wednesday morning through Wednesday evening, with an abrupt shift from light easterly winds to strong southerly gusts up to 50-60 mph expected by afternoon. Forecasters warn that the strongest winds could down trees and power lines, leading to widespread outages and difficult travel for high-profile vehicles. See Washington coast weather (and wave height)

Other Watches and Warnings:

Wind Advisory (Idaho Owyhee Mountains; Oregon Harney & Malheur counties, Wed 6 AM-4 PM MST): Advisory for south winds 25-35 mph with gusts to 50 mph expected Wednesday.

Special Weather Statement (NWS Pendleton, Dec 23): Light rain turning to 2-4 inches of snow through Wednesday will affect Cascade mountain passes and holiday travel. North Oregon Cascades, Mt Hood, Government Camp Weather: and Alerts | Current Conditions, Cams, Snow | Temps

Special Weather Statement (NWS Pendleton, Dec 23): South winds 15-25 mph with gusts up to 40-45 mph are expected early Wednesday, especially along I-84.

High Wind Warning (Southern Oregon Cascades & Siskiyous, Tue 10 PM-Wed 1 PM): Southeast winds up to 50-75 mph and light high-elevation snow are expected overnight into Wednesday.

Wind Advisory & High Wind Warning (Siskiyou/Cascade foothills & southern Rogue Valley, Tue 10 PM-Wed 1 PM): Southeast winds 20-45 mph with gusts up to 60 mph will impact areas south and east of Medford overnight into Wednesday.

- Eugene, Oregon - Springfield Weather -- Corvallis, Oregon - Albany Weather and Alerts -

Bend - Central Oregon Weather: Alerts, Snow, Storm, 7-Day Forecast

 

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