IT'S STORM SEASON
on the Northwest coast. Seas become a foamy churn as powerful
waves crash against the shore. Driftwood and logs, carried in by
the high tides, pile up along the Northwest's wild winter beaches.
Winds roar like a freight train through the coastal rainforest, blast coastal
shores and blow sheets of sand and rain horizontally along the beach.
The only trees along the shoreline tough enough to stand up to the powerful
blasts of winter storms, the giant Sitka spruce, become artistically shaped
by winds which commonly exceed 75 miles per hour. Torrents of rain can
turn the day dark as streams and rivers swell and rush to the sea.
Rainfall on the Northwest coast often exceeds ten inches per month during
the winter, much of it during these drenching storms.
Storm watchers gather along the Northwest coast each year hoping to
witness nature's relentless assaults. Some prefer to watch the crashing
waves from a toasty-warm ocean view hotel room or grab a spot at a coastal
restaurant that offers front row seats for storm watching. Others
venture outdoors to get a first hand feel for this amazing weather experience.
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CRASH COURSE: Winter waves slam the cliffsides on the
north side of Cape Kiwanda in Pacific City.
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