Storm Chaser Forecast for Pacific Northwest
Storm photography in the Pacific Northwest. Pacific storm systems, King Tides at Cannon Beach, and Cape Disappointment winter storms.
Upcoming Opportunities
When all conditions match, PhotoWeather marks an opportunity window.
This forecast tracks Pacific storm systems hitting the Northwest coast, identifying when conditions create dramatic photography opportunities while balancing safety considerations. We monitor storm intensity, wave height, wind patterns, and King Tide timing to predict optimal storm photography windows.
The Pacific Northwest receives powerful storm systems throughout fall and winter, creating spectacular wave action along its rugged coastline. These storms combine with the region's dramatic sea stacks, headlands, and coastal forests to produce compelling images. Winter "King Tides"—exceptionally high tides—amplify storm impacts.
What makes the Pacific Northwest special for storm photography:
- Pacific storm power - Powerful winter systems bring dramatic wave action to exposed coastlines
- King Tides - December-February extreme high tides create exceptional wave drama
- Haystack Rock storms - Cannon Beach's iconic sea stack withstanding storm waves
- Cape Disappointment - One of the most dangerous bar crossings offers dramatic lighthouse storm scenes
Cannon Beach becomes a premier storm photography destination during winter storm events, particularly during King Tides when waves can reach spectacular heights around Haystack Rock and the surrounding sea stacks. The combination of accessible beach, dramatic rock formations, and powerful Pacific swells creates world-class opportunities. Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia River offers lighthouse drama during storms—waves crash against the rocky headland while the historic lighthouse stands sentinel. Shore Acres State Park near Coos Bay features a protected viewing platform where photographers can safely capture massive storm waves exploding against the cliff face. The Olympic coast provides wilderness storm photography with sea stacks and rugged shoreline. Safety is essential—our forecast helps identify conditions that are dramatic but manageable, tracking when peak storm intensity has passed but seas remain photogenic. Never turn your back on the ocean, watch for sneaker waves, and maintain safe distances from surf.
Location status
0 of 10 locations currently active
Columbia River Gorge
InactiveThe Columbia River cuts between steep, forested walls lined with basalt cliffs and waterfalls, while inversion fog creates layered ridge views.
Cascade Locks, Oregon, United States
Right now: Storm Intensity too low (27%, ≥ 40.0%)
Mt Rainier
InactiveMount Rainier’s heavily glaciated cone rises nearly three kilometres above the surrounding lowlands, dominating views far beyond the national park. At Paradise and Sunrise, subalpine meadows and foreground ridges contrast with summit ice, while Reflection Lakes supplies a lower, water-level composition.
Eatonville, Washington, United States
Right now: Storm Intensity too low (18%, ≥ 40.0%)
3 opportunities in next 14 days
Olympic Rainforest
InactiveThe Hoh Valley’s exceptional rainfall supports moss-draped maples, giant conifers, and dense fern understory on the Olympic Peninsula’s western side. Braided river bars open rare sightlines through the forest, contrasting pale gravel and glacial water with the enclosed green canopy.
Forks, Washington, United States
Right now: Storm Intensity too low (16%, ≥ 40.0%)
2 opportunities in next 14 days
Crater Lake
InactiveCrater Lake’s intensely blue caldera water, sheer volcanic rim, and Wizard Island form clean geometric layers, often simplified by snow or rim cloud.
Klamath Falls, Oregon, United States
Right now: Storm Intensity too low (23%, ≥ 40.0%)
Cannon Beach
InactiveHaystack Rock rises just offshore from Cannon Beach, anchoring a broad intertidal foreground of wet sand and shallow reflections. The Needles form a smaller stack group to its south, while Ecola headlands close the otherwise open Pacific horizon to the north.
Cannon Beach, Oregon, United States
Right now: Storm Intensity too low (0%, ≥ 40.0%)
Astoria
InactiveAstoria climbs wooded hills at the Columbia River’s mouth, overlooking working docks and ocean-bound ship traffic on the estuary. The four-mile Astoria–Megler Bridge supplies a strong horizontal landmark, especially when river fog hides sections of the Washington shore.
Tillamook, Oregon, United States
Right now: Storm Intensity too low (0%, ≥ 40.0%)
Snoqualmie
InactiveSnoqualmie Falls drops in a broad curtain into a dark basalt gorge, where spray, forest, and low valley cloud soften the surrounding rock walls.
Snoqualmie, Washington, United States
Right now: Storm Intensity too low (21%, ≥ 40.0%)
4 opportunities in next 14 days
Seaside
InactiveSeaside faces a long, unusually flat beach where shallow wave wash creates repeated lines and broad wet-sand reflections. Tillamook Head terminates the view to the south, giving the open resort shoreline a dark, forested counterweight in marine cloud.
Gearhart, Oregon, United States
Right now: Storm Intensity too low (0%, ≥ 40.0%)
Long Beach
InactiveLong Beach occupies a narrow Washington peninsula with an uninterrupted ocean beach extending far north of the Columbia River mouth. Low dunes and beach grass create horizontal foregrounds, while driftwood and stronger surf reflect the coast’s exposure to river-influenced Pacific weather.
Gearhart, Oregon, United States
Right now: Storm Intensity too low (0%, ≥ 40.0%)
Port Angeles
InactivePort Angeles faces north across the Strait of Juan de Fuca, where ferries and freighters pass beyond the sheltered harbour’s breakwater. Looking inland reverses the composition: the steep Olympic foothills rise immediately behind the waterfront toward snow-lined Hurricane Ridge.
Port Angeles, Washington, United States
Right now: Storm Intensity too low (17%, ≥ 40.0%)
2 opportunities in next 14 days
What's blocking opportunities
95-hour view of conditions preventing matches across 10 locations
How this forecast is made
Opportunities are threshold-based signals: PhotoWeather checks whether forecast conditions match the rules for a photography scenario. They are planning guidance, not guarantees. Forecasts can change as new model runs arrive, and confidence generally decreases farther into the forecast horizon, so recheck conditions before travelling.
The weather forecast foundation comes through Open-Meteo , which aggregates models from weather agencies. PhotoWeather applies condition-specific thresholds and derived calculations; not every condition uses every model or data input.
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