83-687: The Columbus Day storm of 1962 (also known as the big blow of 1962 , and originally in Canada as Typhoon Freda ) was a Pacific Northwest windstorm that struck the West Coast of Canada and the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States on October 12, 1962. Typhoon Freda was the twenty-eighth tropical depression, the twenty-third tropical storm, and the eighteenth typhoon of the 1962 Pacific typhoon season . Freda originated from
166-499: A tropical cyclone , though its wind field was significantly larger. All-time record-low land-based pressures (up to 1962) included 969.2 hPa (28.62 inHg) at Astoria, 970.5 hPa (28.66 inHg) at Hoquiam, Washington , and 971.9 hPa (28.70 inHg) at North Bend, Oregon . The Astoria and Hoquiam records were broken by a major storm on December 12, 1995 (which measured 966.1 hPa (28.53 inHg) at Astoria); however, this event did not generate winds as intense as
249-736: A financial and cultural center. Substantial tensions during this era included nativist sentiments (primarily against Chinese immigrants), tensions between the increasing power of the Southern Pacific Railroad and small farmers, and the beginnings of the labor union movement. Northern California's economy is noted for being the de facto world leader in high-tech industry ( software , semiconductor /micro-electronics, biotechnology and medical devices /instruments), as well as being known for clean power , biomedical, government, and finance. Other significant industries include tourism, shipping, manufacturing, and agriculture. Its economy
332-450: A generator and power was cut off. The heavy-duty design of the radio towers on Portland's West Hills today, with extensive and robust guy cables, is a direct result of the lessons learned from the 1962 catastrophe. For northwest Oregon, the entire power distribution system had to be rebuilt from the ground up. Some locations did not have power restored for several weeks. This storm became a lasting memory for local power distributors. Indeed,
415-481: A major trading post just north of today's Portland, Oregon . British fur trappers and hunters then used the Siskiyou Trail to travel throughout northern California. The leader of a further French scientific expedition to northern California, Eugene Duflot de Mofras , wrote in 1840 " ...it is evident that California will belong to whatever nation chooses to send there a man-of-war and two hundred men ." By
498-540: A minimum central pressure of 948 millibars (28.0 inHg). Freda maintained its intensity for another day, before beginning to gradually weaken, later on October 6. On October 9, Freda weakened into a tropical storm, before transitioning into an extratropical cyclone on the next day. On October 11, Freda turned eastward and accelerated across the North Pacific, before striking the Pacific Northwest on
581-518: A number of high wind related studies appeared in the years after the storm in an attempt to assess the return frequency of such potentially damaging winds. The state capitol grounds at Salem, and the state's college campuses, resembled battlefields with heavy losses of trees. The Campbell Hall tower at Oregon College of Education (now Western Oregon University ) in Monmouth crashed to the ground, an event recorded by student photographer Wes Luchau in
664-647: A part of the Bay Area, in recent years the Bay Area has drawn more commuters from as far as Central Valley cities such as Sacramento , Stockton , Fresno , Turlock and Modesto . These cities in the central part of the Central Valley and Sierra Nevada foothills may be viewed as part of a single megalopolis . The 2010 U.S. Census showed that the Bay Area grew at a faster rate than the Greater Los Angeles Area while Greater Sacramento had
747-435: A peak gust of 92 mph (148 km/h) was observed at Pearson Field . Many anemometers, official and unofficial, within the heavily stricken area of northwestern Oregon and southwest Washington were damaged or destroyed before winds attained maximum velocity. For example, the wind gauge atop the downtown Portland studios of KGW radio and TV recorded two gusts of 93 mph (150 km/h), just before flying debris knocked
830-788: A revolt and seized the small Mexican garrison in Sonoma. They raised the " Bear Flag " of the California Republic over Sonoma. The "Bear Flag Republic" lasted only 26 days, until the U.S. Army, led by John Frémont , took over on July 9. The California state flag today is based on this original Bear Flag, and continues to contain the words "California Republic." Commodore John Drake Sloat ordered his naval forces to occupy Yerba Buena (present San Francisco ) on July 7 and within days American forces controlled San Francisco, Sonoma, and Sutter's Fort in Sacramento. The treaty ending
913-472: A tropical disturbance over the Northwest Pacific on September 28. On October 3, the system strengthened into a tropical storm and was given the name Freda , before becoming a typhoon later that day, while moving northeastward. The storm quickly intensified, reaching its peak as a Category 3 -equivalent typhoon on October 5, with maximum 1-minute sustained winds of 115 mph (185 km/h) and
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#1732780990601996-425: A tropical storm about 500 miles (800 km) from Wake Island , over the central Pacific Ocean. Now named Freda , the system rapidly intensified as it proceeded northeastward over the open Pacific waters. On that afternoon, Freda intensified into a typhoon , with 1-minute sustained winds of 80 mph (130 km/h). On October 4, the typhoon quickly intensified, reaching its peak of 115 mph (185 km/h) on
1079-420: A tropical storm on October 9, as it started experiencing the effects of cold air. Moving northeastward at a steady rate of 16 mph (26 km/h), the storm slowly underwent an extratropical transition, becoming extratropical operationally on the morning of October 10, still with winds of 45 mph (65 km/h). The system became an extratropical cyclone as it moved into colder waters and interacted with
1162-617: Is also home to one of the largest Air Force Bases on the West Coast, and the largest in California by square meters, Travis Air Force Base . Northern California's largest metropolitan area is the San Francisco Bay Area which consists of 9 counties: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano, and Sonoma counties. The Bay Area consists of the major cities of San Jose , San Francisco , Oakland , and their many suburbs . Although not
1245-678: Is determined by dividing the state into two regions, the other being Southern California . The main northern population centers include the San Francisco Bay Area (anchored by the cities of San Jose , San Francisco , and Oakland ), the Greater Sacramento area (anchored by the state capital Sacramento ), the Redding, California , area south of the Cascade Range , and the Metropolitan Fresno area (anchored by
1328-584: Is diverse, though more concentrated in high technology. It is home to the state capital, as well as several Western United States regional offices in San Francisco, such as the Federal Reserve and 9th Circuit Court . Northern California has a warm or mild to cool climate, in which the Sierra mountains gets snow in the late fall through winter and occasionally into spring. Summers are mild along
1411-434: Is often considered as having an additional division north of the urban areas of the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento metropolitan areas. Extreme northern residents have felt under-represented in state government and, in 1941, attempted to form a new state with southwestern Oregon to be called Jefferson , or more recently to introduce legislation to split California into two or three states . The coastal area north of
1494-598: The 1962 World Series between the San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees . The low moved northeastward, and then hooked straight north, as it neared southwest Oregon . The storm then raced nearly northward at an average speed of 40 miles per hour (64 km/h), with the center situated just 50 miles (80 km) off the Pacific Coast . There was little central pressure change until
1577-407: The 2006 Hanukkah Eve windstorm , which killed 14 people and caused widespread power outages for 11 days. Northern California Northern California (commonly shortened to NorCal ) is a geographic and cultural region that comprises the northern portion of the U.S. state of California , spanning the northernmost 48 of the state's 58 counties . Northern California in its largest definition
1660-610: The California state quarter . Other prominent parks are the Kings Canyon - Sequoia National Park complex, Redwood National Park , Pinnacles National Park , Lassen Volcanic National Park and the largest in the contiguous forty-eight states, Death Valley National Park . Other areas under federal protection include Muir Woods National Monument , Giant Sequoia National Monument , Devils Postpile National Monument , Lava Beds National Monument , Point Reyes National Seashore ,
1743-469: The Cold War –era expansion of the defense industry. Since the 2000 U.S. Census, Northern California has grown at a faster rate than Southern California due to the strong economic performances of the Bay Area and Sacramento. The U.S. National Park System controls a large and diverse group of parks in northern California. The best known is Yosemite National Park , which is displayed on the reverse side of
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#17327809906011826-840: The Missouri Compromise . But instead, the passing of the Compromise of 1850 enabled California to be admitted to the Union as a free state . The decades following the Gold Rush brought dramatic expansion to northern California, both in population and economically – particularly in agriculture. The completion of the First transcontinental railroad in 1869, with its terminus in Sacramento (and then later, Oakland), meant that northern California's agricultural produce (and some manufactured goods) could now be shipped economically to
1909-780: The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary , and the Cordell Bank and Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuaries (both off the coast of San Francisco). Included within the latter National Marine Sanctuary is the Farallon National Wildlife Refuge ; this National Wildlife Refuge is one of approximately twenty-five such refuges in northern California. National forests occupy large sections of northern California, including
1992-608: The Naselle Radar Station in the Willapa Hills of southwest Washington , a wind gust of 160 mph (260 km/h) was observed. In Salem, Oregon , a wind gust of 90 mph (140 km/h) was observed. At Corvallis, Oregon , an inland location in the Willamette Valley , one-minute average winds reached 69 miles per hour (111 km/h), with a gust to 127 mph (204 km/h), before
2075-722: The Olympic Peninsula incurred the worst damage in the state, losing entire stands of trees. The Department of Commerce estimated damage in six western counties at more than $ 20 million. The storm weakened as it traveled north into British Columbia , with peak gusts measured at 90 miles per hour (140 km/h). Five people in British Columbia were killed in the storm, and the area suffered $ 80 million in damages. Stanley Park lost 3,000 trees. A Victoria resident described it as "Just general devastation everywhere you went. There were trees breaking off and flying across
2158-532: The Pacific basin, and affect land areas in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and British Columbia , Canada . They form as cyclonic windstorms associated with areas of low atmospheric pressure that track across the North Pacific Ocean towards western North America. Deep low pressure areas are relatively common over the North Pacific. They are most common in the winter months. On average,
2241-413: The Pacific Northwest and southwest Canada, and was linked to 46 fatalities in the northwest and Northern California resulting from heavy rains and mudslides. On the morning of September 28, a tropical disturbance formed south of Eniwetok Atoll . After moving westward and making a large bend around the island, the new system slowly gained strength, and on the morning of October 3, the system became
2324-776: The Rosie the Riveter World War II Home Front National Historical Park in Richmond , and the Tule Lake National Monument outside of Tulelake . Northern California hosts a number of world-renowned universities including Stanford University and University of California, Berkeley . Top-tier public graduate schools include Boalt Hall and Hastings law schools and UC San Francisco (a top-ranked medical school) and UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine ,
2407-735: The Shasta tribe in the north, to the Miwoks in the central coast and Sierra Nevada, to the Yokuts of the southern Central Valley, northern California was among the most densely populated areas of pre-Columbian North America. The first European to explore the coast was Juan Rodríguez Cabrillo , sailing for the Spanish Crown; in 1542, Cabrillo's expedition sailed perhaps as far north as the Rogue River in today's Oregon . Beginning in 1565,
2490-642: The Shasta–Trinity , Klamath , Modoc , Lassen , Mendocino , Eldorado , Tahoe , and Sequoia national forests, among others. Included within (or adjacent to) national forests are federally protected wilderness areas, including the Trinity Alps , Castle Crags , Granite Chief , and Desolation wilderness areas. In addition, the California Coastal National Monument protects all islets, reefs, and rock outcroppings from
2573-560: The Siskiyou Trail from missions in northern California to British and American settlements in Oregon . Although a small number of American traders and trappers had lived in northern California since the early 1830s, the first organized overland party of American immigrants to arrive in northern California was the Bartleson-Bidwell Party of 1841 via the new California Trail . Also in 1841, an overland exploratory party of
Columbus Day storm of 1962 - Misplaced Pages Continue
2656-536: The Summer of Love , winemaking , the cradle of the international environmental movement, and the open, casual workplace first popularized in the Silicon Valley dot-com boom and now widely in use around the world. Other examples of innovation across diverse fields range from Genentech (development and commercialization of genetic engineering) to CrossFit as a pioneer in extreme human fitness and training. It
2739-614: The United States Exploring Expedition came down the Siskiyou Trail from the Pacific Northwest. In 1846, the Donner Party earned notoriety as they struggled to enter northern California. When the Mexican–American War was declared on May 13, 1846, it took almost two months (mid-July 1846) for word to get to California. On June 14, 1846, some 30 non-Mexican settlers, mostly Americans, staged
2822-439: The jet stream . However, post-season analysis concluded that the system continued weakening as it continued northeastward, crossing the 180th meridian later that afternoon, before completing the transition that evening. The extratropical low redeveloped intensely off the coast of Northern California , due to favorable upper-level conditions, producing record rainfall across the San Francisco Bay Area that delayed some games in
2905-414: The 1830s, a significant number of non- Californios had immigrated to northern California. Chief among these was John Sutter , a European immigrant from Switzerland , who was granted 48,827 acres (197.60 km ) centered on the area of today's Sacramento . American trappers began entering northern California in the 1830s. In 1834, American visionary Ewing Young led a herd of horses and mules over
2988-552: The Bay Area is often referred to as the North Coast , touching the counties of Mendocino , Lake , Humboldt , and Del Norte . The interior region north of Sacramento metropolitan area is referred to by locals as the Northstate , consisting of about 20 counties. "Northern California" was used by Tim Draper as the name of the northernmost state to be created by splitting California into three new states. The bill, Cal 3 ,
3071-526: The Bay area. Heavy rain forced Game 6 of the 1962 World Series at San Francisco's Candlestick Park to be postponed from its originally scheduled date of October 11 to Monday, October 15. In the Willamette Valley, it is said the undamaged home was the exception. Livestock suffered greatly due to the barn failures: the animals were crushed under the weight of the collapsed structures, a story that
3154-422: The Central Valley, as well as Fresno and Visalia on the southern end. Though smaller in each case, with the notable exception of Fresno , than the larger cities of the general region, these smaller regional centers are often of historical and economic importance for their respective size, due to their locations, which are primarily rural or otherwise isolated. Inhabited for millennia by Native Americans , from
3237-509: The Columbus Day Storm of 1962. The peak winds were felt as the storm passed close by on October 12. At Cape Blanco on the southern Oregon coast, an anemometer that lost one of its cups registered wind gusts in excess of 145 miles per hour (233 kilometers per hour); some reports put the peak velocity at 179 mph (288 km/h). The north Oregon coast Mt. Hebo radar station reported winds of 170 mph (270 km/h). At
3320-558: The Columbus Day Storm the nation's worst natural disaster of 1962. In Central and Northern California, all-time record rains associated with the atmospheric river along the cold front caused major flooding and mudslides, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area. Oakland set an all time calendar day record with 4.52 inches (115 mm) of rain on the 13th, as did Sacramento with 3.77 inches (96 mm). More than 7 inches (180 mm) of rainfall were recorded in
3403-444: The Gold Rush era (52%) came during the 1940s, as the region was the destination of many post-War veterans and their families, attracted by the greatly expanding industrial base and (often) by their time stationed in northern California during World War II . The largest absolute increase occurred during the 1980s (over 2.1 million person increase), attracted by job opportunities in part by the expansion taking place in Silicon Valley and
Columbus Day storm of 1962 - Misplaced Pages Continue
3486-641: The Mexican–American War was signed on February 2, 1848, and Mexico formally ceded Alta California (including all of present-day northern California) to the United States. The California Gold Rush took place almost exclusively in northern California from 1848 to 1855. It began on January 24, 1848, when gold was discovered at Sutter's Mill in Coloma . News of the discovery soon spread, resulting in some 300,000 people coming to California from
3569-647: The Pacific Ocean eastward through Mount Pinos , Tejon Pass and Tehachapi Pass , then cuts northward through the Sierra Nevada mountain range to Mount Patterson and the Nevada border. The Mojave Desert and the Great Basin Desert are separated from Northern California by mountain ranges in this definition of bioregions. California's north–south midway division is around 37°N , near
3652-464: The Russian state-sponsored Russian-American Company established Fort Ross , a fur trading outpost on the coast of today's Sonoma County . Fort Ross was the southernmost Russian settlement, located some 60 miles (97 km) north of Spanish colonies in San Francisco. In 1839, the settlement was abandoned due to its inability to meet resource demands, and the increasing Mexican and American presence in
3735-666: The Spanish Manila galleons crossed the Pacific Ocean from Mexico to the Spanish Philippines , with silver and gemstones from Mexico. The Manila galleons returned across the northern Pacific, and reached North America usually off the coast of northern California, and then continued south with their Asian trade goods to Mexico. In 1579, northern California was visited by the English explorer Sir Francis Drake who landed north of today's San Francisco and claimed
3818-493: The area for England. In 1602, the Spaniard Sebastián Vizcaíno explored California's coast as far north as Monterey Bay , where he went ashore. Other Spanish explorers sailed along the coast of northern California for the next 150 years, but no settlements were established. The first European inhabitants were Spanish missionaries, who built missions along the California coast. The mission at Monterey
3901-599: The city of Fresno ). Northern California also contains redwood forests, along with most of the Sierra Nevada , including Yosemite Valley and part of Lake Tahoe , Mount Shasta (the second-highest peak in the Cascade Range after Mount Rainier in Washington ), and most of the Central Valley , one of the world's most productive agricultural regions. Northern California is also home to Silicon Valley ,
3984-598: The city of Seattle , a peak wind speed of 65 mph (105 km/h) was recorded; this suggests gusts of at least 80 mph (130 km/h). Damaging winds reached as far inland as Spokane . Wind gusts of 58 mph (93 km/h), the National Weather Service minimum for "High Wind Criteria," or higher were reported from San Francisco , to Vancouver , British Columbia . At least 46 fatalities were attributed to this storm, more than for any other Pacific Northwest weather event. Injuries went into
4067-520: The coast and generally warm and dry, while winters are cool and usually wet. The high temperatures range from 50s °F (10–15 °C) to 30s °F (−1 – +4 °C) in the winters while summers temperature range is 90s °F (32–37 °C) to 60s °F (15–20 °C) or 50s °F (10–15 °C), with highs well into the 100s °F (37–42 °C) for the Sacramento region. Snow covers the mountains (generally above 3,000 feet (910 m)) in mid January through February. Fog occurs infrequently or occurs normally in
4150-458: The coasts. The Gold Rush also had negative effects: American colonists chose to use genocide as a tool to remove the Indigenous people so that they could look for gold on their land. The Gold Rush also increased pressure to make California a U.S. state . Pro-slavery politicians initially attempted to permanently divide northern and southern California at 36 degrees, 30 minutes, the line of
4233-454: The cyclone passed the latitude of Astoria , Oregon , at which time the low began to degrade. On October 13, the center passed over Tatoosh Island , Washington , before making landfall on Vancouver Island , British Columbia , where it weakened rapidly. The cyclone then curved northwestward, before turning back eastward and moving into Canada. As the cyclone moved through Canada, another cyclone formed on its southern periphery, which absorbed
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#17327809906014316-441: The cyclones' primary winds can blow from any direction, while the primary winds in nor'easters usually blow from the northeast. The largest storm events have struck the Pacific Northwest every 15 to 30 years according to modern records. Among the strongest were the 1962 Columbus Day storm , which formed from the remnants of Typhoon Frieda/Freda and killed 50 people; the 1993 Inauguration Day windstorm, which killed 6 people; and
4399-481: The development of world-famous and online business models (such as Apple , Hewlett-Packard , Google , Yahoo! , and eBay ), northern California has been at the forefront of new ways of doing business. In science, advances range from being the first to isolate and name fourteen transuranic chemical elements , to breakthroughs in microchip technology. Cultural contributions include the works of Ansel Adams , George Lucas , and Clint Eastwood , as well as beatniks ,
4482-477: The dollar damage at approximately $ 230 million to $ 280 million for California, Oregon, and Washington combined. Those figures in 1962 US dollars translate to $ 1.8 to $ 2.2 billion in 2014 US dollars. Oregon's share exceeded $ 200 million in 1962 US dollars. This is comparable to land-falling hurricanes that occurred within the same time frame (for example, Audrey, Donna, and Carla from 1957 to 1961). The Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. (now MetLife) named
4565-485: The entire Lake Tahoe – Reno area. Evidence of Native American habitation in the area dates from at least 19,000 years ago and successive waves of arrivals led to one of the most densely populated areas of pre-Columbian North America. The arrival of European explorers from the early 16th to the mid-18th centuries did not establish European settlements in northern California. In 1770, the Spanish mission at Monterey
4648-592: The gauge off-line shortly after 5 p.m. For the Willamette Valley, the lowest peak gust officially measured was 86 mph (138 km/h) at Eugene . This value, however, is higher than the maximum peak gust generated by any other Willamette Valley windstorm in the 1948–2010 period. In the interior of western Washington, officially measured wind gusts included 78 miles per hour (126 km/h) at Olympia , 88 mph (142 km/h) at McChord Air Force Base , 100 mph (160 km/h) at Renton at 64 feet (20 m) and 98 mph (158 km/h) at Bellingham . In
4731-487: The global headquarters for some of the most powerful tech and Internet-related companies in the world, including Meta , Apple , Google , and Nvidia . The Northern California Megaregion , one of the 11 megaregions of the United States is centered in Northern California, and extends from Metropolitan Fresno north to Greater Sacramento, and from the Bay Area east across the Nevada state line to encompass
4814-666: The grandstand and playing field right up to kickoff. Most of the electricity, including the scoreboard and clock, was still out and players dressed by candlelight in the locker rooms. The Huskies came from behind to beat the Beavers 14–13, despite a strong performance by quarterback Terry Baker , who would win the Heisman Trophy later that year. The storm caused 9 fatalities in Washington, some from falling trees or downed power lines. The Willapa Hills and southern portion of
4897-602: The hundreds. In terms of natural disaster-related fatalities for the 20th century, only Oregon's Heppner Flood of 1903 (247 deaths), Washington's Wellington avalanche of 1910 (96 deaths), the Great Fire of 1910 (87 deaths), and Eruption of Mount St. Helens of 1980 (57 deaths) caused more. For Pacific Northwest windstorms in the 20th century, the runner up was the infamous October 21, 1934, gale, which caused 22 fatalities, mostly in Washington. In less than 12 hours, more than 11 billion board feet (26,000,000 m) of timber
4980-401: The largest growth rate of any metropolitan area in California. The state's larger inland cities are considered part of Northern California in cases when the state is divided into two parts. Key cities in the region which are not in major metropolitan areas include Eureka on the far North Coast , Redding , at the northern end of the Central Valley, Chico , and Yuba City in the mid-north of
5063-561: The largest veterinary school in the United States. (Partial list) (Partial list) The following regions are entirely or partly within northern California: Northern California is home to three of the state's four extended metropolitan areas , which are home to over three-fourths of the region's population as of the 2010 United States Census : The following are major central business districts: See also articles: See also categories: There are 11 airports in Northern California categorized as Primary Service Commercial airports by
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#17327809906015146-399: The level of Morgan Hill and Chowchilla . (The geographic center of California is at 37°09′58″N 119°26′58″W / 37.16611°N 119.44944°W / 37.16611; -119.44944 near North Fork , northeast of Fresno. ) Popularly, though, "Northern California" usually refers to the state's northernmost 48 counties. Because of California's large size and diverse geography,
5229-597: The month when most windstorms form is November or December. The closest analogue to these storms are European windstorms , which develop over the eastern portion of the North Atlantic Ocean as opposed to the North Pacific. Nor'easters , a similar class of extratropical cyclones, commonly affect the east coast of North America. While the storms on the East Coast are named "nor'easters", the Pacific Northwest windstorms are not called "nor'westers" because
5312-560: The most prominent picture-symbol of the storm. East of Salem, the wind destroyed a historic barn that served as a clandestine meeting place by pro-slavery Democratic members of the state Legislature in 1860. The Oregon State Beavers – Washington Huskies college football game went on as scheduled Saturday, October 13 in Portland, in a heavily damaged Multnomah Stadium . Much of the roof was damaged and seats damaged by falling debris were replaced by portable chairs. Crews cleared debris from
5395-527: The next day, with a minimum central pressure of 948 millibars (27.99 inHg), making the storm the equivalent of a Category 3 typhoon on the Saffir–Simpson scale . After stabilizing to the north, Freda maintained its strength through the Pacific, before beginning to weaken slowly on October 6. Making a turn to the northeast, Freda maintained typhoon-status winds for several more days, before weakening into
5478-404: The next day. On October 13, the cyclone made landfall on Washington and Vancouver Island , and then curved northwestward. Afterward, the system moved into Canada and weakened, before being absorbed by another developing storm to the south on October 17. The Columbus Day storm of 1962 is considered to be the benchmark of extratropical wind storms. The storm ranks among the most intense to strike
5561-481: The northern California coast by Spain. By 1820, Spanish influence extended inland approximately 25 to 50 miles (80 km) from the missions. Outside of this zone, perhaps 200,000 to 250,000 Native Americans continued to lead traditional lives. The Adams-Onís Treaty , signed in 1819 between Spain and the young United States, set the northern boundary of the Spanish claims at the 42nd parallel, effectively creating today's northern boundary of northern California. In 1812,
5644-418: The original cyclone by October 17. The extratropical cyclone deepened to a minimum central pressure of at least 960 hPa (28 inHg), and perhaps as low as 958 hPa (28.3 inHg), a pressure which would be equivalent to a Category 3 hurricane on the Saffir–Simpson hurricane scale (SSHS). Since the system was an extratropical cyclone , its wind field was neither as compact nor as strong as
5727-407: The region since at least 1948, likely since the January 9, 1880 " Great Gale " and snowstorm. The storm is a contender for the title of the most powerful extratropical cyclone recorded in the U.S. in the 20th century; with respect to wind velocity , it is unmatched by the March 1993 " storm of the century " and the " 1991 Halloween Nor'easter " ("the perfect storm"). The system brought strong winds to
5810-400: The region. After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, Mexico continued Spain's missions and settlements in northern California as well as Spain's territorial claims. The Mexican Californios (Spanish-speaking Californians) in these settlements primarily traded cattle hides and tallow with American and European merchant vessels. In 1825, the Hudson's Bay Company established
5893-422: The rest of the United States and abroad. San Francisco grew from a tiny hamlet, home to about 1,000 Californios into a boomtown of over 50,000 people in the 12 years between 1848 and 1860. New roads, churches, and schools were built, and new towns sprung up, aided in part by the development of new methods of transportation such as steamships which came into regular service and railroads which now connected
5976-507: The rest of the United States. In return, immigrants from the rest of the United States (and Europe) could comfortably come to northern California. A network of railroads spread throughout northern California, and in 1887, a rail link was completed to the Pacific Northwest . Almost all of these railways came under the control of the Southern Pacific Railroad , headquartered in San Francisco, and San Francisco continued as
6059-491: The roads. Wind was just blowing the rain horizontal and trees were weaving all over the place. You didn't know if you were going to get hit or not." At Victoria airport, a Martin Mars waterbomber ("Caroline Mars") was hurled 200 yards (180 m) and irreparably damaged. Pacific Northwest windstorm Pacific Northwest windstorms , sometimes colloquially known as Big Blows , are extratropical cyclones which form in
6142-848: The shore of northern California out to a distance of 12 nmi (22 km), along the entire northern California coastline. In addition, the National Park Service administers protected areas on Alcatraz Island , the Golden Gate National Recreation Area , Whiskeytown–Shasta–Trinity National Recreation Area , and the Smith River National Recreation Area . The NPS also administers the Manzanar National Historic Site in Inyo County ,
6225-603: The state can be subdivided in other ways as well. For example, the Central Valley is a region that is distinct both culturally and topographically from coastal California, though in northern versus southern California divisions, the Sacramento Valley and most of the San Joaquin Valley are usually placed in northern California. Some observers describe three partitions of California, with north and south sections separated by Central California . The state
6308-485: The station was abandoned due to "power failure and instruments demolished". Observations at the weather station resumed the next day. About 80 miles (130 km) to the north, at Portland, Oregon 's major metropolitan area, measured wind gusts reached 116 mph (187 km/h) at the Morrison Street Bridge in downtown Portland. In Vancouver, Washington around 9 miles north of downtown Portland,
6391-469: The west and coast, especially in the summer, creating some of the coolest summer conditions in North America. Since the first decade of the 21st century, droughts and wildfires have increased in frequency as a consequence of climate change . The population of the forty-eight counties of northern California has shown a steady increase over the years. The largest percentage increase outside
6474-464: Was blown down in northern California, Oregon and Washington combined; some estimates put it at 15 billion board feet (35,000,000 m). This exceeded the annual timber harvest for Oregon and Washington at the time. This value is above any blowdown measured for East Coast storms, including hurricanes; even the often-cited 1938 New England hurricane , which toppled 2.65 billion board feet (6,300,000 m), falls short by nearly an order of magnitude. Estimates put
6557-456: Was first established in 1770, and at San Francisco in 1776. In all, ten missions stretched along the coast from Sonoma to Monterey (and still more missions to the southern tip of Baja California ). In 1786, the French signaled their interest in the northern California area by sending a voyage of exploration to Monterey. The first twenty years of the 19th century continued the colonization of
6640-435: Was left partially standing at Mount Scott . KPOJ-FM was so badly damaged it wouldn't return to the air until February 9, 1963. KWJJ-AM lost one of its towers and a portion of its transmitter building at Smith Lake. KISN-AM also lost a tower at Smith Lake. Seven-month-old TV station KATU did not receive any damage at its Livingston Mountain site, 6 miles (9.7 km) north of Camas, Washington . However, KATU didn't have
6723-545: Was prevented from appearing on the 2018 California ballot because of a constitutional review by the Supreme Court of California . Since the events of the California Gold Rush , Northern California has been a leader on the world's economic, scientific, and cultural stages. From the development of gold mining techniques and logging practices in the 19th century that were later adopted around the world, to
6806-512: Was repeated many times throughout the afflicted region. At the north end of the Valley, two 500-foot (150 m) high voltage transmission towers were toppled. Radio and TV broadcasting were affected in the Portland area. KGW-TV lost its tower at Skyline and replaced the temporary tower with a new one on January 28, 1963. KOIN radio lost one of two AM towers at Sylvan . KPOJ -AM/-FM lost much of its transmitting equipment, plus one of two towers
6889-499: Was the first European settlement in the area, followed by other missions along the coast—eventually extending as far north as Sonoma County . Northern California is not a formal geographic designation. Historically, the state was divided by the Tehachapi Mountains which was a barrier to travelers before highways were built, and remains a bioregion barrier. This geographical barrier curves from Point Conception at
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