Storm Watching: When Mother Nature Puts on the Show

Winter is the perfect time of year to enjoy the natural and powerful drama of the Pacific Coast, when stormy, wet days can be followed up with soothing cool, breaks of blue sky and sunshine.

There are a couple of ways to enjoy winter storm watching in Cannon Beach.

The most comfortable is cuddled up inside an ocean front suite at the Tolovana Inn, snug near a fireplace with your favorite beverage, watching the stormy skies and thundering waves crash against the shore and nearby Haystack Rock.

Or if you prefer, bundle up and get outdoors for some real action.  Rain gear and boots are recommended.    Sure, your hair may get whipped around, and it may be hard to know which way the rain is falling, but that’s part of the excitement.

Walking along the shore to experience an upfront view of the ocean’s magnificent power is invigorating.   But, be sure to stay alert.  Just five inches of water can move a five ton log.  And sneaker waves that join up up can quickly double their height.

Depending upon where you are, avoid climbing on cliffs and jetties. Large rocks are slippery.  And, they can shift.

But drying off and warming up after a brisk  storm walk is part of the experience.  And, a bowl of clam chowder from Mo’s Restaurant, next door to Tolovana Inn, is both welcome and restorative.

The day after a storm is the best time for beach combing.  That’s when the ocean’s flotsam and jetsam are washed ashore and treasure hunting is at its best.   You can find anything from amazing shells to some random cargo that might have fallen off an ocean barge.

You can enjoy the calm—again–before the next storm.