HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS FORCE CLOSURE OF WASHINGTON RIVER BARS

Heavy winds and high seas led the Coast Guard to close the Colombia River, Tillamook Bay, and Grays Harbor River bars over the weekend due to hazardous sea conditions. The bar closures were for all vessels. Information about bar conditions are available from the Coast Guard on VHF-FM channel 16. The bars were to remain closed until weather conditions improved. The Washington and Oregon bars are extremely hazardous, with the Columbia River Bar aptly named the “graveyard of the Pacific” because of the many casualties that have occurred there.