A relatively quiet Tuesday on the southwest Washington coast is followed by a higher chance of rain for RV travelers heading to Cape Disappointment. The National Weather Service forecast updated at 4:41 a.m. PST November 3 calls for rain mainly after 4 p.m. Wednesday, then a wet and breezy night. The park continues to offer winter camping, but that does not mean every campsite or visitor facility is available.
Areas Affected
The forecast point near the cape, at 46.30°N, 124.03°W, calls for gradual clearing Tuesday and a high near 58°F. Tuesday night’s low is around 48°F. These are coastal point-forecast values rather than measurements from each campground loop; exposed headlands and sheltered campsites can experience different winds.
For Wednesday, November 4, the same forecast gives an 80% rain chance, a high near 57°F and south winds of 8–11 mph, with gusts to 21 mph. Rainfall before evening is expected to be less than a tenth of an inch. The nighttime rain chance rises to 100%, with another tenth to a quarter inch possible and gusts up to 23 mph. These are forecast amounts, not rain already recorded.
The Portland NWS office’s 4:18 a.m. discussion describes a front arriving at the coast late Wednesday before spreading inland. It expects generally limited weather-related impacts over the next five to seven days, despite additional wet periods. Forecast differences remain for late week, so Tuesday’s calmer interval should not be stretched into a promise of a dry extended stay. The point forecast again carries an 80% rain chance Thursday night and Friday.
What RV Travelers Need to Know
Washington State Parks’ winter schedule lists Cape Disappointment campgrounds as open year-round, with water and sewer remaining on. However, sites 7–10, 21–25 and 101–110 are closed until winter storms have passed and the sites are evaluated. The park lists standard, partial-hookup and full-hookup camping, with RVs and vehicle combinations limited to 45 feet or less. Check the particular site and actual reservation availability rather than assuming an open campground guarantees a suitable space.
Do essential provisioning before arrival. The Cape D Store is closed during 2026 and into 2027 for construction of a new contact station. Sightseeing also needs a separate parking plan: the North Head, Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center and Beards Hollow parking lots do not accommodate RVs. The interpretive center’s winter hours are Wednesday through Sunday, 10 a.m.–5 p.m., from November 1 through March 31.
A campground reservation does not establish safe beach conditions. State Parks advises against ocean swimming on the Long Beach Peninsula, and visitors should review its beach-hazard guidance before walking near the surf. The posted North Jetty construction closure begins January 1, 2027; it should not be confused with a November weather closure. Before driving, compare the latest forecast, the park’s current alerts and the winter schedule, then check Washington’s travel map for the actual approach route.
Sources checked November 3, 2026: NWS coastal point forecast; NWS Portland discussion; Cape Disappointment facilities and alerts; Official winter schedule; Washington State Parks reservations; WSDOT travel map.
Photo: Little Mountain 5, Cape Disappointment Lighthouse, August 13, 2011. CC BY-SA 3.0. Wikimedia web-sized version, proportionally resized. The photograph and resized version remain available under CC BY-SA 3.0.
