Alert archive / Oregon / Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in 2003

Severe Thunderstorm Warning 1, NWS Medford, OR

May 29, 2003Josephine County, Oregon

NWS Medford, OR issued this severe thunderstorm warning at May 29, 2003, 6:52 PM PDT for Josephine County, Oregon. It was in force for 38 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 29, 2003, 6:52 PM PDT (01:52 UTC)
Expired
May 29, 2003, 7:30 PM PDT
In force
38 min
Issued by
NWS Medford, OR
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Josephine County, OR

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this severe thunderstorm warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Medford/Jackson, OR (KMFR), launched 00:00Z, 1.9 hours before the alert went out and 60 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Medford/Jackson, OR at 00:00Z on 2003-05-30Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 555 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Medford/Jackson, OR at 00:00Z on 2003-05-30The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 41 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
555 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-226 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
2347 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
46 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
41 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
158 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

179 
WUUS56 KMFR 300152
SVRMFR
ORC033-300230-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
652 PM PDT THU MAY 29 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEDFORD HAS ISSUED A

* SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL JOSEPHINE COUNTY IN SOUTHWEST OREGON

* UNTIL 730 PM PDT

* AT 648 PM PDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
  SEVERE THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES SOUTHEAST OF SELMA...OR ABOUT 8 MILES
  EAST OF CAVE JUNCTION...MOVING NORTH AT 20 MPH.

* THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE...
  6 MILES EAST OF SELMA AT 700 PM PDT
  8 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MERLIN AT 730 PM PDT

LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE WITH THIS SEVERE THUNDERSTORM. IF YOU ARE
IN THE PATH OF THE STORM...PUT YOUR CAR IN A GARAGE AND MOVE TO A
SUBSTANTIAL SHELTER.

REPORT SEVERE WEATHER TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY. THEY
WILL RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST
OFFICE IN MEDFORD.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1100 PM PDT
THURSDAY EVENING FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHWESTERN OREGON.
LAT...LON 4213 12363 4213 12339 4256 12333 4257 12367

$$

STAVISH

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this severe thunderstorm warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Medford, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before this severe thunderstorm warning went out at May 29, 1:35 PM PDT, 5 hours 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 29, 1:35 PM PDT, 5 hours 17 minutes before
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
135 PM PDT THU MAY 29 2003

PRIMARY FORECAST FOCUS IS ON THE CONVECTION DEVELOPING ACROSS
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. AT 2030Z A LIGHTNING STRIKE WAS DETECTED SOUTH
OF SUSANVILLE. IN THE SHORT TERM...THE DURATION...LOCATION...AND
STRENGTH OF THE RESULTING THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE THE FORECAST
CHALLENGE.

CLASSIC NEGATIVELY TILTED UPPER LOW WITH STRONG JET LEVEL WINDS AND
DIFFLUENCE WILL DRIVE THE CONVECTION TONIGHT. AN 80 KNOT 250 MB JET
EXTENDING FROM NORTHERN CALIFORNIA INTO THE CASCADES WILL SHIFT
SLOWLY EAST OVERNIGHT. THE JET WILL EXIT THE EAST SIDE SHORTLY AFTER
12Z FRIDAY. SURFACE DEWPOINTS MAINLY RANGED FROM 50 TO 55 F AT THIS
TIME AND THERE WAS SUFFICIENT INSTABILITY ONCE THE CAP IS BROKEN BY
LATE AFTERNOON. MID LEVEL STEERING FLOW SHOULD BE NEARLY DUE NORTH
OVERNIGHT...A GOOD DIRECTION TO BRING STORMS INTO THE WESTERN
VALLEYS OF OREGON. EXPECT CIRRUS AND MARINE AIR TO KEEP THE COAST
FREE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS POSSIBLE ESPECIALLY MOUNT SHASTA AREA NORTH
TO THE CASCADES AND EAST OF THIS AREA THIS EVENING AS THE GREATEST
INSTABILITY AND STRONGEST JET ENERGY COINCIDE. THE PRIMARY SHORT
WAVE MOVING ACROSS NORTHERN CALIFORNIA OVERNIGHT WILL SUPPORT
CONTINUED THUNDERSTORMS INTO FRIDAY MORNING.

THUNDERSTORM POSSIBILITIES ON FRIDAY ARE MORE MURKY. THE SHORT WAVE
PASSAGE WILL END THE THUNDERSTORM CHANCE ON FRIDAY. THE ETA SHOWS
THIS WAVE EXITING OUR EAST SIDE BY 00Z SATURDAY. HOWEVER...WILL
HEDGE A BIT WITH SLOWER TIMING BASED ON THE AVN AND KEEP A CHANCE OF
THUNDERSTORMS ON THE EAST SIDE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON.

THE REST OF THE FORECAST IS RELATIVELY SIMPLE WITH DRY CONDITIONS
AND A WARMING TREND. COULD SEE A GOOD MARINE PUSH FRIDAY NIGHT AND
THEN MARINE AIR AGAIN INTO THE UMPQUA SATURDAY NIGHT. AFTERWARD...
THE MARINE LAYER SHOULD BECOME MUCH MORE SHALLOW WITH OFFSHORE FLOW
DEVELOPING AS THE THERMAL TROUGH EXPANDS NORTH.

.MFR...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY PT. ST. GEORGE, CA TO CAPE BLANCO, OR.

SANDLER
Hazardous weather outlook, May 29, 6:30 AM PDT, 12 hours 22 minutes before
ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-301330-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
630 AM PDT THU MAY 29 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

JACOBS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 29, 5:58 PM PDT, 54 minutes before
CAZ080>085-ORZ024-026>031-300600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
558 PM PDT THU MAY 29 2003

...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 11 PM PDT
FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...

THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH
UNTIL 11 PM PDT FOR A PORTION OF SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA. THIS WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT AND INCLUDES
THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN SOUTHERN OREGON:

JOSEPHINE...JACKSON...KLAMATH AND LAKE

THE WATCH INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA:

SISKIYOU AND MODOC

HAIL TO 2 INCHES IN DIAMETER...THUNDERSTORM WIND GUSTS TO 55
MPH...AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS THIS
EVENING.

REMEMBER...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE
FAVORABLE FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA.
PERSONS IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING
WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN AND OCCASIONALLY DO PRODUCE
TORNADOES.

IF SEVERE WEATHER IS OBSERVED IN YOUR AREA...PLEASE CONTACT THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MEDFORD...OR YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT.

STAVISH

Nearby

Severe Thunderstorm Warnings in Oregon, 2003Every severe thunderstorm warning in 2003

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.