The observations recorded above barely met high wind warning criteria for the area; a Wind Advisory was in effect at the time. A Wind Advisory was likely the appropriate product here, as the Weed RAWS barely met criteria and it is in the middle of a relatively small area prone to high winds.
Every event with a place to put it; 2 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
The episode as NWS MFR wrote it up.
The observations recorded above barely met high wind warning criteria for the area; a Wind Advisory was in effect at the time. A Wind Advisory was likely the appropriate product here, as the Weed RAWS barely met criteria and it is in the middle of a relatively small area prone to high winds.
The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Dec 4, 2:30 PM PST, 2 hours 15 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR 230 PM PST THU DEC 4 2003 .DISCUSSION... DEEP 500MB LOW IN THE GULF OF ALASKA WILL MOVE SLOWLY EASTWARD OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. SEVERAL WAVES ROTATING OUT OF THE BASE OF THE TROUGH WILL AFFECT MOST OF THE AREA WITH EITHER WIND...RAIN OR BOTH. FIRST WAVE WILL REMAIN OFFSHORE MOVING NORTHEAST TOWARDS THE WASHINGTON COAST TONIGHT. SURFACE FRONT IN ADVANCE IS NEAR THE COAST AND WILL MOVE ONSHORE LATE THIS AFTERNOON. STRONG WINDS AT THE HEADLANDS WILL DECREASE BEHIND THE FRONT. NOT A LOT OF PRECIPITATION WITH THIS FIRST SYSTEM. NEXT SYSTEM TO WATCH WILL BE DEVELOPING NEAR 40/150W. BOTH THE GFS/ETA MODELS SIMILAR WITH DEVELOPING A SURFACE LOW THEN DEEPENING AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST TOWARDS THE WASHINGTON COAST FRIDAY NIGHT. GRADIENTS TIGHTEN UP AGAIN FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND WILL ISSUE A HIGH WIND WATCH FOR THE COASTAL HEADLANDS. SURFACE FRONT WILL MOVE INLAND LATE FRIDAY NIGHT OR EARLY SATURDAY MORNING. THE GFS MODEL MOVES ANOTHER WAVE ACROSS THE REGION SATURDAY TO KEEP SHOWERS GOING. HIGH SNOW LEVELS WILL EVENTUALLY COME DOWN TO BELOW PASS LEVEL ON SATURDAY. MAIN TROUGH IS FORECAST TO FINALLY MOVE INLAND SUNDAY WITH DECREASING SHOWER ACTIVITY. HOLTZ .EXTENDED... TEMPORARY RIDGING MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT BRINGS DRYING TO THE REGION. THE NEXT SYSTEM APPROACHES TUESDAY WITH PRECIPITATION INCREASING AGAIN LATER TUESDAY AND THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES INLAND WEDNESDAY. ZONAL FLOW THURSDAY WITH SOME THREAT OF PRECIPITATION...HOWEVER...MRF MODEL SHOWS MAIN JET TO OUR NORTH. && .MFR...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ORZ021-022...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR COASTAL HEADLANDS THROUGH EVENING ORZ026...WIND ADVISORY ROGUE VALLEY THROUGH THIS EVENING CAZ081...WIND ADVISORY SHASTA VALLEY THROUGH THIS EVENING ORZ021-022...HIGH WIND WATCH HEADLANDS FRI NIGHT OR/CA...GALE WARNING FLORENCE TO PT ST GEORGE &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 659 AM PST THU DEC 4 2003 PZZ350-353-356-370-373-376-051430- CAPE ARAGO TO FLORENCE, OR 20 TO 60 NM- CAPE ARAGO TO FLORENCE, OR WESTWARD 20 NM- CAPE BLANCO TO CAPE ARAGO, OR 20 TO 60 NM- CAPE BLANCO TO CAPE ARAGO, OR WESTWARD 20 NM- PT. ST. GEORGE, CA TO CAPE BLANCO, OR 20 TO 60 NM- PT. ST. GEORGE, CA TO CAPE BLANCO, OR WESTWARD 20 NM- 659 AM PST THU DEC 4 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY GALE WARNING FOR THE NEAR SHORE WATERS FROM CAPE ARGO OREGON TO POINT ST GEORGE CALIFORNIA FOR TODAY. SEE PDXCWFMFR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ORZ021-022-051430- CURRY COUNTY COAST-SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST- 659 AM PST THU DEC 4 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE SOUTH COASTAL HEADLANDS FOR TODAY. SEE PDXNPWMFR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY STRONG WINDS EXPECTED FRIDAY NIGHT INTO SATURDAY MORNING. SEE PDXSPSMFR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. NO ADDITIONAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. CAZ080>085-ORZ023>031-051430- CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY-CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY- CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY-EASTERN CURRY COUNTY AND JOSEPHINE COUNTY- EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS-JACKSON COUNTY-KLAMATH BASIN- MODOC COUNTY-NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST SISKIYOU COUNTY- NORTHEAST SISKIYOU AND NORTHWEST MODOC COUNTIES- NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY AND WESTERN LAKE COUNTY- SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES- SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES-SOUTH CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY- WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY- 659 AM PST THU DEC 4 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.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Weed RAWS recorded a gust to 58 mph.
Weed RAWS recorded a gust to 58 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2003
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5327427, 5327428.