California, 2003

Damaging Wind in California, July 23, 2003

July 23, 2003 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A thunderstorm developed over the Scott Valley around this time. While radar reports did not indicate that this storm was severe, a wet microburst propagated from it, bringing estimated 80+ mph winds to the area near the Greenview airport.

Where it happened

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  • Tornadoes
  • Tropical storms and surge
  • Floods
  • Wind
  • Hail
  • Winter weather
  • Heat and drought
  • Cold
  • Fire, smoke and dust
  • Marine and coastal
  • Other

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$200,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS MFR wrote it up.

A thunderstorm developed over the Scott Valley around this time. While radar reports did not indicate that this storm was severe, a wet microburst propagated from it, bringing estimated 80+ mph winds to the area near the Greenview airport. A subsequent NWS Storm Survey discovered damaged structures and trees, the largest of which were compromised by wood rot. Greenview airport recorded a peak gust of 54 mph with the event. Interviews with residents yielded numerous reports of golf ball sized hail and hourly rainfall totals exceeding 1.50 inches. No spotter reports were reported to WFO Medford during this event, and no warning was issued.

What forecasters said that day

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 Jul 23, 1:30 PM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 23, 1:30 PM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes before
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
230 PM PDT WED JUL 23 2003

LATEST SATELLITE SHOWING LARGE AREA OF MID/HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS OVER
CENTRAL CALIF. SPREADING NORTH INTO NORTHERN CALIF THEN NORTHEAST
INTO SOUTHERN OREGON. RADAR JUST STARTING TO SHOW SOME FAIRLY STRONG
LOOKING CELLS JUST SOUTH AND EAST OF MODOC COUNTY. SHOULD NOT BE
LONG BEFORE WE SEE DEVELOPMENT IN OUR REGION.

STRONG UPPER LEVEL HIGH PRESSURE WILL TEMPORARILY SHIFT BACK TO NEAR
THE SOUTHWEST U.S. THURSDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. AREA OF CONVECTION
EAST OF THE CASCADES THE PAST COUPLE OF DAYS WILL GRADUALLY SHIFT
FURTHER EAST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY AS UPPER FLOW BECOMES MORE
WESTERLY. LOCATIONS THAT HAVE SEEN TRIPLE DIGIT HIGH TEMPS LAST FEW
DAYS WILL COOL OFF CLOSER TO NORMAL BEGINNING THURSDAY AS HIGH
PRESSURE SHIFTS EAST.

EXTENDED...MODELS SHOW FOUR CORNERS HIGH SHIFTING NORTH AGAIN TO
OVER NEVADA...WHICH PLACES OUR REGION BACK INTO A MORE SOUTHERLY
FLOW ALOFT. THIS WILL OPEN THE DOOR ONCE AGAIN FOR POSSIBLE
THUNDERSTORMS AS SURGES OF MOISTURE MOVE NORTHWARD FROM CALIFORNIA.
RIGHT NOW WILL KEEP THINGS DRY AND WAIT FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER MODEL
RUN.

.MFR...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FLORENCE OR TO PT ST GEORGE.

RH

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 23, 5:23 PM PST, 37 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
623 PM PDT WED JUL 23 2003

TIME(PDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0611 PM    WEED                      CA   .75 INCH HAIL
07/23/03   SISKIYOU                       SPOTTER SY39...6 MILES
                                          WEST OF BLACK
                                          BUTTE...REPORTED 3/4 INCH
                                          HAIL AND HEAVY RAIN.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.

Thunderstorm Wind, Siskiyou

When
July 23, 6:00 PM PST
Where
Siskiyou County, Greenview
Measured
80 kt (92 mph) estimated gust
Property damage
$200,000
Reported by
NWS STORM SURVEY
Coordinates
41.550, -122.900

See below.

What these are

Thunderstorm Wind
Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in California, July 2003

Sources

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: 5373030.