A High Wind Warning was issued for the coastal headlands of Oregon zones ORZ021/022 at 2145 PST on 12/11 and cancelled at 0830 PST on 12/12. The observations listed above were the strongest verifying sustained winds and gusts recorded at Cape Blanco.
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.
A High Wind Warning was issued for the coastal headlands of Oregon zones ORZ021/022 at 2145 PST on 12/11 and cancelled at 0830 PST on 12/12. The observations listed above were the strongest verifying sustained winds and gusts recorded at Cape Blanco. Cape Blanco exceeded the warning criteria continuously from 2140 PST on 12/11 until 0300 PST on 12/12.
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 12, 8:30 PM PST, 1 hour 40 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
830 PM PST FRI DEC 12 2003
.DISCUSSION...
VERY STRONG JET ALOFT WITH TOPS AS COLD AS -62C WILL MAINTAIN
WIDESPREAD RAIN AND SNOW OVER OUR REGION. TOPS HAVE BEEN WARMING
SLIGHTLY IN THE PAST FEW HOURS WHICH MAY BE REFLECTED IN LOWER
PRECIPITATION RATES TONIGHT. SNOWFALL THOUGH IS STILL EXPECTED TO
REACH ADVISORY CRITERIA IN THE MOUNTAINS/NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA AND
EAST CENTRAL OREGON TONIGHT.
SATURDAY MORNING WITH MID LEVEL WINDS INCREASING AND STRONG DYNAMICS
BETWEEN TWO JET MAXIMUMS RAINFALL RATES WILL INCREASE AT THE COAST
AND IN THE COAST RANGE AND STAY HIGH FOR 18 HOURS THEN THE AREA OF
MAX RAINFALL WILL SHIFT INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA LATE SATURDAY
EVENING. THESE RAINS WILL RAISE RIVERS AND STREAMS PARTICULARLY
THOSE THAT HAVE THEIR HEADWATERS IN THE COASTAL MOUNTAINS. A FLOOD
WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THOSE RIVERS. SATURDAY AFTERNOON THE MID
LEVEL WINDS INCREASE FURTHER AND SHIFT TO MORE SOUTHERLY. THIS WILL
BRING THE WINDS UP IN THE HEADLANDS AND THE SHASTA VALLEY WHERE A
HIGH WIND WATCH IS IN EFFECT AT THE PRESENT.
SUNDAY AND SUNDAY LOOK SHOWERY AS THE MAIN DYNAMICS MOVE OFF AND A
RIDGE BEGINS TO EDGE IN. MONDAY WILL BE MOSTLY TO PARTLY CLOUDY AND
DRY WITH THE RIDGE AXIS SMACK ACROSS OUR REGION. THIS IS SHORT LIVED
AS ANOTHER COLD FRONT SWEEPS IN TUESDAY. THE REST OF THE WEEK LOOKS
LIKE WE WILL HAVE LIGHT PRECIPITATION AS A SERIES OF WEAK
DISTURBANCES MOVE THROUGH.
&&
.MFR...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...FLORENCE OR TO OR/CA BORDER.
HIGH WIND WATCH SAT AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR HEADLANDS OF
ORZ021>022.
FLOOD WATCH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FOR ORZ021>026.
SNOW ADVISORY TONIGHT 027-028-029-030.
CA...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...OR/CA BORDER TO POINT ST. GEORGE CA.
HIGH WIND WATCH SAT AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR SHASTA VALLEY OF
CAZ81.
FLOOD WATCH SATURDAY AND SUNDAY FOR CAZ080.
SNOW ADVISORY TONIGHT 080-082-083-084.
&&
MOHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 1234 PM PST FRI DEC 12 2003 PZZ350-353-356-370-373-376-131430- 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- 1234 PM PST FRI DEC 12 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...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY GALE WARNING IS EXPECTED FOR SATURDAY. SEE THE PDXCWFMFR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. CAZ080>082-ORZ021>026-131430- CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY-CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY COAST- EASTERN CURRY COUNTY AND JOSEPHINE COUNTY- EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS-JACKSON COUNTY- SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST-SOUTH CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY- WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY- 1234 PM PST FRI DEC 12 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...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY A FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHWEST CALIFORNIA FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. SEE PDXFFAMFR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. NO OTHER HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED FOR MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY AT THIS TIME. CAZ083>085-ORZ027>031-131430- CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE 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- 1234 PM PST FRI DEC 12 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...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. GERIG
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
535 PM PST FRI DEC 12 2003
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0700 AM CRESCENT OR
12/12/03 KLAMATH SPOTTER KL97 REPORTED 3
INCHES NEW SNOW PAST 14
HOURS ENDING AT 7AM.
0800 AM BROOKINGS OR
12/12/03 CURRY COOP OBSERVER REPORTED
2.20 INCHES OF RAIN IN
PAST 24 HRS ENDING AT 8AM.
0830 AM BLACK BUTTE CA
12/12/03 SISKIYOU SPOTTER SY68 2 MILES
SOUTHWEST REPORTED HEAVY
SNOW AND 33 DEGREES AT
3750 FEET.
1000 AM BROOKINGS OR
12/12/03 CURRY SPOTTER CU03 REPORTED 1.97
INCHES RAIN FROM 10 PM
THURSDAY TO 10 AM FRIDAY.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Cape Blanco recorded a sustained wind of 53 mph.
Cape Blanco recorded a gust to 62 mph.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, 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: 5327431, 5327432.