A High Wind Warning was issued for the coastal headlands of Oregon zones ORZ021/022 at 0920 PST on 12/16 and cancelled at 2050 PST on 12/16. The observations listed above were the strongest verifying sustained winds and gusts recorded at each station.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 0920 PST on 12/16 and cancelled at 2050 PST on 12/16. The observations listed above were the strongest verifying sustained winds and gusts recorded at each station.
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 16, 8:48 AM PST, 12 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
848 AM PST TUE DEC 16 2003
.DISCUSSION...
THE ONLY MAJOR CONCERNS THIS MORNING ARE WINDS AT THE COAST. REPORTS
OVER THE PAST SEVERAL HOURS ARE INDICATING WINDS NEAR HIGH WIND
WARNING CRITERIA WITH MODELS INDICATING H85 WINDS BECOMING MORE SW
FROM THE CURRENT WEST. THIS WOULD PROVIDE A BARRIER FLOW AND
INCREASED WINDS AT THE HEADLANDS. WILL UPDATE THIS MORNING TO ADD
HIGH WIND WARNING AT THE HEADLANDS.
EXTENDED...UPPER RIDGE GIVES WAY ON FRIDAY AS COLD FRONT MOVES TO
THE COAST BY AFTERNOON. UPPER TROUGH REMAINS NEAR 130W UNTIL 2ND
HALF OF SATURDAY WHEN LATEST GFS MOVES IT INLAND. WILL GO WITH
BROADBRUSH CHANCE FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. UPPER RIDGE FORECAST TO BUILD
INLAND SUNDAY WITH DRYING TREND INTO EARLY MONDAY. RIDGE GIVES WAY
TO MORE SYSTEMS IN PROGRESSIVE PATTERN FOR 2ND HALF OF MONDAY INTO
TUESDAY WITH RAIN CHANCES INCREASING FROM WEST TO EAST.
&&
.MFR...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...GALE WARNING...FLORENCE TO OR/CA BORDER.
CA......GALE WARNING OR/CA BORDER TO POINT ST. GEORGE CA.
&&
MWHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 604 AM PST TUE DEC 16 2003 PZZ350-353-356-370-373-376-171430- 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- 604 AM PST TUE DEC 16 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY GALE WARNING...SEE PDXCWFMFR FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. CAZ080>085-ORZ021>031-171430- CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY-CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY- CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY COAST- 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 OREGON COAST- SOUTH CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY-WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY- 604 AM PST TUE DEC 16 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...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ORR
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Cape Blanco recorded a gust to 63 mph.
Gold Beach recorded a gust to 58 mph.
Cape Blanco recorded a sustained wind of 45 mph.
Cape Arago recorded a gust to 66 mph.
Gold Beach recorded a sustained wind of 41 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: 5327440, 5328087, 5327439, 5327438, 5328088.