A High Wind Warning was issued for the coastal headlands of ORZ021/022 at 1434 PST on 12/23 and expired at 0400 PST on 12/24. The spotter report above did not give a specific time, but judging from other nearby observations, it almost certainly occurred within the warning window.
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 ORZ021/022 at 1434 PST on 12/23 and expired at 0400 PST on 12/24. The spotter report above did not give a specific time, but judging from other nearby observations, it almost certainly occurred within the warning window.
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 23, 2:30 PM PST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
230 PM PST TUE DEC 23 2003
.DISCUSSION...
SATELLITE SHOWS STRONG JET HEADING INTO NRN CAL TNGT/WED. SYSTEM OFF THE COAST
SHUD INTENSIFY OVERNIGHT AND PRODUCE GOOD PRECIP OVER THE AREA LATER TONIGHT
AND WED. TIGHT GRADS WILL RESULT IN GUSTY S WINDS. HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE
COASTAL HEADLANDS LOOKS GOOD. SNOW ADVISORIES FOR UPSLOPE SWRLY FLOW IN
CASCADES AND SISKIYOUS. COLDER AIR WILL MOVE IN WED AND UPR FLOW TURNS MORE
NWRLY WHICH WILL KEEP SNOW LEVELS DOWN IN THE 2-3K RANGE THRU THE WEEKEND.
FRONTS CONTINUE TO MOVE THRU FOR MOST OF THE PERIOD KEEPING RAIN AND SNOW IN
THE FORECAST INTO NEXT WEEK.
&&
.MFR...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...GALE WARNING FLORENCE TO OR/CA BORDER.
HIGH WIND WARNING ORZ021/022 COASTAL HEADLANDS TONIGHT
SNOW ADVISORY ORZ028 ABV 4500 FT TONIGHT/WED
CA...GALE WARNING OR/CA BORDER TO PT ST GEORGE.
WIND ADVISORY CAZ81 SHASTA VALLEY TONIGHT
SNOW ADVISORY CAZ080/082 ABV 4500 FT TONIGHT/WED
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 630 AM PST TUE DEC 23 2003 CAZ083>085-ORZ023>031-241430- CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MODOC COUNTY- CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY-EASTERN CURRY COUNTY AND JOSEPHINE COUNTY- EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS-JACKSON COUNTY-KLAMATH BASIN- NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST SISKIYOU COUNTY- NORTHEAST KLAMATH COUNTY AND WESTERN LAKE COUNTY- NORTHEAST SISKIYOU COUNTY AND NORTHWEST MODOC COUNTY- SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS AND SOUTH OREGON CASCADES- SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES- 630 AM PST TUE DEC 23 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. CAZ081-241430- CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY- 630 AM PST TUE DEC 23 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY A WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE SHASTA VALLEY THIS MORNING. REFER TO PDXNPWMFR FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. ORZ021-022-241430- CURRY COUNTY COAST-SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST- 630 AM PST TUE DEC 23 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY A HIGH WIND WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE COASTAL HEADLANDS FOR TONIGHT. REFER TO PDXNPWMFR FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATREMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. CAZ080-082-241430- SOUTH CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY-WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY- 630 AM PST TUE DEC 23 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY A WINTER STORM WATCH HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF WESTERN AND SOUTH CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY FOR WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. REFER TO PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. JACOBS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
310 PM PST TUE DEC 23 2003
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0308 PM CA NON TSTM WINDS
12/23/03 SISKIYOU SPOTTER SY94 2 MI W OF I-5
BETWEEN WEED AND MT SHASTA
REPORTS S-SE WIND
SUSTAINED AROUND 40 MPH
GUSTING TO 56 MPH. GUST
OCCURRED AT 230 PM.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Cape Blanco exceeded High Wind Warning criteria continuously during this time period.
Gold Beach recorded this sustained wind at 2000 PST.
Cape Blanco recorded a gust to 77 mph at this time.
Gold Beach recorded a gust to 64 mph at this time.
Spotter CU07 at Sixes reported a peak wind of 60 mph from the south overnight.
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: 5328541, 5328661, 5328542, 5328543, 5328540.