1 high wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 1 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 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 Pendleton, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 23, 4:00 AM PST, 1 hour 7 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED 2ND PARAGRAPH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OREGON
400 AM PST TUE DEC 23 2003
.SHORT TERM...TODAY THROUGH CHRISTMAS DAY...THE TWO MAIN WEATHER
CONCERNS THIS MORNING ARE DENSE FOG ACROSS PARTS OF THE AREA AND
HIGH WINDS IN THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY.
CURRENT WATER VAPOR IMAGERY IS SHOWING A WEAKENING AND SPLITTING
PACIFIC WEATHER SYSTEM APPROACHING THE WEST COAST...WITH ANOTHER
SYSTEM RACING QUICKLY BEHIND IT. EXPECT MOISTURE FROM THE FIRST
SYSTEM TO CROSS THE CASCADES LATE THIS MORNING AND INTO THE
AFTERNOON HOURS. ONLY LIGHT AND SPOTTY PRECIPITATION IS EXPECTED
WITH THIS SYSTEM...WITH THE GREATEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES ALONG THE
EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN WASHINGTON CASCADES...THE YAKIMA AND
KITTITAS VALLEYS...AND CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL OREGON. THE SYSTEM
SHOULD ACT TO LIFT THE LOW CEILINGS WHICH ARE CURRENTLY PRODUCING
LOCAL DENSE FOG IN CENTRAL AND NORTH CENTRAL OREGON...AND IN THE
HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE YAKIMA AND KITTITAS VALLEYS...AS WELL
ELEVATIONS BETWEEN 1500-3000 FEET IN THE BLUE MOUNTAIN FOOTHILLS AND
THE COLUMBIA BASIN. THUS...THE DENSE FOG ADVISORY WILL LIKELY BE
EXTENDED FOR THE AFOREMENTIONED AREAS THROUGH NOON TODAY. THIS
SYSTEM IS ALSO INCREASING PRESSURE GRADIENTS ACROSS THE GRANDE RONDE
VALLEY. THESE GRADIENTS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE THROUGH EARLY
THIS MORNING...AND THEN BEGIN TO SUBSIDE. THUS...WILL CONTINUE WITH
THE HIGH WIND WARNING THROUGH 6 AM PDT.
ANOTHER SYSTEM IMMEDIATELY BEHIND ITS HEELS WILL MOVE THROUGH THE
AREA LATE TONIGHT AND ON WEDNESDAY. THE MAIN CONCERN WITH THIS
SYSTEM WILL BE INCREASING PRESSURE GRADIENTS OVER THE GRANDE RONDE
VALLEY...AS WELL AS A SHALLOW COLD POOL CURRENTLY OVER THE FOOTHILLS
OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. WITH TODAY/S SYSTEM RATHER WEAK...THE COLD
AIR WILL LIKELY NOT BE SCOURED OUT. THUS...SOME FREEZING RAIN IS
POSSIBLE TONIGHT...MAINLY BETWEEN THE ELEVATIONS OF 1500 TO 3000
FEET. THE FREEZING RAIN THREAT SHOULD END BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS
INCREASED MIXING SCOURS OUT THE COLD POOL. PRESSURE GRADIENTS
ACROSS THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY WILL ONCE AGAIN INCREASE OUT AHEAD OF
THIS SYSTEM. THUS...A HIGH WIND WATCH MAY BE ISSUED LATER THIS
MORNING FOR THE GRANDE RONDE VALLEY.
A COOL UPPER TROUGH WILL SETTLE INTO THE AREA WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND ON
CHRISTMAS DAY. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO AROUND 1000-1500 FEET ON
CHRISTMAS. HOWEVER...ANY ACCUMULATIONS WILL LIKELY BE OVER THE
CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST MOUNTAINS OF OREGON AND IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS
IN WASHINGTON. WOLF
.LONG TERM...THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY...AN UNSETTLED WEATHER
PATTERN WILL PREVAIL OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WITH SNOW LEVELS
RATHER LOW. AN UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE WILL MOVE THROUGH THE REGION
THURSDAY NIGHT FOR A CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION...MAINLY AS SNOW. THE
REGION WILL SEE A BREAK IN PRECIPITATION ON FRIDAY AS WE WILL BE
BETWEEN WEATHER DISTURBANCES. THEN A FAST MOVING DISTURBANCE WILL
MOVE ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA ON SATURDAY FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER...
STRONGER...UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE ON SATURDAY NIGHT WITH A WARM
FRONT FAST ON ITS HEELS MOVING ACROSS THE REGION FOR A CHANCE OF
SNOW ON SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. ANOTHER SHORT WAVE TROUGH WILL MOVE
INTO THE REGION LATE MONDAY BRINGING A CHANCE OF SNOW MONDAY NIGHT.
POLAN
&&
.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
PENDLETON (AIRPORT) 38 32 45 / 20 40 60
WALLA WALLA 38 33 45 / 20 40 60
TRI-CITIES 42 37 45 / 20 40 60
YAKIMA 38 33 40 / 40 50 70
&&
.PDT WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING THROUGH 6 AM TODAY FOR THE GRANDE RONDE
VALLEY.
DENSE FOG ADVISORY THROUGH 12 PM TODAY FOR PORTIONS OF
NORTHEAST AND CENTRAL OREGON BETWEEN 1500 AND 3000 FEET.
WA...DENSE FOG ADVISORY THROUGH 12 PM TODAY FOR PORTIONS OF
SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON BETWEEN 1500 AND 3000 FEET.
&&
86HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENDLETON OR 500 AM PST TUE DEC 23 2003 ORZ041>044-046>050-WAZ024>028-030-241300- THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST OREGON AS WELL AS SOUTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST WASHINGTON. .DAY ONE...TODAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. PATCHY DENSE FOG WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS MORNING ACROSS MAINLY THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE LOWER COLUMBIA BASIN...AND THE YAKIMA AND KITTITAS VALLEYS. A WEAK SYSTEM WILL MOVE INLAND THIS AFTERNOON BRINGING ISOLATED SHOWERS TO MOST OF THE AREA. THE ONE EXCEPTION WILL BE IN THE KITTITAS VALLEY AND THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN WASHINGTON CASCADES WHERE LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO AN INCH CAN BE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES WILL AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH THE PERIOD. SNOW LEVELS WILL START OFF RATHER HIGH ON WEDNESDAY...AND THEN FALL TO 1000-1500 FEET ON CHRISTMAS DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. ORZ045-WAZ029-241300- THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. PATCHY DENSE FOG WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THIS MORNING MAINLY ABOVE 1500 FEET ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS OF THE BLUE MOUNTAINS. A WEAK SYSTEM WILL MOVE INLAND THIS AFTERNOON BRINGING ISOLATED SHOWERS TO MOST OF THE AREA. THE ONE EXCEPTION WILL BE IN THE KITTITAS VALLEY AND THE EAST SLOPES OF THE SOUTHERN WASHINGTON CASCADES WHERE LIGHT SNOW ACCUMULATIONS OF UP TO AN INCH CAN BE EXPECTED. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. AN UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL SWING THROUGH THE AREA LATE TONIGHT AND EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING. A SHALLOW LAYER OF COLD AIR WILL LIKELY STILL BE IN PLACE AT THE ONSET OF THE PRECIPITATION. THIS WILL RESULT IN A CHANCE OF BOTH RAIN AND FREEZING RAIN. A SERIES OF DISTURBANCES WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT THE AREA THROUGH THE WEEKEND...WITH SNOW LEVELS LOWERING TO 1000-1500 FEET ON CHRISTMAS DAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
South winds sustained at 41 MPH were recorded by an automated weather station at the base of Ladd canyon.
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: 5331723.