A Winter Storm Warning was issued for Oregon zones ORZ024/025/026/027/028/029/030/031 above 2000 feet on 12/28/03 at 0315 PST and expired on 12/29/03 at 1830 PST. The observations above verified the warning, which likely should have included all elevations above 1000 feet or so.
Every event with a place to put it; 19 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 Winter Storm Warning was issued for Oregon zones ORZ024/025/026/027/028/029/030/031 above 2000 feet on 12/28/03 at 0315 PST and expired on 12/29/03 at 1830 PST. The observations above verified the warning, which likely should have included all elevations above 1000 feet or so.
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 28, 8:30 PM PST, 1 hour earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
830 PM PST SUN DEC 28 2003
.DISCUSSION...
THE CURRENT FORECAST LOOKS VERY GOOD AND SEE NO NEED TO UPDATE. A
MAJOR STORM HAS BEGUN TO EFFECT OUR REGION AND IT WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH MOST OF MONDAY WITH A WINTER STORM WARNING IN EFFECT FOR
ELEVATIONS ABOVE 2000 FEET. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE
COASTAL HEADLANDS UNTIL AROUND MIDNIGHT. GOLD BEACH HAS SO FAR
RECEIVED PEAK WINDS OF 40 MPH GUSTING TO 70 MPH. IT IS ALSO VERY
WINDY OVER THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS AND IN THE SOUTHERN SHASTA VALLEY.
WINDS WILL DIMINISH BEHIND THE COLD FRONT ON MONDAY.
SNOW LEVELS WILL COME UP BRIEFLY TO AROUND 2500 FEET AROUND NOON ON
MONDAY. SHOWERS WILL TAPER OFF EARLY MONDAY EVENING WITH THE SNOW
LEVEL FALLING BACK TO AROUND 1500 FEET.
TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY WILL BRING COLDER AND DRIER CONDITIONS WITH
SKIES BECOMING PARTLY CLOUDY EXCEPT FOR MORNING VALLEY FOG AS THE
FLOW ALOFT BECOMES NORTHEAST. TEMPERATURES WILL BE ABOUT 10 DEGREES
BELOW NORMAL THROUGH WEDNESDAY MORNING.
WEDNESDAY CLOUDS TO INCREASE DURING THE DAY WITH CHANCE OF RAIN AND
SNOW BY AFTERNOON OVER WEST SIDE OREGON ZONES AS NEXT FRONT DRAWS
CLOSER. PRECIP CHANCES INCREASE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND THURSDAY AS WET
SYSTEM SPREADS MOISTURE THROUGOUT THE CWA. AMOUNTS COULD CERTAINLY
BE ON THE HEAVY SIDE FOR THURSDAY BUT TOO EARLY TO SAY FOR SURE AND
TIMING A BIT UNCERTAIN. TEMPERATURES LOOK TO RETURN TO NEAR NORMAL
LEVELS.
.EXTENDED...FROM FRIDAY INTO SUNDAY SHOWERS POSSIBLE WITH A COLD
UPPER TROUGH IN PLACE. SNOW LEVELS TO REMAIN ON LOW SIDE AROUND 2000
FEET.
&&
.MFR...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...GALE WARNING FLORENCE TO OR/CA BORDER.
WINTER STORM WARNING ORZ024>031 ABOVE 2000 FT SUNDAY
NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING.
HIGH WIND WARNING ORZ21-22 COASTAL HEADLANDS THIS EVENING.
CA...GALE WARNING OR/CA BORDER TO PT ST GEORGE.
WINTER STORM WARNING SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING
CAZ080>085 ABOVE 2000 FT.
&&
DWHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 630 AM PST SUN DEC 28 2003 CAZ080>085-ORZ024>031-281430- CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MODOC COUNTY- CENTRAL SISKIYOU 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-SOUTH CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY- WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY- 630 AM PST SUN DEC 28 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...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY WINTER STORM WARNING SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING ABOVE 2000 FEET. SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. ORZ021>023-281430- CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY COAST-SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST- 630 AM PST SUN DEC 28 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...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HESS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
907 PM PST SUN DEC 28 2003
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0800 PM FT JONES CA HEAVY SNOW
12/28/03 SISKIYOU SPOTTER SY23 REPORTS 4.5
INCHES OF SNOW ON THE
GROUND. 3.5 INCHES HAS
FALLEN IN THE PAST TWO
HOURS.
0815 PM FT JONES CA HEAVY SNOW
12/28/03 SISKIYOU SPOTTER SY07 REPORTS 6
INCHES OF SNOW IN THE PAST
FOUR HOURS.
0845 PM FT JONES CA HEAVY SNOW
12/28/03 SISKIYOU SPOTTER SY37 REPORTS 7
INCHES OF SNOW IN THE PAST
4 HOURS.
0900 PM LANGLOIS OR NON TSTM WINDS
12/28/03 CURRY SPOTTER CU44 REPORTS WIND
GUSTS OF 45 MPH AND A PEAK
GUST OF 60 MPH.
0904 PM BROOKINGS OR NON TSTM WINDS
12/28/03 CURRY SPOTTER CU31 REPORTS A
PEAK GUST OF 59 MPH.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
19 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
The cooperative observer in Lakeview recorded a 24 hour snow total of 15 inches, ending at 2130 PST on 12/28.
The cooperative observer in Keno recorded a 24 hour snow total of 10 inches, ending at 0715 PST on 12/29.
Spotter KL73 in Crescent reported 6.5 inches of snow overnight.
Spotter KL09 in Klamath Falls reported 8 inches of snow in 19 hours.
The cooperative observer in Chemult reported a 24 hour snow total of 12 inches, ending at 0800 PST on 12/29.
A traveller stranded on northbound I-5 just south of Siskiyou Summit between Oregon milepost 1 and 2 suffered a heart attack and died around this time. The deceased was identified as George Engelhardt, age 72.
Spotter KL97 in Crescent reported 8 inches of snow in 10 hours.
NWS Employee reported 8 inches of snow between Rogue River and Wimer.
Spotter KL52 in Klamath Falls reported 8 inches of snow in 19 hours.
Spotter KL15 in Klamath Falls reported 12 inches of snow.
Spotter KL25 in Klamath Falls reported 8 inches of snow.
Spotter KL47 in Chiloquin reported 10-12 inches of snow.
Spotter KL39 in Chiloquin reported 13 inches of snow.
Spotter KL53 in Keno reported 12-13 inches of snow in 18 hours.
Spotter KL87 in Chiloquin reported 6-7 inches of snow.
Spotter KL93 in Bonanza reported 8 inches of snow.
Spotter LA18 in Lakeview reported 8-12 inches of snow.
Spotter LA02 in Lakeview reported 10 inches of snow.
Spotter JA84 above Siskiyou Summit reported 18 inches of snow at elevation 4750 feet.
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: 5332213, 5331586, 5332459, 5331583, 5332126, 5332214, 5332460, 5331584, 5331585, 5332449, 5332450, 5332451, 5332452, 5332458, 5332453, 5332454, 5332455, 5332456, 5332457.