A High Wind Warning was issued for the coastal headlands of Oregon zones ORZ021/022 at 0435 PST on 12/05 and cancelled at 0100 PST on 12/06. The observations listed above were the strongest verifying sustained winds and gusts recorded at each station.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 0435 PST on 12/05 and cancelled at 0100 PST on 12/06. The observations listed above were the strongest verifying sustained winds and gusts recorded at each station. Cape Blanco exceeded the warning criteria continuously from 1200 PST until 2200 PST. Gold Beach exceeded warning criteria continuously from 1900 PST until 2300 PST.
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 5, 2:50 PM PST, 4 hours 20 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION...
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
250 PM PST FRI DEC 5 2003
.DISCUSSION...
A BROAD AREA OF TROUGH CONTINUES IN THE EASTERN PACIFIC WITH A
SERIES OF SHORT WAVE ROTATING AROUND THIS LOW. AT THE SURFACE A COLD
FRONT EXTENDS FROM PORTLAND SOUTH INTO THE BAY AREA. THIS LEAD FRONT
IS EXPECTED TO WEAKEN AS IT MOVES EAST. SATELLITE PICTURES SHOW A
LOW PRESSURE IS DEVELOPING IN THE COASTAL WATER. AS THIS LOW EDGES
CLOSER TO THE COAST...EXPECT SOUTH WINDS TO INCREASE. WILL CONTINUE
WITH THE HIGH WIND WARNING AT THE HEADLANDS. GUSTY SOUTH WINDS ARE
EXPECTED ALSO AT THE HIGHER ELEVATION. ANOTHER FRONT IS EXPECTED TO
MOVE INLAND ON SATURDAY BRINGING SNOW LEVEL DOWN TO AROUND 3000 FEET.
UPPER LEVEL RIDGE BUILDS IN BEHIND THE FRONT ON SUNDAY WITH DRY
CONDITIONS RETURNING BRIEFLY BY TUESDAY. IN THE EXTENDED...ANOTHER
FRONT IS EXPECTED TO BRING MORE PRECIPITATION TO OUR FORECAST AREA
TUESDAY.
&&
.MFR...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING...ORZ021-022 TONIGHT.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY...ORZ021-022 TONIGHT.
GALE WARNING........FLORENCE OR TO OR/CA BORDER.
CA...GALE WARNING........OR/CA BORDER TO POINT ST. GEORGE CA.
&&
FBHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 701 AM PST FRI DEC 5 2003 PZZ350-353-356-370-373-376-061430- 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- 701 AM PST FRI DEC 5 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY GALE WARNING FROM CAPE ARGO OREGON TO POINT ST GEORGE CALIFORNIA .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. ORZ021-022-061430- CURRY COUNTY COAST-SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST- 701 AM PST FRI DEC 5 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY HIGH SURF ADVISORY FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. SEE PDXNPWMFR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. CAZ080>085-ORZ023>031-061430- CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY-CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY- CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY-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 SISKIYOU COUNTY- WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY- 701 AM PST FRI DEC 5 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. .SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. GERIG
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Cape Blanco recorded a sustained wind of 61 mph.
Cape Blanco recorded a gust to 77 mph.
Gold Beach recorded a sustained wind of 47 mph.
Spotter CU07 reported a gust to 64 mph.
Gold Beach recorded a gust to 68 mph.
Cape Arago recorded a gust to 70 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: 5327421, 5327422, 5327424, 5327426, 5327425, 5327423.