High Surf in Oregon, March 12 to 13, 2003

Name: High Surf in Oregon, March 12 to 13, 2003
Start: 2003-03-12T06:00
End: 2003-03-13T18:00
Location: Oregon

March 12 to 13, 2003 · NWS PQR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

Buoy 29, near the mouth of the Columbia River, reported seas to 30 feet and Buoy 50, near Newport, reported seas to 32 feet.

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 2

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.

What happened

The episode as NWS PQR wrote it up.

Buoy 29, near the mouth of the Columbia River, reported seas to 30 feet and Buoy 50, near Newport, reported seas to 32 feet.

What forecasters said that day

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 Portland, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 12, 2:30 AM PST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 12, 2:30 AM PST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
230 AM PST WED MAR 12 2003

.SYNOPSIS...A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF OUR
FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING...FOLLOWED BY A STRONG PACIFIC COLD FRONT
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE FRONT WILL STALL ALONG THE COAST
TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY...PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND STRONG
COASTAL WINDS. THE FRONT WILL PUSH ACROSS THE AREA LATE THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY NIGHT. THE NEXT STRONG FRONT IS EXPECTED TO MOVE ACROSS THE
AREA FRIDAY NIGHT WITH MORE RAIN AND STRONG COASTAL WINDS. AFTER
ANOTHER FRONT SATURDAY NIGHT...MOIST ONSHORE FLOW WILL GIVE A SHOWERY
PATTERN INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...
.SHORT TERM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED LIGHT
RAIN ACROSS THE NORTHERN ZONES THIS MORNING ASSOCIATED WITH A
WARM FRONT. PRECIPITATION HAS EASED TO THE SOUTH...SIMILAR TO
MODELS. SATELLITE IMAGERY CONFIRMS DEEP LOW DEVELOPING OUT NEAR
45N 140W THIS MORNING. MODELS SAY ASSOCIATED STRONG COLD FRONT WILL
SPREAD INCREASING RAIN ONSHORE THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. A 75 KT
LOW LEVEL JET WITH THIS FRONT SUPPORTS THE CURRENT HIGH WIND WARNING
AND WILL CONTINUE. THE 70 KT 850 MB FLOW AND UP TO 1.5 INCH PW
MOISTURE FEED SUPPORTS HEAVY RAIN. THE FRONT STALLS OVER OUR AREA
TONIGHT AND EARLY THURSDAY...THEN PUSHES ONSHORE LATE THURSDAY AND
THURSDAY NIGHT. THIS WILL BRING A DECREASE TO THE RAIN AND WIND.
CURRENT FLOOD WATCH FOR THE COAST AND FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK FOR THE
INLAND AREAS STILL LOOKS GOOD. WILL NEED TO WATCH THE POTENTIAL FOR
HIGH SURF TONIGHT AS SEAS GET CLOSE TO 25 FT.

.LONG TERM...AFTER A WEAK WAVE COMES THROUGH EARLY FRIDAY...THE
MODELS ARE NOW SHOWING ANOTHER STRONG LOW MOVING UP THE COAST FRIDAY
NIGHT INTO EARLY SATURDAY FOR MORE RAIN AND POSSIBLE STRONG COASTAL
WIND. THIS IS FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER FRONT SATURDAY NIGHT AND EARLY
SUNDAY. WE FINALLY GET INTO THE COLD SECTOR OF THE LARGE SCALE LOW
SUNDAY AND SUNDAY NIGHT. SHOWERS DECREASE BY TUESDAY. TOLLESON

AST +++98  PDX 8++98  SLE 8++98  EUG 79+98

.PQR...HIGH WIND WARNING COAST THROUGH THU.
       STORM WARNING CAPE SHOALWATER TO FLORENCE THROUGH THU.
       FLOOD WATCH COASTAL REGIONS LATE TODAY THROUGH FRI.
       FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST
         WASHINGTON INTERIOR LATE TODAY THROUGH FRI

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 12, 6:00 AM PST, 0 minutes before

ORZ001>013-WAZ019>023-039-040-131400-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
600 AM PST WED MAR 12 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST
WASHINGTON.

.DAY ONE... TODAY
A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR GUSTS TO 75 MPH COASTAL HEADLANDS AND 65 MPH
FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES IS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT. A FLOOD
WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR RIVERS DRAINING THE COAST RANGE LATE TODAY
AND TONIGHT. A FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK IS IN EFFECT FOR INLAND
PORTIONS OF SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON TODAY AND
TONIGHT.

* HIGH WIND WARNING..........SEE WWUS76 KPQR - NPWPQR FOR DETAILS *

* FLOOD WATCH................SEE WGUS66 KPQR - FFAPQR FOR DETAILS *

* HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK.........SEE FGUS76 KPQR - ESFPQR FOR DETAILS *

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY
A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR GUSTS TO 75 MPH COASTAL HEADLANDS AND 65 MPH
FOR COASTAL COMMUNITIES IS IN EFFECT FOR THURSDAY. A FLOOD WATCH IS
IN EFFECT FOR RIVERS DRAINING THE COAST RANGE THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. A
FLOOD POTENTIAL OUTLOOK IS IN EFFECT FOR INLAND PORTIONS OF
SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON AND NORTHWEST OREGON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY. HIGH
WIND IS POSSIBLE AGAIN ALONG THE COAST FRIDAY NIGHT.

* HIGH WIND WARNING..........SEE WWUS76 KPQR - NPWPQR FOR DETAILS *

* FLOOD WATCH................SEE WGUS66 KPQR - FFAPQR FOR DETAILS *

* HYDROLOGIC OUTLOOK.........SEE FGUS76 KPQR - ESFPQR FOR DETAILS *

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO SKYWARN PROCEDURES.

Event by event

2 high surf. Local standard time, as filed.

High Surf, Central Oregon Coast

When: March 12, 6:00 AM PST to March 13, 6:00 PM PST
Where: Central Oregon Coast forecast zone
Reported by: BUOY

High Surf, Northern Oregon Coast

When: March 12, 6:00 AM PST to March 13, 6:00 PM PST
Where: Northern Oregon Coast forecast zone
Reported by: BUOY

What these are

High Surf: Large waves breaking on the shore that caused damage, erosion or casualties.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oregon in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Oregon, March 2003

Sources

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: 5344758, 5344759.