A High Wind Warning was issued for the coastal headlands of zones ORZ021/022 at 0420 PST on 11/18 and expired at 0910 PST on 11/19. The observation recorded above verified the warning.
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 episode as NWS MFR wrote it up.
A High Wind Warning was issued for the coastal headlands of zones ORZ021/022 at 0420 PST on 11/18 and expired at 0910 PST on 11/19. The observation recorded above verified the warning.
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 Nov 19, 2:00 AM PST, 4 hours earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
200 AM PST WED NOV 19 2003
.DISCUSSION...00Z NGM/ETA/GFS IN.
STILL ON COURSE FOR A WET AND WINDY FRONTAL PASSAGE TODAY AND
TONIGHT...BUT IT WILL BE A BIT SLOWER THAN THE FORECAST INDICATED
YESTERDAY. STILL HAVE A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE COAST AND WIND
ADVISORIES FOR THE EAST SIDE AND CAZ081 HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE MIX.
SNOW ADVISORIES ARE ALSO IN EFFECT FOR ORZ025/027/028 AND
CAZ080/081/082.
A COLD UPPER TROUGH REMAINS OFFSHORE AND IT WILL PUSH THE
AFOREMENTIONED FRONT THROUGH SOUTHERN OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
TODAY AND TONIGHT. THE UPPER TROUGH WILL SHEAR AS IT DOES SO...
LEAVING A RESIDUAL TROUGH OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST. THIS
TROUGH WILL DEEPEN THURSDAY AS AN UPSTREAM SHORT WAVE DIVES INTO
IT...WINDING UP A SECONDARY FRONT OFFSHORE THURSDAY NIGHT.
THE UPSHOT OF THIS IS THAT THE MEDFORD CWA DOES NOT COME UNDER ANY
SIGNIFICANT RIDGING UNTIL THIS WEEKEND. SO...EXPECT PLENTY OF
PRECIPITATION WITH TODAYS FRONTAL SYSTEM FOLLOWED BY AN EXTENDED
PERIOD OF POST-FRONTAL SCATTERED SHOWER ACTIVITY. THE SHOWER
COVERAGE AND INTENSITY WILL RAMP UP THU NIGHT/FRI WITH THE SECONDARY
FRONT.
THE SHOWER ACTIVITY SHOULD END FRIDAY NIGHT AS STRONG RIDGING TO THE
WEST BRINGS IN DRIER AND WARMER WEATHER. OFFSHORE FLOW WILL DEVELOP
SAT NIGHT AS SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS OVER THE INTERIOR.
THE WET WEATHER WILL RETURN EARLY NEXT WEEK AS THE UPPER RIDGE WILL
BREAK TO THE EAST SUNDAY AND THE NEXT FRONT WILL MOVE ONSHORE
MONDAY...FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER ONE TUESDAY. WILL NOT TRY TO GET
PRECISE WITH THE TIMING AND WILL JUST GO WITH CHANCE POPS.
&&
.MFR...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...GALE WARNING...FLORENCE OR TO OREGON/CALIFORNIA BORDER.
HIGH WIND WARNING...EARLY WED ORZ021/022 HEADLANDS.
WIND ADVISORY...WED/WED NIGHT ORZ029/030/031.
SNOW ADVISORY...LATE WED/WED NIGHT ORZ025/027/028.
CA...GALE WARNING...OREGON/CALIFORNIA BORDER TO PT ST GEORGE CA.
SNOW ADVISORY...WED NIGHT CAZ080-082.
WIND ADVISORY...WED CAZ081.
WIND ADVISORY...WED/WED NIGHT CAZ084/085.
&&
STOCKTONHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 630 AM PST TUE NOV 18 2003 ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-191430- THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY A GALE WARNING FOR THE SOUTH OREGON WATERS FROM FLORENCE OR TO CAPE ST GEORGE CALIFORNIA. SEE PDXCWFMFR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE SOUTHERN OREGON COASTAL HEADLANDS FOR TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY WEDNESDAY. SEE PDXNPWMFR FOR FUTHER INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY NO SIGNIFICANT WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WEATHER 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.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Cape Blanco recorded a sustained wind speed of 40 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, November 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: 5332435.