A High Wind Warning was issued for the coastal headlands of ORZ021/022 at 1501 PST on 11/27 and expired at 0400 PST on 11/29. The observations above verified the warning.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 ORZ021/022 at 1501 PST on 11/27 and expired at 0400 PST on 11/29. The observations 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 28, 8:30 AM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
830 AM PST FRI NOV 28 2003
.DISCUSSION...12Z NGM/ETA IN. 12Z GFS IN THROUGH 72HR.
SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS THE INCOMING COLD FRONT STILL OFFSHORE...
WITH LOTS OF WAVES MOVING UP THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THESE WAVES ARE
THE REASON IT IS STILL OFFSHORE.
THE FRONT SHOULD FINALLY MOVE ONSHORE LATER TODAY OR EARLY TONIGHT...
BUT IT DOESNT LOOK LIKE IT WILL MAKE IT VERY FAR INLAND. THIS IS
BECAUSE THE UPPER TROUGH OFFSHORE THAT IS DRIVING THE FRONT IS NOW IN
THE PROCESS OF SHEARING...WHICH WILL LEAVE A CUTOFF LOW OFF THE
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA COAST TONIGHT. THE NORTHERN UNSHEARED PORTION OF
THE TROUGH WILL MOVE INLAND OVER WASHINGTON STATE.
THIS WILL CAUSE THE FRONT TO STALL OVER THE MEDFORD CWA...AND THE
REMAINS OF IT WILL LIFT NORTH AS A WARM FRONT TONIGHT AND
SATURDAY. THERE WILL STILL BE A GOOD SURFACE GRADIENTS ALONG THE
COAST AND OVER THE EAST SIDE TODAY...SO WILL LEAVE THE HIGH WIND
WARNING AND ADVISORIES UP FOR NOW IN THOSE AREAS. GRADIENTS WILL
REMAIN TIGHT OVER CAZ081 THROUGH THE NIGHT...SO THE WIND ADVISORY FOR
THAT AREA MAY NEED TO STAY UP LONGER.
THE MAIN STORY NOW WILL BE PRECIPITATION...MOST OF IT IN THE FORM
OF RAIN. EXPECT RAIN TO START WEST OF THE CASCADES LATER TODAY AND
OVER THE EAST SIDE TONIGHT. EXPECT THE HEAVIEST RATES TO OCCUR
TONIGHT AND EARLY SATURDAY IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE WARM FRONT.
ONCE THE WARM FRONT EXITS THE AREA...THE CUTOFF LOW WILL EDGE CLOSER
TO THE COAST AND PROVIDE ENOUGH INSTABILITY TO KEEP SHOWERS GOING
THROUGH AT LEAST SUNDAY. CUTOFF LOWS ARE NOTORIOUSLY
UNPREDICTABLE...SO DONT REALLY HAVE A GOOD FEEL ON WHEN IT WILL
EXIT THE AREA...BUT IT WONT OCCUR BEFORE MONDAY NIGHT. SO...IT
WILL BECOME A CHALLENGE FOR THE EXTENDED PORTION OF THE FORECAST.
STOCKTON
&&
.MFR...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING...TODAY ORZ021/022 HEADLANDS.
WIND ADVISORY...... TODAY FOR ORZ029/030/031
GALE WARNING........FLORENCE OR TO OR/CA BORDER.
CA...WIND ADVISORY.......TODAY FOR CAZ081/083/084/085.
GALE WARNING........OR/CA BORDER TO PT ST GEORGE CA.
&&HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 0630 AM PST FRI NOV 28 2003 ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-281430- THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY HIGH WIND WARNING FOR SOUTHERN OREGON COASTAL HEADLANDS TODAY. SEE PDXNPWMFR FOR DETAILS. WIND ADVISORY TODAY FOR THE SHASTA VALLEY AND EAST OF THE CASCADES. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. ORR
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Gold Beach recorded sustained winds to 42 mph at 1500 PST.
Gold Beach recorded a gust to 58 mph.
Cape Blanco recorded sustained winds exceeding 40 mph during this time interval. The maximum sustained wind...listed above...occurred at 2100 PST.
Cape Blanco recorded winds gusting to 60 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: 5332438, 5332439, 5332436, 5332437.