Wildfire, Coos
- When
- September 21, 6:35 AM PST to September 23, 6:10 AM PST
- Where
- Coos County, Countywide
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 43.185, -124.093 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
See below.
Wildfire in Oregon, September 21 to 23, 2003
A Red Flag Warning effective at the above listed time was issued for an offshore wind event with poor overnight RH recoveries for Fire Weather zones 618/619/Western 620. This warning verified well at the Red Mound RAWS (zone 618), nearly verified at Quail Prairie (zone 619, but did not verify at the Onion Mountain RAWS (zone 620).
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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 MFR wrote it up.
A Red Flag Warning effective at the above listed time was issued for an offshore wind event with poor overnight RH recoveries for Fire Weather zones 618/619/Western 620. This warning included nearly all of Curry and Josephine counties, as well as a small portion of southern Coos county.This warning verified well at the Red Mound RAWS (zone 618), nearly verified at Quail Prairie (zone 619, but did not verify at the Onion Mountain RAWS (zone 620). However, it was a significant offshore event and the warning was justified.
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 Medford, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 21, 1:45 AM PST, 4 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 21, 1:45 AM PST, 4 hours 50 minutes before
SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR 245 AM PDT SUN SEP 21 2003 WATER VAPOR SHOWING LARGE UPPER RIDGE OVER THE ERN PAC INTO WASH/ORE. THIS RIDGE WILL MAINTAIN DRY WX OVER THE REGION FOR SEVERAL DAYS. THERMAL TROF WILL GIVE HIGH TEMPS 5-10 DEGREES ABOVE NORMAL THRU MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. UPPER LOW DRIFTS TO NEAR THE CAL COAST THU-SAT. POSITION APPEARS TOO FAR SOUTH FOR PRECIP IN OUR FORECAST AREA...BUT WILL BE CLOSE. COULD SEE -SHRA/TSRA INTO CAL THESE DAYS SO WILL NEED TO WATCH OUR SOUTHERN ZONES. .MFR...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY 0-20NM AND GALE WARNING 20-60NM.
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 21, 5:30 AM PST, 1 hour 5 minutes before
ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-221330- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 630 AM PDT SUN SEP 21 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY A RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR OREGON FIRE WEATHER ZONES 618...619 AND WESTERN 620. ALSO FOR CALIFORNIA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 280. REFER TO PDXRFWMFR FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY A RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING FOR OREGON FIRE WEATHER ZONES 618...619 AND WESTERN 620. ALSO FOR CALIFORNIA FIRE WEATHER ZONE 280. REFER TO PDXRFWMFR FOR DETAILS. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. JACOBS
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
3 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
Wildfire, Curry
- When
- September 21, 6:35 AM PST to September 23, 6:10 AM PST
- Where
- Curry County, Countywide
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.467, -124.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
See below.
Wildfire, Josephine
- When
- September 21, 6:35 AM PST to September 23, 6:10 AM PST
- Where
- Josephine County, Countywide
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 42.366, -123.556 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
See below.
What these are
- Wildfire
- A fire burning in wildland vegetation, with its acreage and damage where known.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Lightning Strike in U.S. Virgin Islands, September 21, 2003
- Flash Flooding and Debris Flows in Puerto Rico, September 21, 2003
- High Surf in Florida, September 21 to 22, 2003
- Damaging Wind in Louisiana, September 21, 2003
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Missouri, September 21, 2003
- Wildfire in California, September 21 to 23, 2003
- Wildfire in Idaho, September 21 to 23, 2003
- Waterspout in South Atlantic Coastal Waters, September 21, 2003
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind in Gulf of Mexico, September 21, 2003
- Marine Thunderstorm Wind in Gulf of Mexico, September 21, 2003
- Flash Flood in Texas, September 21, 2003
- Hail in Missouri, September 21, 2003
More
Every storm in Oregon in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, September 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: 5375288, 5375289, 5375290.