Lightning Strikes in Oregon, September 3, 2003

Name: Lightning Strikes in Oregon, September 3, 2003
Start: 2003-09-03T12:00
End: 2003-09-03T20:45
Location: Oregon

September 3, 2003 · NWS MFR · 7 events in 7 counties and zones

A Red Flag Warning was issued for all of southern Oregon due to a line of thunderstorms approaching from the south containing dry lightning. The line weakened before arrival, but a number of strikes did occur over southern Oregon, just not enough to verify the Red Flag Warning.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 7 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 7

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.

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 3, 7:30 AM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 3, 7:30 AM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes before

SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
830 AM PDT WED SEP 3 2003

12Z NGM/ETA IN.  THERE WILL BE A MORNING ZONE FORECAST UPDATE.

HIGH PRESSURE IS NOW ANCHORED OVER SOUTHERN NEVADA WITH SOUTHERLY
FLOW IN PLACE ALONG THE WEST COAST AS FAR NORTH AS CENTRAL OREGON.
LOTS OF THUNDERSTORMS CURRENTLY IN PROGRESS OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
AND OFFSHORE OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.  THIS IS IN ASSOCIATION WITH A
SHORT WAVE EMBEDDED IN THE MONSOONAL MOISTURE.  ALL OF THIS IS
HEADED OUR WAY THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...SO EXPECT
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY OVER THE MEDFORD CWA LATER TODAY.  MODEL
INDICES INDICATE THE MOST FAVORED AREA OF ACTIVITY WILL BE OVER THE
SISKIYOUS AND CASCADES...BUT THERE WILL BE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
ELSEWHERE OVER THE CWA AS WELL.  SOME NOCTURNAL THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY
IS POSSIBLE TONIGHT OFFSHORE.

FOR THURSDAY...THE SOUTHERLY FLOW REMAINS IN PLACE...BUT NO SHORT
WAVE.  MODEL LIFTED INDICES INDICATES MORE CONVECTIVE POTENTIAL...
DUE TO MORE AVAILABLE MOISTURE.  THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL THUS
ALSO BE LIKELY THURSDAY AFTERNOON...AND MORE WIDESPREAD.

FOR FRIDAY...A SHORT WAVE MOVING UP FROM THE SOUTHWEST WILL SHIFT
THE FLOW ALOFT TOWARD THE SOUTHWEST...AND THE MOST FAVORED AREA OF
THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY WILL SHIFT TO EAST OF THE CASCADES.  LIFTED
INDICES INDICATE LESS ACTIVITY OVERALL ON THAT DAY.

.MFR...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 3, 11:26 AM PST, 34 minutes before

ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-041330-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
1230 AM PDT WED SEP 03 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

RED FLAG WARNING FOR CURRY, JOSEPHINE, JACKSON AND EXTREME WESTERN
KLAMATH COUNTY OF OREGON THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. RED FLAG
WARNING FOR WESTERN SISKIYOU THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
FIRE WEATHER WATCH FOR DRY LIGHTING FOR COOS, DOUGLAS COUNTY AND
EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY AND LAKE COUNTY OF OREGON AND EASTERN
SISKIYOU AND MODOC OF CALIFORNIA THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

ORR

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

7 lightning. Local standard time, as filed.

Lightning, Coos

When: September 3, 12:00 PM PST to 8:45 PM 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.

Lightning, Curry

When: September 3, 12:00 PM PST to 8:45 PM 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.

Lightning, Douglas

When: September 3, 12:00 PM PST to 8:45 PM PST
Where: Douglas County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 43.285, -123.179 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Lightning, Jackson

When: September 3, 12:00 PM PST to 8:45 PM PST
Where: Jackson County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.432, -122.728 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Lightning, Josephine

When: September 3, 12:00 PM PST to 8:45 PM 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.

Lightning, Klamath

When: September 3, 12:00 PM PST to 8:45 PM PST
Where: Klamath County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.686, -121.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Lightning, Lake

When: September 3, 12:00 PM PST to 8:45 PM PST
Where: Lake County, Countywide
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.793, -120.387 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

What these are

Lightning: A lightning strike that killed, injured or caused damage.

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, 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: 5374864, 5374865, 5374866, 5374867, 5374868, 5374869, 5374870.