Frost and Freeze in Washington, February 23, 2003

Name: Frost and Freeze in Washington, February 23, 2003
Start: 2003-02-23T04:00
End: 2003-02-23T08:00
Location: Washington

February 23, 2003 · NWS OTX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Early morning low temperatures in the teens led to spotty freeze conditions in some Mattawa orchards where the peach and apple trees were coming out of dormancy.

Where it happened

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.

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: $20,000
Events: 1

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 OTX wrote it up.

Early morning low temperatures in the teens led to spotty freeze conditions in some Mattawa orchards where the peach and apple trees were coming out of dormancy.

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 Spokane, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 22, 2:30 PM PST, 13 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 22, 2:30 PM PST, 13 hours 30 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 22, 3:35 PM PST, 12 hours 25 minutes before

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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 frost/freeze. Local standard time, as filed.

Frost/Freeze, Moses Lake Area

When: February 23, 4:00 AM PST to 8:00 AM PST
Where: Moses Lake Area forecast zone
Crop damage: $20,000
Reported by: NEWSPAPER
Coordinates: 47.095, -119.006 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Frost/Freeze: Frost or temperatures at or below freezing during the growing season, usually filed for crop damage.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Washington in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Washington, February 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5342414.