High Wind in Washington, March 12 to 13, 2003

Name: High Wind in Washington, March 12 to 13, 2003
Start: 2003-03-12T15:00
End: 2003-03-13T10:00
Location: Washington

March 12 to 13, 2003 · NWS SEW · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

Two frontal systems brought very windy conditions to western Washington for nearly 24 hours. Strongest winds were along the coast and in the north interior.

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.

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: 1
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $1.0 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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 SEW wrote it up.

Two frontal systems brought very windy conditions to western Washington for nearly 24 hours. Strongest winds were along the coast and in the north interior. Trees fell on nearly a dozen houses or mobile homes, and in one instance, killed a person. One industrial building had its roof blown off. There were power outages to about 100,000 homes and businesses, as well as blocked roads from fallen trees or utility lines.

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 Seattle, WA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 12, 2:30 PM PST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 12, 2:30 PM PST, 30 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
230 PM PST WED MAR 12 2003

.SYNOPSIS...A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL REACH THE COAST THIS EVENING AND
STALL OVER THE AREA. ADDITIONAL SYSTEMS WILL REACH THE AREA THURSDAY
AND EARLY FRIDAY. RAIN WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES...TEMPERATURES WILL BE
MILD...AND THE COAST WILL BE WINDY. ANOTHER STRONG FRONT WILL AFFECT
THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT. A MORE SHOWERY...BUT STILL WET...PATTERN WILL
CONTINUE INTO NEXT WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...COLD FRONT APPROACHING COAST. ASSOCIATED WIDESPREAD
RAIN OVER THE AREA. RAIN HEAVY AT TIMES SOUTHWEST OLYMPICS. FRONT
FORECAST TO HANG UP OVER THE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY WITH CONTINUED
STRONG 850 MB SOUTHWEST FLOW AND HIGH FREEZING LEVELS. ATTENDANT
FLOODING PROBLEMS EXPECTED OLYMPICS AND SEVERAL RIVERS FROM THE
CENTRAL CASCADES BEGINNING LATE TONIGHT.

WIND AT THE COAST APPEARS TO PEAKING RIGHT NOW...RIGHT AROUND HIGH
WIND. ALSO PRETTY WINDY NORTH INTERIOR BUT NOT QUITE HIGH WIND YET.
WILL ALLOW HIGH WIND WARNING FOR COAST TO EXPIRE LATER THIS AFTERNOON
UNLESS SOMETHING NEW COMES IN BEFORE THEN. WINDS EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE
TONIGHT BUT THEN PICK UP AGAIN THURSDAY MORNING AS A PASSING WAVE
TIGHTENS THE GRADIENT. WINDS NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS STRONG WITH THIS
SYSTEM BUT STILL BREEZY TO WINDY SOME LOCATIONS.

ANOTHER WAVE FORECAST FOR FRIDAY MORNING. THEN PERHAPS A BRIEF BREAK
FRIDAY EVENING BEFORE ANOTHER STRONG SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH FRIDAY
NIGHT/SATURDAY MORNING. GFS HAS A DEEPENING SUB 970 MB SURFACE LOW
TRACKING OFFSHORE. ECMWF AND CANADIAN NOT TOO DIFFERENT. STILL FAR
ENOUGH OUT THAT DO NOT WANT TO CONFUSE THINGS BY ISSUING A WATCH
UNTIL CURRENT WIND EVENT ENDS BUT A WATCH WILL BE NEEDED SOON.

AFTER THE SATURDAY SYSTEM AN UPPER TROUGH WILL SETTLE OVER THE AREA
FOR LIKELY SHOWERS THROUGH TUESDAY. SNOW LEVELS SHOULD FINALLY COME
BACK DOWN TO AROUND PASS LEVEL. GFS SHOWS ANOTHER FRONTAL SYSTEM FOR
WEDNESDAY. SCHNEIDER

UIL ++++  OLM ++++  SEA ++++

.KSEW...HIGH WIND WARNING NORTH AND CENTRAL COAST THIS AFTERNOON.
        GALE WARNING COAST...ENTRANCES TO THE STRAIT...CAMANO ISLAND
         TO POINT ROBERTS.
        SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY ADMIRALTY INLET...PUGET SOUND/HOOD
         CANAL.

.KATX...VCP21/CSR21...OPERATIONAL.

Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 12, 2:30 PM PST, 30 minutes before

WAZ001>018-131500-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SEATTLE WA
230 PM PST WED MAR 12 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE NORTHERN AND CENTRAL PARTS
OF WESTERN WASHINGTON

.DAY ONE... TODAY

A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL AND NORTH
WASHINGTON COAST THIS AFTERNOON. SEE THE LATEST HIGH WIND
WARNING/WATCH FOR DETAILS.

GALE WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR THE COAST...THE
ENTRANCES TO THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA...AND THE NORTH INLAND
WATERS FROM CAMANO ISLAND TO POINT ROBERTS. SEE THE LATEST COASTAL
MARINE FORECAST FOR DETAILS.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR PARTS OF WESTERN WASHINGTON. SEE THE
LATEST FLOOD STATEMENT FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

GALE FORCE WINDS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY AND FRIDAY FOR THE
COAST...THE ENTRANCES TO THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA...AND THE NORTH
INLAND WATERS FROM CAMANO ISLAND TO POINT ROBERTS. SEE THE LATEST
COASTAL MARINE FORECAST FOR DETAILS.

FLOODING IS POSSIBLE ALONG MANY WESTERN WASHINGTON RIVERS THURSDAY
THROUGH FRIDAY AND POSSIBLY SATURDAY. SEE THE LATEST FLOOD STATEMENT
FOR DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

9 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Western Whatcom

When: March 12, 3:00 PM PST to March 13, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Western Whatcom forecast zone
Measured: 65 kt (75 mph) measured gust
Deaths: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Admiralty Inlet Area

When: March 12, 3:00 PM PST to March 13, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Admiralty Inlet Area forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Hood Canal/Kitsap Peninsula

When: March 12, 3:00 PM PST to March 13, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Hood Canal/Kitsap Peninsula forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph) measured gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca

When: March 12, 3:00 PM PST to March 13, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca forecast zone
Measured: 52 kt (60 mph) measured gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, San Juan

When: March 12, 3:00 PM PST to March 13, 10:00 AM PST
Where: San Juan forecast zone
Measured: 40 kt (46 mph) estimated sustained
Property damage: $1.0 million
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 48.531, -123.025 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southwest Interior

When: March 12, 3:00 PM PST to March 13, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Southwest Interior forecast zone
Measured: 61 kt (70 mph) measured gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, North Coast

When: March 12, 3:00 PM PST to March 13, 10:00 AM PST
Where: North Coast forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph) measured gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Central Coast

When: March 12, 3:00 PM PST to March 13, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Central Coast forecast zone
Measured: 45 kt (52 mph) measured sustained
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

High Wind, Northwest Interior

When: March 12, 3:00 PM PST to March 13, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Northwest Interior forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph) measured gust
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

Event	Date	Age	Sex	Where	Kind
High Wind, Western Whatcom	2003-03-13	34	Male	Mobile/Trailer Home	Direct

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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, March 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: 5344719, 5344720, 5344721, 5344722, 5344723, 5344724, 5344725, 5344726, 5344727.