Extreme Cold in Oregon, September 6 to 7, 2001

Name: Extreme Cold in Oregon, September 6 to 7, 2001
Start: 2001-09-06T14:15
End: 2001-09-07T08:00
Location: Oregon

September 6 to 7, 2001 · NWS MFR · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A Frost Warning was issued for the zones listed above this night. Reported low temperatures ranged from 26 to 36, with most stations remaining at or above freezing.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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 Frost Warning was issued for the zones listed above this night. Reported low temperatures ranged from 26 to 36, with most stations remaining at or above freezing. No frost was reported, but this warning likely verified as conditions were favorable for frost development.

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 6, 1:30 PM PST, 45 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 6, 1:30 PM PST, 45 minutes before

SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
230 PM PDT THU SEP 06 2001

UPPER LEVEL TROUGH HAS MOVED EAST INTO IDAHO WITH COOL NORTHWESTERLY
FLOW OVER OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. WINDS ARE LIGHTER TONIGHT
AND DEW POINTS ARE ALSO ABOUT 5 DEGREES LESS THAN THIS TIME
YESTERDAY. THIS WILL LEAD TO ANOTHER COLD NIGHT EAST OF THE CASCADES
AND OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA WITH LATE NIGHT FORST AND NEAR RECORD
LOWS AGAIN AT MANY LOCATIONS.

AT THE SURFACE THE THERMAL TROUGH IS STRENGTHENING IN THE COASTAL
WATERS. DOWNSLOPE OFFSHORE FLOW WILL RESULT IN PLENTY OF SUNSHINE AT
THE COAST WITH VERY WARM TEMPERATURES AROUND BROOKINGS. THE OFFSHORE
FLOW WILL ALSO PRESENT PROBLEMS WITH HUMIDITY RECOVERY AT THE RIDGE
TOPS OF SW OREGON. THE THERMAL TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO MOVE NORTH
SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH POSSIBLE STRATUS SURGE FROM CALIFORNIA ON
SUNDAY. FOR AREAS INLAND EXPECT WARMING TREND TO CONTINUE INTO THE
WEEKEND.

AROUND SUNDAY GUIDANCE BRINGS A CLOSED LOW TOWARD NORTHERN CALIF
COAST WHILE NORTHERN STREAM JET CARVE A TROUGH OVER THE NW. UNCERTAIN
ABOUT THE STRENGTH OF THE CLOSED LOW AT THIS TIME. CONSENSUS IS THAT
THE LOW IS RUNNING INTO THE RIDGE AND SHOULD BE A FACTOR EXCEPT FOR A
COOING TREND EARLY NEXT WEEK.

TEMPERATURES IN THE EAST SIDE DROPPED INTO THE 20S AT MANY PLACES
THIS MORNING WITH NEW RECORD LOW AT KLAMATH FALLS. MORNING LOWS ON
THE WEST SIDE WERE IN THE LOWER 40S. THERMAL TROUGH IS STILL EXPECTED
TO BUILD NORTH ALONG THE COAST WITH OFFSHORE FLOW TONIGHT. DOWNSLOPE
FLOW OVER SW OREGON WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT WARMING AT BROOKINGS
AND THE AREAS IN THE CHETCO RIVER VALLEY AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE EAST
WIND EVENT FOR SW OREGON COAST OVERNIGHT.
FB

.MFR...GALE WARNING...CAPE BLANCO OR-POINT ST. GEORGE CA
    ...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY...FLORENCE TO CAPE BLANCO.
    ...FROST ADVISORY TONIGHT KLAMATH AND LAKE COUNTIES AND NE
       SISKIYOU AND MODOC COUNTIES.
    ...RED FLAG WARNING FOR EAST WIND TONIGHT ORZ022-024

OTH UU 046/067 047/072 046 080000
4BK UB 058/096 060/074 051 080000
RBG UU 047/082 048/086 049 080000
MFR UU 046/086 047/093 049 080000
LMT UU 033/076 037/078 039 080000
LKV UU 036/075 038/079 036 080000
MHS UU 044/083 048/086 046 080000

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Klamath Basin

When: September 6, 2:15 PM PST to September 7, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Klamath Basin forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.686, -121.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern & Eastern Klamath County & Western Lake County

When: September 6, 2:15 PM PST to September 7, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Northern & Eastern Klamath County & Western Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.740, -121.018 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Central & Eastern Lake County

When: September 6, 2:15 PM PST to September 7, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Central & Eastern Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.793, -120.387 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oregon in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in Oregon, September 2001

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: 5267363, 5267364, 5267365.