California, 2002

High Wind in California, December 14, 2002

December 14, 2002 · NWS MFR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A High Wind Warning was issued for California zones CAZ084/085 at 2125 PST on 12/13 and expired at 1900 on 12/14. The report above observations verified the warning for each zone.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 High Wind Warning was issued for California zones CAZ084/085 at 2125 PST on 12/13 and expired at 1900 on 12/14. The report above observations verified the warning for each zone.

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 Dec 13, 8:22 PM PST, 4 hours 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 13, 8:22 PM PST, 4 hours 53 minutes before
SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
822 PM PST FRI DEC 13 2002

EVENING UPDATE...COLD FRONT IS MOVING ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS
EVENING WITH STRONG SOUTH WINDS REPORTED. HAVE ISSUED WIND ADVISORY
FOR JACKSON COUNTY AND EXPECT WINDS TO CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE NIGHT.
HIGH WIND WARNING ALONG CONTINUES ALONG THE COAST TONIGHT AND WILL
CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEKEND. WIND ADVISORY ALSO CONTINUES FOR THE
SHASTA VALLEY OVERNIGHT.

WILL UPGRADE HIGH WIND WATCH FOR EASTERN OREGON AND PARTS OF NE
CALIFORNIA TO HIGH WIND WARNING. NEW MODEL RUN STILL FORECASTS VERY
WINDY CONDITIONS AND POINTS TOWARD WINDS INCREASING AFTER MIDNIGHT.

ELSEWHERE...NO CHANGES IN THE SNOW LEVEL AND FORECAST SNOW AMOUNTS.
FB

.EXTENDED...ACTIVE PATTERN CONTINUES INTO MONDAY WITH RAIN AND GUSTY
WINDS. HIGH SURF WILL ALSO CONTINUE TO POUND THE COAST WITH 30FT
WAVES. PATTERN CHANGES TOWARD MIDDLE OF THE WEEK FROM STRONG SHORT
WAVES AND JET STREAM TO BRIEF UPR RIDGE AND THEN UPPER LOW BY
THU/FRI. THIS WILL GIVE LIGHTER WINDS AND LESS RAIN. SURF DROPS
BELOW 20FT AS WELL SO A QUIETER WX SITUATION IN STORE BY MID WEEK.

.MFR...HIGH WIND WARNING S OREGON COAST THRU SAT (ORZ021-022).
       WIND ADVISORY ROGUE AND SHASTA VALLEYS TONIGHT.
       HIGH WIND WARNING KLAMATH AND LAKE COUNTY LATE TONIGHT.
       (ORZ029>031).
       HIGH WIND WARNING CAZ081-CAZ083>CAZ085 SATURDAY.
       WINTER STORM WATCH N CAL ABV 4500FT SAT NGT (CAZ080-082).
       GALE WARNING FLORENCE OR TO PT. ST. GEORGE CA.
       HIGH SURF ADVISORY S OREGON COAST (ORZ021-022).
Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 13, 6:30 AM PST, 18 hours 45 minutes before
ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-141430-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
630 AM PST FRI DEC 13 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

HIGH WIND WARNING COASTAL HEADLANDS...SEE PDXNPWMFR. WINDS ADVISORY
SHASTA VALLEY...SEE PDXNPWMFR. GALE WARNING FROM FLORENCE OR TO PT
ST GEORGE CA...SEE PDXCWFMFR.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

ORR

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Northeast Siskiyou and Northwest Modoc Counties

When
December 14, 1:15 AM PST
Where
Northeast Siskiyou and Northwest Modoc Counties forecast zone
Measured
40 kt (46 mph)
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.592, -121.632 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter SY57 2 miles south of MacDoel reported south to southeast winds 40 mph gusting to 52 mph.

High Wind, Modoc County

When
December 14, 3:00 PM PST
Where
Modoc County forecast zone
Measured
58 kt (67 mph) measured gust
Reported by
PARK/FOREST SERVICE
Coordinates
41.590, -120.725 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The RAWS station at Devils Garden California recorded a gust to 58 mph.

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

More

Every storm in California in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2002

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: 5326246, 5326247.