A Winter Storm Warning was issued for zones CAZ080/082 above 3000 feet at 1500 PST on 12/18. The altitude of the warning was raised to 3500 feet at 0445 PST on 12/20.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MFR wrote it up.
A Winter Storm Warning was issued for zones CAZ080/082 above 3000 feet at 1500 PST on 12/18. The altitude of the warning was raised to 3500 feet at 0445 PST on 12/20. The warning was not officially cancelled, but expired at 1506 PST on 12/20. From the above reports, it is apparent that the warning should have included zone CAZ081 and should have been extended into 12/21.
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 19, 10:15 AM PST, 3 hours 1 minute earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
930 AM PST THU DEC 18 2002
THE PRESSURE GRADIENT FROM REDDING TO MEDFORD HAS DECREASED TO 6 MB
AND THE WINDS HAVE DECREASED IN THE ROGUE VALLEY. THE AVN RELAXES
THE GRADIENT TO 4 MB THROUGH 00Z HOWEVER THE POSISTION OF THE LOW
MAINTAINS A FAVORABLE DIRECTION FOR STRONG WINDS IN 26 AND 81 AND
ALONG THE COAST THROUGH 18Z FRIDAY. THE 850MB WINDS STAY SOUTH AT
40 TO 50 KTS THROUGH THE PERIOD EXCEPT DURING THE TIME OF HEAVIEST
PRECIP AS A STRONG WAVE MOVES THROUGH NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. THE STRONG
UPSLOPE WINDS COMBINED WITH THE WAVE WILL GENERATE LARGE AMOUNT OF
RAIN AND SNOW IN 80 AND 82 WITH 5 TO 10 INCHES OF SNOW ABOVE 3000 FT
BY MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. A FEW WEAKER WAVES WILL CONTRIBUTE SEVERAL MORE
INCHES OF SNOW DURING THE DAY FRIDAY. AFTER 06Z FRIDAY THE 850MB
WINDS IN THE MESO ETA AND AVN INCREASE TO 50 TO 55 KTS SO EXPECT TO
EXTEND THE HIGH WIND WARNING AT THE COAST WITH THE AFTERNOON
PACKAGE. A WIND ADVISORY WILL BE NEEDED FOR THE SHASTA VALLEY AND
THE ROGUE VALLEY FRIDAY. FRIDAY THE SURFACE LOWS CENTRAL PRESSURE
RISES BUT IT MOVES CLOSER AND TO A POSITION THAT CONTINUES TO FAVOR
STRONG WINDS IN THOSE VALLEYS. AT THE COAST HOWEVER THE WEAKENING
WILL CAUSE THE WINDS TO BE CONSIDERABLY REDUCED. FRIDAY NIGHT THE
SURFACE LOW MOVES INLAND OR REMAINS OFF THE COAST DEPENDING ON THE
AVN VERSUS THE MESO ETA. IN EITHER SCENARIO IT BECOMES RATHER
UNIMPORTANT BUT A CONTINUING SERIES OF SHORT WAVES IN DEEP MOISTURE
KEEPS THE POPS HIGH THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT. SUNDAY AND MONDAY SKIES
WILL CLEAR EXCEPT FOR VALLEY FOGS AS THE UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE
AREA. THIS IS TEMPORARY THOUGH AS THE NEXT LOW TRACKS NORTH OF THE
FORECAST AREA BRINGING A COLD FRONT TO THE COAST MONDAY NIGHT
FOLLOWED BY JET SUPPORTED PRECIPITATION THROUGH THURSDAY.
MO
.MFR...HIGH WIND WARNING TODAY HEADLANDS 021-022 CAPE BLANCO SOUTH.
WIND ADVISORY TODAY 081-026.
WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 3000 FT TODAY THROUGH FRI 080-082.
GALE WARNING FLORENCE OR TO POINT ST GEORGE CA.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY FLORENCE OR TO POINT ST GEORGE CA.ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-201430- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 630 AM PST THU DEC 19 2002 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY GALE WARNING...COASTAL WATERS FROM FLORENCE OR TO PT ST GEORGE CA...SEE PDXCWFMFR FOR DETAILS. HIGH SURF ADVISORY...SOUTH COAST OF OREGON...SEE PDXMWSMFR FOR DETAILS. HIGH WIND WARNING THIS MORNING...COASTAL HEADLANDS FROM CAPE BLANCO SOUTHWARD...SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. WIND ADVISORY TODAY...CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY AND JACKSON COUNTY... SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 3000 FEET...SOUTH CENTRAL AND WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY...SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY GALE WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON...SEE PDXCWFMFR FOR DETAILS. HIGH SURF ADVISORY CONTINUES THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING...SEE PDXMWSMFR FOR DETAILS. WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES THROUGH FRIDAY...SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME FOR REMAINDER OF PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. JACOBS
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
802 AM PST THU DEC 19 2002
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0758 AM OR NON TSTM WINDS
12/19/02 JACKSON SPOTTER JA57 HWY 62 MP 18
REPORTS 2 BIG TREES DOWN.
SCREEN RIPPED OFF HOUSE.
SHOP ROOF GONE.
0801 AM HAPPY CAMP CA NON TSTM WINDS
12/19/02 SISKIYOU SPOTTER SY23 REPORTS WINDS
OF 7 ON THE BEAUFORT
SCALE.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
826 AM PST THU DEC 19 2002
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0825 AM WEED CA NON TSTM WINDS
12/19/02 SISKIYOU SPOTTER SY12 8N WEED
REPORTS GUSTS INTO THE
60S.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
952 AM PST THU DEC 19 2002
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0949 AM ASHLAND OR NON TSTM WINDS
12/19/02 JACKSON SPOTTER JA20 SOUTH ASHLAND
AT 2400 FEET REPORTS
SUSTAINED WINDS OF 25 TO
30 MPH GUSTING TO 35 TO 45
MPH. OCCASIONAL GUSTS TO
55 MPH.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
1018 AM PST THU DEC 19 2002
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1016 AM ASHLAND OR NON TSTM WINDS
12/19/02 JACKSON SPOTTER JA35 2E OF ASHLAND
AT 2300 FT REPORTS A PK
WIND OF 55 MPH AT 4AM.
CURRENTLY 44 MPH GUSTS.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
1034 AM PST THU DEC 19 2002
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1033 AM ASHLAND OR NON TSTM WINDS
12/19/02 JACKSON SPOTTER JA20 REPORTS
SUSTAINED 30-40 MPH WINDS
WITH GUSTS TO OVER 60 MPH.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
1146 AM PST THU DEC 19 2002
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1144 AM CA NON TSTM WINDS
12/19/02 SISKIYOU SPOTTER SY94 BETWEEN MHS
AND WEED AT 4000 FT
REPORTS HEAVY SNOW SINCE
ABOUT 1130AM. WIND NOW
BLOWING ABOUT 30 MPH. HAD
GUSTS TO 55 MPH EARLIER.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotter SY94 near Weed recorded 9 inches of snow between 1100 PST and 1306 PST.
Spotter in Etna recorded 12-14 inches of new snow since 0600 PST.
Spotter SY62 near Yreka recorded 18 inches of snow between 1000 PST and 1600 PST.
Spotter SY94 near Weed recorded 13 inches of new snow.
Mt. Shasta Ski Park recieved 11 inches of snow on 12/20 from 0900 PST on.
Spotter SY94 near Weed recorded 1 foot of snow since 1700 PST 12/19.
Spotteer SY05 2W Weed recorded 22 inches of snow on 12/19 and another 11 inches on 12/20.
Frank Christina in Mt. Shasta City reported 19 inches of snow on 12/19 and 23 inches on 12/20.
Spotter SY94 near Weed reported 12 inches of snow on 12/20 with winds gusting to 40 mph.
Spotter SY39 6W Black Butte reported 25 inches of snow on 12/20.
Spotter SY39 6W Black Butte reported 19 inches of snow on 12/21.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2002
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: 5326601, 5326598, 5326599, 5326600, 5326608, 5326602, 5326603, 5326604, 5326605, 5326606, 5326607.