A Winter Storm Warning was issued for CAZ080/082 above 2500 feet effective at the above times. However, this warning did not verify.
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.
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 CAZ080/082 above 2500 feet effective at the above times. However, this warning did not verify.
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 25, 2:30 AM PST, 2 hours 40 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
230 AM PST WED DEC 25 2002
NEXT SYSTEM WILL BEGIN TO IMPACT SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA LATER TODAY. CLOUDS WILL SPREAD IN BRINGING RAIN TO THE
COAST...AND SNOW TO THE I-5 CORRIDOR AND WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY IN
CALIFORNIA LATER THIS AFTERNOON WITH STRONG UPSLOPE FLOW ALONG WITH
COLDER AIR AT LOWER ELEVATIONS ARE EXPECTED TO COMBINE AND BRING
WINTER STORM WEATHER TO THAT AREA. SNOW AMOUNTS BY THURSDAY MORNING
SHOULD BE IN THE AREA OF 4 TO 8 INCHES. GUSTY WINDS ALONG I-5 WILL
ADD TO THE MIX FOR HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. AS SYSTEM GETS CLOSER TO THE
COAST STRONG WINDS ARE EXPECTED ALONG THE HEADLANDS AS WELL NEARING
HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA FOR THIS AFTERNOON.
AFTER THIS SYSTEM MOVES THROUGH ANOTHER IS IN STORE FOR THE WEEKEND.
THE NEXT STORM IS EXPECTED TO BRING STRONG WINDS FOR MOST OF THE
FORECAST AREA BUT ESPECIALLY WESTWARD OF THE CASCADES. SNOW LEVELS
COULD LOWER TO BELOW 2000 FEET FOR SUNDAY. BOTTOM LINE IS THAT THE
WEATHER IS ACTIVE BETWEEN TODAY AND SUNDAY.
WILLIAMS
.MFR...WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT FOR CAZ080-82.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY TONIGHT FOR CAZ081
HIGH WIND WARNING FOR COASTAL HEADLANDS FOR TODAY
GALE WARNING FLORENCE OR TO POINT ST GEORGE CAORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-261430- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 1201 AM PST WED DEC 25 2002 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...WEDNESDAY AND WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE SOUTHERN OREGON COASTAL HEADLANDS. REFER TO PDXWSWMFR. GALE WARNING FOR SOUTHERN OREGON COASTAL WATERS. REFER TO PDXCWFMFR. WINTER STORM WATCH FOR WEDNESDAY NIGHT FOR WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. REFER TO PDXWSWMFR. WIND ADVISORY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR THE SOUTHERN SHASTA VALLEY. REFER TO PDXWSWMFR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. ANOTHER WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY. LOWERING SNOW LEVELS TO NEAR 1000 FEET ARE POSSIBLE ON SUNDAY MORNING. HESS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
See below.
See below.
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: 5326609, 5326610.