Flood in California, December 27 to 28, 2002

Name: Flood in California, December 27 to 28, 2002
Start: 2002-12-27T23:30
End: 2002-12-28T15:49
Location: California

December 27 to 28, 2002 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Numerous spotter reports of rainfall totals in the 2 to 4 inch range were received. It would appear that this warning verified.

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: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

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.

Numerous spotter reports of rainfall totals in the 2 to 4 inch range were received. It would appear that this warning verified.

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 27, 8:30 PM PST, 3 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 27, 8:30 PM PST, 3 hours before

SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
830 PM PST FRI DEC 27 2002

STRONG UPSLOPE WINDS AND VERY STRONG JET DYNAMICS CONTINUE TO
BRING HEAVY PRECIPITATION TO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AND SOUTHWEST
OREGON. ABOUT AN INCH OF RAIN IS EXPECTED OVERNIGHT IN SOUTHWEST
OREGON AND TWICE THAT IN WESTERN SISKIYOU. SO A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS
IN EFFECT FOR THE COAST AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNINGS HAVE BEEN
ISSUED FOR ZONES 24-26 AND 80>82. SNOW LEVELS TONIGHT WILL BE NEAR
4500 FEET ALTHOUGH WILL BECOME LOWER IN HEAVY PRECIP AREAS
PARTICULARLY ZONE 82 WHERE THE OROGRAPHIC PRECIPITATION WILL BE THE
MOST HEAVY. THE WINTER STORM WARNING CONTINUES IN EFFECT FOR ZONES
82 AND 80 WHILE SNOW ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE MOUNTAINS
(ZONES 27...28 AND 82) AND EAST CENTRAL OREGON (ZONES 29>31) AND THE
SHASTA VALLEY (ZONE 81). THE FRONT WILL GO THROUGH SATURDAY
AFTERNOON DECREASING THE RAINFALL/SNOWFALL RATE AND LOWERING THE
SNOW LEVELS. SNOW LEVELS WILL LOWER TO 2000 FEET ON SUNDAY IN
LINGERING SHOWERS.  THERE WILL BE A BRIEF BREAK SUNDAY EVENING THEN
MONDAY BRINGS A SIMULAR HEAVY RAINFALL AND SNOWFALL EVENT. THROUGH
THE REST OF THE WEEK STRONG JETS IN FAST WESTERLY FLOW KEEP THE
PATTERN VERY WET.

IN THE EXTENDED...SUCCESSIVE SYSTEMS ARE FORECAST TO TRAIN INTO THE
NORCAL ZONES...WILL BROADBRUSH POPS INTO THE EXTENDED.
MO

.MFR...WINTER STORM WARNING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT CAZ080-082.
       SNOW ADVISORY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT ORZ027>031
       CAZ081-083>085.
       SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING TONIGHT FOR 80>82 AND 24-26.
       FLOOD WATCH FOR 21-22.

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 27, 6:30 AM PST, 17 hours before

ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-281430-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
630 AM PST FRI DEC 27 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

WINTER STORM WARNING SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES AND SISKIYOU
MOUNTAINS...WESTERN SISKIYOU...SOUTH CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY...NORTH
CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY OF CALIFORNIA ABOVE 5500
FEET. SNOW ADVISORY KLAMATH AND LAKE COUNTY OF OREGON...AND CENTRAL
SISKIYOU COUNTY......NORTHEAST SISKIYOU COUNTY AND NORTHWEST MODOC
COUNTY...AND MODOC COUNTY OF CALIFORNIA ABOVE 5500 FEET. HIGH WIND
WARNING THIS MORNING FOR CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY OF
CALIFORNIA...SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST AND CURRY COUNTY COAST. GALE
WARNING WARNING FLORENCE OR TO PT ST GEORGE CA. HIGH SURF ADVISORY
TODAY NORTH OF CAPE BLANCO.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

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

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Siskiyou

When: December 27, 11:30 PM PST to December 28, 3:49 PM PST
Where: Siskiyou County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 41.593, -122.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings 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: 5326136.