A High Wind Warning was issued for zone CAZ081 at 1459 PST on 12/29/02 and expired at 0500 PST on 12/31/02. The above observation verified the warning.
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.
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 High Wind Warning was issued for zone CAZ081 at 1459 PST on 12/29/02 and expired at 0500 PST on 12/31/02. The above observation verified the warning.
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 30, 3:15 AM PST, 3 hours 45 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
315 AM PST MON DEC 30 2002
CORRECTED WINTER STORM WARNING TIME FRAME
CURRENT FORECAST LOOKS VERY GOOD. ONLY SIGNIFICANT CHANGE TO THE
FORECAST WILL BE TO CONTINUE COASTAL HIGH WIND WARNING INTO THIS
AFTERNOON AS SITUATION SETTING UP FOR TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY MORNING
BEARS A LOT OF RESEMBLANCE TO THE THE LAST STORM THAT AFFECTED OUR
REGION ON SATURDAY. HIGH WINDS ALSO EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN THE
SOUTHERN SHASTA VALLEY FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT WITH GUSTY SOUTH WINDS
ALSO QUITE STRONG IN THE ROGUE VALLEY...EAST SIDE AND OVER THE
HIGHER TERRAIN.
PRIMARILY LIGHT RAIN WITH SNOW LEVEL NEAR 3500 FEET SO FAR THIS
MORNING BUT INTENSITY IS BEGINNING TO INCREASE AND SNOW LEVELS WILL
RISE TODAY TO ABOUT 4500 FEET. SNOW LEVELS WILL DECREASE TONIGHT
BEHIND A SHORTWAVE TROUGH TO 3000 FEET WITH CONTINUING MODERATE TO
HEAVY PRECIPITATION. FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT. AREAS OF URBAN AND
SMALL STREAM FLOODING WILL BE LIKELY...MAINLY ON THE WEST SIDE AND
ALSO HIGH PROBABILITY OF FLOODING IN THE COQUILLE BASIN AND LOWER
ROGUE RIVER. ANOTHER DOSE OF SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION TUESDAY
MORNING AS ANOTHER TROUGH MOVES EAST ACROSS OREGON WITH A TRANSITION
TO TAPERING SHOWERS TUESDAY AFTERNOON.
BRIEF RIDGING FOR A BREAK TUESDAY NIGHT. RAIN MAINLY IN WESTERN
OREGON ON WEDNESDAY AS ANOTHER TROUGH MOVES TOWARD WASHINGTON AND A
WARM FRONT LIFTS NORTH ALONG THE COAST...LINGERING COASTAL SHOWERS
WEDNESDAY NIGHT BUT THE TRAILING COLD FRONT SHOULD PRODUCE ANOTHER
DOSE OF HIGH COASTAL WINDS ON THURSDAY AND MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN
FROM AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. RESIDUAL LIGHT SHOWERS FRIDAY
BUT WARM FRONTAL/OVER RUNNING RAIN FRIDAY NIGHT INTO
SATURDAY...MAINLY FOR SOUTHWEST OREGON. GFS CONSISTENT WITH RIDGING
FOR SUNDAY AND A MAINLY DRY DAY. DW
.MFR...WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 3500 FT...ORZ025-027-028-030
CAZ080>083 THROUGH TONIGHT.
HIGH WIND WARNING...HEADLANDS ORZ021-ORZ022 TODAY.
HIGH WIND WARNING...SOUTHERN SHASTA VALLEY CAZ081 THROUGH
TONIGHT.
FLOOD WATCH...ORZ021/022/023/024/025/026...CAZ080/081/082
THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY NIGHT.
SNOW ADVISORY...ORZ029-031...CAZ085 TODAY AND TONIGHT.
WIND ADVISORY...ORZ026 THROUGH THIS EVENING.ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-311430- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 630 AM PST MON DEC 30 2002 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 3500 FEET EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS...SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES...SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES AND SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS...NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY...WESTERN LAKE COUNTY...WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY...CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY AND SOUTH CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY...NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEASTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY...SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. HIGH WIND WARNING SOUTHCENTRAL OREGON COAST...CURRY COUNTY COAST AND SOUTHERN SHASTA VALLEY...SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. FLOOD WATCH FOR SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST...CURRY COUNTY COAST...CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY...EASTERN CURRY COUNTY...EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS...JOSEPHINE COUNTY AND JACKSON COUNTY...WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY...CENTRAL SISKIYOU AND SOUTHCENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY SEE PDXFFAMFR FOR DETAILS. SNOW ADVISORY KLAMATH BASIN...CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY AND MODOC COUNTY. WIND ADVISORY FOR JACKSON COUNTY SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY FLOOD WATCH FOR SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST...CURRY COUNTY COAST...CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY...EASTERN CURRY COUNTY...EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS...JOSEPHINE COUNTY AND JACKSON COUNTY...WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY...CENTRAL SISKIYOU AND SOUTHCENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY SEE PDXFFAMFR FOR DETAILS. WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. ORR
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Weed RAWS recorded a gust to 59 mph.
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: 5326593.