A Winter Storm Warning was issued for California zones CAZ080/081/082/083 above 3500 feet at 1459 PST on 12/29 and expired at 1040 PST 12/31. The warning level was lowered to 2500 feet in CAZ082 at 0537 PST on 12/31.
Every event with a place to put it; 5 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 California zones CAZ080/081/082/083 above 3500 feet at 1459 PST on 12/29 and expired at 1040 PST 12/31. The warning level was lowered to 2500 feet in CAZ082 at 0537 PST on 12/31.
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, 2:30 PM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
230 PM PST MON DEC 30 2002
12Z NGM/ETA/GFS IN IN BITS AND PIECES.
A COLD FRONT IS NOW MOVING ONSHORE...BUT BECOMING PARALLEL TO THE
UPPER LEVEL FLOW AS IT DOES SO. THEREFORE ITS FORWARD PROGRESS IS
SLOWING AND WAVES ARE DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONT IN RESPONSE TO
UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVES EMBEDDED IN STRONG SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT.
THE FIRST OF THESE WAVES IS MOVING ONSHORE NEAR FLORENCE. IT WILL
INDUCE A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT FROM CAPE BLANCO SOUTH SO THE
EXTENSION OF THE HIGH WIND WARNING THROUGH THIS EVENING LOOKS GOOD.
THE GRADIENT OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA HAS ALSO TIGHTENED AND WINDS IN
THE WEED AREA HAVE ALREADY MET HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA.
THE FRONT WILL MOVE INLAND DECISIVELY INLAND TONIGHT BUT ANOTHER
WAVE WILL DEVELOP OVER NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AS IT DOES SO...SLOWING
THE FRONT ONCE AGAIN. HOWEVER THE GRADIENTS WILL RELAX SO THE STRONG
WINDS WILL END THIS EVENING. THE FRONT WILL CLEAR TO THE SOUTH
AND EAST LATE MONDAY NIGHT OR TUESDAY MORNING...BUT THE OFFSHORE
UPPER TROUGH WILL SUPPORT SHOWER ACTIVITY UNTIL IT WEAKENS AND MOVES
INLAND TUESDAY EVENING.
A BREAK IN THE ACTION TUESDAY NIGHT WITH UPPER LEVEL RIDGING...BUT
A WARM FRONT PULLING UP AHEAD OF THE NEXT SYSTEM ON WEDNESDAY WILL
BRING ANOTHER ROUND OF WIND AND PRECIPITATION...BUT NOTHING LIKE
WHAT IS HAPPENING TODAY. THE TRAILING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ONSHORE
THURSDAY AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE A SLOW MOVING SYSTEM WITH
WAVES DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONT...SO ANOTHER ROUND OF SIGNIFICANT
PRECIPITATION LOOKS LIKELY.
SNOW LEVELS WILL RUN 3500 TO 4000 FEET FOR THE MOST PART THROUGH
TUESDAY.
FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FOR ALL ZONES WEST OF THE CASCADES IN
CALIFORNIA AND OREGON...ALONG WITH A FLOOD WARNING FOR THE COQUILLE
RIVER.
STOCKTON
.MFR...WINTER STORM WARNING...ORZ025/027/028 ABV 3500 FT THRU TUE.
ORZ030 THRU TNGT.
CAZ080/081/083 ABV 4000 FT THRU TUE.
CAZ082 ABV 3500 FT THRU TUE.
HIGH WIND WARNING...HEADLANDS ORZ022 THROUGH THIS EVENING.
HIGH WIND WARNING...SOUTHERN SHASTA VALLEY CAZ081 THRU TNGT.
FLOOD WARNING...COQUILLE RIVER AT MYRTLE POINT AND COQUILLE.
FLOOD WATCH...ORZ021/022/023/024/025/026/CAZ080/081/082
THROUGH AT LEAST TUESDAY NIGHT.
SNOW ADVISORY...ORZ029/031/CAZ084/085 THROUGH TONIGHT.
WIND ADVISORY...ORZ026 THROUGH THIS EVENING.
GALE WARNING....CAPE BLANCO OR TO PT. ST. GEORGE CA.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
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
142 PM PST MON DEC 30 2002
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0136 PM GOLD BEACH OR NON TSTM WINDS
12/30/02 CURRY SPOTTER CU39 REPORTS A S
GUST AT 72 MPH AT 1305
PST. 1.25 INCHES OF RAIN
SINCE 7AM.
0140 PM GOLD BEACH OR NON TSTM WINDS
12/30/02 CURRY SPOTTER CU25 REPORTS A S
WIND GUST AT 68 MPH.
AVERAGE WIND SPEED 29-30
MPH. OVER AN INCH OF RAIN
IN THE PAST 5 HOURS.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
412 PM PST MON DEC 30 2002
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0251 PM SELMA OR
12/30/02 JOSEPHINE SPOTTER JO23 REPORTS 1.33
INCHES OF RAIN SINCE 8AM.
0323 PM BROOKINGS OR
12/30/02 CURRY SPOTTER CU14 7N BROOKINGS
REPORTS 1.25 INCHES OF
RAIN IN THE PAST 7HOURS
ENDING AT 330PM.
0334 PM GOLD BEACH OR
12/30/02 CURRY SPOTTER CU33 REPORTS 1.00
INCHES OF RAIN IN THE PAST
4 HOURS ENDING AT 1530.
0410 PM MT SHASTA CA HEAVY SNOW
12/30/02 SISKIYOU COOP OBSERVER REPORTS 1.27
WATER EQUIVALENT TODAY
WITH 11 INCHES OF NEW
SNOW.
0411 PM BROOKINGS OR NON TSTM WINDS
12/30/02 CURRY SPOTTER CU31 REPORTS
SUSTAINED WINDS 50 MPH
WITH GUSTS TO 70 MPH FROM
THE SSW.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
432 PM PST MON DEC 30 2002
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0431 PM SCOTTSBURG OR
12/30/02 DOUGLAS SPOTTER DO23 REPORTS 2.55
INCHES OF RAIN
430PM-430PM. STILL RAINING
HARD.PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
444 PM PST MON DEC 30 2002
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0442 PM CA
12/30/02 SISKIYOU SPOTTER SY94 AT 3950FT
BETWEEN MT SHASTA AND WEED
REPORTS WIND GUSTS 40-48
MPH SINCE 1230PM. ABOUT 5
INCHES OF SNOW TODAY.
0443 PM SUTHERLIN OR
12/30/02 DOUGLAS CCOP OBSERVER REPORTS 1.20
INCHES OF RAIN FROM
730AM-500PM.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
5 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Mt. Shasta City cooperative observer reported 11 inches of snow in the past 24 hours ending at 1700 PST.
Spotter SY05 2S Weed reported 16 inches of snow between 0100 PST on 12/30 and 0700 PST on 12/31.
Spotter SY94 between Weed and Mt. Shasta City reported 12 inches of snow between 1600 PST on 12/30 and 0900 PST on 12/31.
Spotter SY39 at 4040 feet reported a 24 hour snow total of 14 inches ending at 0700 PST.
Mt. Shasta City cooperative observer reported 11 inches of snow in the past 24 hours ending at 1700 PST.
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: 5326726, 5326723, 5326724, 5326725, 5326727.