High Wind in Oregon, December 12, 2002

Name: High Wind in Oregon, December 12, 2002
Start: 2002-12-12T05:26
End: 2002-12-12T14:08
Location: Oregon

December 12, 2002 · NWS MFR · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A High Wind Warning was issued for the above zones at the above times, but winds were not as strong as expected and the warning did not verify.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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: 3

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.

A High Wind Warning was issued for the above zones at the above times, but winds were not as strong as expected and the warning did not verify.

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 12, 3:00 AM PST, 2 hours 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 12, 3:00 AM PST, 2 hours 26 minutes before

SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
300 AM PST THU DEC 12 2002

A PLETHORA OF DETAILS TO ADJUST IN THE FORECAST THIS MORNING BUT BIG
PICTURE IS CONSISTENT. AS SIMILAR TO PREVIOUS DAYS THE ETA IS SLOWER
AND NOT AS WET AS THE GFS BUT WILL 06Z ETA HAS TRENDED TOWARD GFS
SOLUTION AND WILL FAVOR THE GFS AGAIN WITH WATER VAPOR IMAGERY
INDICATING SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNTS OF MOISTURE OFFSHORE.

COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INLAND AND SHOULD REACH THE CASCADES BY THE END
OF THE AFTERNOON THOUGH MEDFORD RAIN MAY HOLD OFF TILL EVENING WITH
BREEZY DOWNSLOPE SOUTH WINDS. HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR
THE COAST THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...AT WHICH TIME SOUTH WINDS WILL
REACH HIGH WIND STATUS IN THE I-5 CORRIDOR NEAR WEED AND CONTINUE
OVERNIGHT INTO FRIDAY. WILL ALSO UPGRADE WINTER STORM WATCH FOR
WESTERN AND SOUTHERN SISKIYOU COUNTY TONIGHT TO A WARNING ABOVE 5500
FEET AND ISSUE A WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THE SOUTHERN OREGON
CASCADES ABOVE 5000 FEET.

HIGH WINDS WILL DEVELOP AT THE COAST AGAIN ON FRIDAY WHILE SNOW
LEVELS RISE TO ABOUT 7000 FEET AND HEAVY RAIN BEGINS TO MOVE
INLAND. FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY LOOK VERY WET FOR OUR REGION WITH A
120 KT SOUTHWESTERLY JET STREAM ALIGNED ALONG THE COAST.

GFS ADVERTISES A BREAK IN THE HEAVY RAIN SUNDAY MORNING BUT YET
ANOTHER FRONT SHOULD SPREAD RAIN TO THE COAST IN THE AFTERNOON AND
ACROSS THE AREA SUNDAY NIGHT. THE JET STREAM AND TRACK OF
HEAVIEST RAIN WILL SAG SOUTHWARD INTO CENTRAL CALIFORNIA SUNDAY NIGHT
AND MONDAY WITH LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN THROUGH TUESDAY. RAIN WILL
TAPER OFF TUESDAY NIGHT WITH GFS INDICATING RIDGING OVER THE COAST
AND A MAINLY DRY WEDNESDAY.  DW

.MFR...HIGH WIND WARNING TDY/FRI SOUTH OREGON COAST ZNS 021-022.
       HIGH WIND WARNING THROUGH FRI ORZ030-031-CAZ081-083-085.
       WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY ABOVE 5000 FT TONIGHT ORZ027-028
       WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 5500 FT TONIGHT CAZ080-082.
       GALE WARNING FLORENCE OR TO PT. ST. GEORGE CA.
       HIGH SURF ADVISORY COAST THROUGH TONIGHT

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 11, 8:37 AM PST, 20 hours 49 minutes before

ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-121430-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
630 AM PST WED DEC 11 2002

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

HIGH WIND WATCH TONIGHT SOUTH OREGON COAST...SEE PDXNPWMFR
FOR DETAILS. GALE WARNING FOR COASTAL WATERS FLORENCE OR TO POINT
SAINT GEORGE CA...SEE PDXCWFMFR FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

HIGH WIND WATCH THURSDAY MORNING FOR SOUTH OREGON COAST...SEE
PDXNPWMFR FOR DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

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

3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Klamath Basin

When: December 12, 5:26 AM PST to 2:08 PM PST
Where: Klamath Basin forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.686, -121.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

High Wind, Northern & Eastern Klamath County & Western Lake County

When: December 12, 5:26 AM PST to 2:08 PM PST
Where: Northern & Eastern Klamath County & Western Lake County forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.740, -121.018 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

High Wind, Central & Eastern Lake County

When: December 12, 5:26 AM PST to 2:08 PM PST
Where: Central & Eastern Lake County forecast zone
Measured: 35 kt (40 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.793, -120.387 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

What these are

High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oregon in 2002 Every state in 2002 This day in weather history Warnings in Oregon, 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: 5326248, 5326249, 5326250.