Flooding in Oregon, December 27 to 28, 2002

Name: Flooding in Oregon, December 27 to 28, 2002
Start: 2002-12-27T17:32
End: 2002-12-28T15:49
Location: Oregon

December 27 to 28, 2002 · NWS MFR · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

Numerous spotter reports of rainfall totals in the 2 to 4 inch range were received, along with reports of "HIGH WATER" signs along area roads. It would appear that this warning verified.

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.

Numerous spotter reports of rainfall totals in the 2 to 4 inch range were received, along with reports of "HIGH WATER" signs along area roads. 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, 3:42 PM PST, 1 hour 50 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 27, 3:42 PM PST, 1 hour 50 minutes before

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

VIGOROUS WAVE DEVELOPING OFFSHORE NEAR 42N AND 130W WITH PLUME OF
SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE STREAMING INTO THE FORECAST AREA. STRONG
ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE IS DRIVING CONSTANT RAINFALL WITH THIS WARM
FLOW. RIGHT REAR QUAD IS PARKED OVER THE AREA AND NOT EXPECTED TO
MOVE OUT OVER THE NEXT 36 HOURS. UPGLIDE SHOULD BEGIN TO WANE
TOMORROW AS THE COOL AIR ARRIVES...HOWEVER OROGRAPHIC LIFTING WILL
CONTINUE TO BRING SHOWERS OVER THE REGION. A BRIEF LULL IN THE
WEATHER IS IN STORE FOR LATE THIS WEEKEND...ALTHOUGH SNOW SHOWERS
WILL PREVAIL DOWN TO THE VALLEY FLOORS ON SUNDAY.

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

.MFR...WINTER STORM WARNING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT CAZ080-082.
       SNOW ADVISORY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT ORZ027>031
       CAZ081-083>085.

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 27, 6:30 AM PST, 11 hours 2 minutes 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

In the hours before

Local storm report, Dec 27, 2:57 PM PST, 2 hours 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
257 PM PST FRI DEC 27 2002

TIME(PST)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0250 PM    WEED                      CA
12/27/02   SISKIYOU                       SPOTTER SY94 2 MILES WEST
                                          OF I-5 AT 4000 FEET HAD
                                          1.75 INCHES OF RAIN
                                          BETWEEN 12 AM AND 230 PM.

0251 PM    WILLIAMS                  OR
12/27/02   JOSEPHINE                      SPOTTER JO35 IN WILLIAMS
                                          REPORTED 2.50 INCHES OF
                                          RAIN SINCE LAST EVENING
                                          AND MUCH OF IT BETWEEN 9
                                          AM AND 230 PM. CULVERTS
                                          FILLING UP ALONG WILLIAMS
                                          HIGHWAY.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Curry

When: December 27, 5:32 PM PST to December 28, 3:49 PM PST
Where: Curry County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.467, -124.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Flood, Jackson

When: December 27, 5:32 PM PST to December 28, 3:49 PM PST
Where: Jackson County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.432, -122.728 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Flood, Josephine

When: December 27, 5:32 PM PST to December 28, 3:49 PM PST
Where: Josephine County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.366, -123.556 (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 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: 5326135, 5326161, 5326162.