The above observation would have verified a Heavy Snow Warning, but only a Snow Advisory was in effect. An advisory would have been sufficient for most of the surrounding area, however.
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.
The above observation would have verified a Heavy Snow Warning, but only a Snow Advisory was in effect. An advisory would have been sufficient for most of the surrounding area, however.
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 28, 2:50 AM PST, 5 hours 10 minutes earlier.
SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
250 AM PST SAT DEC 28 2002
MORE RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW TODAY WITH MOIST SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST
FLOW ALOFT WHILE LOW PRESSURE CENTERED NEAR 42N 130W MOVES
NORTHEAST TOWARD WASHINGTON. WILL CONTINUE SMALL STREAM FLOOD
WARNING TODAY FOR SISKIYOU...JACKSON AND JOSEPHINE COUNTIES. SNOW
LEVELS WILL FALL TO VALLEY FLOORS ON THE EAST SIDE AND FROM 4000 TO
3000 FEET ON THE WEST SIDE.
RAIN WILL CHANGE TO SHOWERS BEHIND THE COLD FRONT TONIGHT AS THE
UPPER LOW MOVES ACROSS OREGON WITH SNOW LEVELS DROPPING TO 2000 FEET
AND AS MUCH AS TWO INCHES POSSIBLE AT THAT ELEVATION. ANOTHER 1 TO 3
INCHES OF SNOW FOR THE EAST SIDE.
A DIRTY RIDGE WITH AN EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE WILL RESULT IN SCATTERED
SHOWERS SUNDAY...MAINLY IN THE MORNING AND AT THE COAST...CASCADES
AND SISKIYOU COUNTY WITH THE SNOW LEVEL STILL NEAR 2000 FEET.
ANOTHER STRONG UPPER TROUGH WILL DEVELOP IN THE GULF OF ALASKA SUNDAY
NIGHT WITH RAIN AND STRONG SOUTH WINDS INCREASING AT THE COAST.
ANOTHER WET AND WINDY DAY EXPECTED MONDAY INTO MONDAY NIGHT WITH SNOW
LEVELS RISING TO 3500 FEET. LIGHTER BUT STILL WIDESPREAD
PRECIPITATION TUESDAY THEN YET ANOTHER STRONG LOW FORECAST TO ARRIVE
WEDNESDAY WITH A MOIST ZONAL PATTERN CONTINUING THROUGH FRIDAY. MAY
FINALLY HAVE A DRY DAY ON SATURDAY. DW
.MFR...WINTER STORM WARNING THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT CAZ080-082.
SNOW ADVISORY THROUGH SATURDAY NIGHT ORZ027>031
CAZ081-083>085.
SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING TODAY CAZ80>82 AND ORZ24-26.
FLOOD WATCH FOR 21-22.ORZ021>031-CAZ080>085-291430- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 630 AM PST SAT DEC 28 2002 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT WINTER STORM WARNING WESTERN SISKIYOU AND CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. SNOW ADVISORY SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES...SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES AND SISKIYOUS...KLAMATH AND LAKE COUNTY OF OREGON...CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY...CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST SISKIYOU COUNTY...NORTHEAST SISKIYOU AND NORTHWEST MODOC COUNTY...AND MODOC COUNTY OF CALIFORNIA SEE PDXWSWMFR DETAILS. SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING FOR JACKSON...JOSEPHINE AND...CURRY COUNTY OF OREGON...WESTERN AND SOUTHCENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY OF CALIFORNIA SEE PDXFLWMFR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 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 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
The Chemult cooperative observer reported 10 inches of snow in the previous 24 hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, 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: 5326611.