A High Wind Warning was issued for the headlands of Oregon zones ORZ021/022 at 0345 PST on 12/29 and was not definitively cancelled, but issued statements imply that it expired at 0500 PST on 12/31. From the above reports, it appears that the warning should have been issued for the entire coast, not just the headlands.
Every event with a place to put it; 7 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 the headlands of Oregon zones ORZ021/022 at 0345 PST on 12/29 and was not definitively cancelled, but issued statements imply that it expired at 0500 PST on 12/31. From the above reports, it appears that the warning should have been issued for the entire coast, not just the headlands.
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, 55 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.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
7 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Cape Arago recorded a sustained wind of 43 mph.
Spotter CU39 at Gold Beach reported a south gust to 72 mph.
Spotter CU25 at Gold Beach reported a south gust to 68 mph.
Spotter CU31 at Brookings reported SSW winds 50 gusting to 70 mph.
Spotter at Bandon reported a 75 mph gust.
Cape Arago recorded a peak gust of 72 mph.
Spotter CU12 reported 60 mph winds overnight.
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: 5326463, 5326465, 5326466, 5326467, 5326468, 5326464, 5326469.