High Wind in Oregon, January 6 to 7, 2002

Name: High Wind in Oregon, January 6 to 7, 2002
Start: 2002-01-06T09:00
End: 2002-01-07T07:14
Location: Oregon

January 6 to 7, 2002 · NWS MFR · 5 events in 1 county or zone

Where it happened

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.

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: 5

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 coastal headlands of Oregon zones ORZ021/022 at 0430 on 01/06 and expired at 1750 PST on 01/07. The above observations were the strongest recorded during this event and they easily verified the warning. The peak gusts at Cape Arago exceeded warning criteria every hour between 1400 and 2100 PST on 01/06. The peak gusts at Cape Blanco exceeded the criteria every hours between 0500 PST on 01/06 and 0000 PST on 01/07.

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 Jan 6, 7:30 AM PST, 1 hour 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 7:30 AM PST, 1 hour 30 minutes before

SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
830 AM PDT SUN JAN 06 2002

STRONG WESTERLY JET INTO THE REGION OVERNIGHT PRODUCED SOME HEAVY
RAINS ALONG THE COAST AND EVEN SOME INLAND AREAS OF WESTERN OREGON.
NEW MODELS BACK UPPER FLOW TODAY TO SW AND STRONG JET WILL BE
DIRECTED FURTHER NORTH FOR A PERIOD THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT BEFORE
SHIFTING SOUTHWARD OVER THE REGION AGAIN MONDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT
AS THE MAIN BAROCLINIC BAND BEGINS TO SLIDE EASTWARD. OVER ALL MAIN
CONCERNS NEXT 36 HOURS WILL BE FLOOD POTENTIAL COQUILLE BASIN AND
HIGH WINDS ALONG THE COAST DUE TO STRONG LOW LEVEL COASTAL JET.
SHASTA VALLEY IN NORTHERN CALIF WILL ALSO HAVE SOME GOOD WIND DUE TO
SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE AREA AND STRONG MID LEVEL WINDS
OVER TOP.    HOLTZ

.MFR...HIGH WIND WARNING COASTAL HEADLANDS.
       HIGH WIND WARNING SHASTA VALLEY.
       GALE WARNING FLORENCE OR TO PT ST GEORGE CA.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 6, 8:17 AM PST, 43 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OREGON
817 AM PST SUN JAN 06 2002

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

0645 AM    ETNA                      CA
01/06/02   SISKIYOU                       SPOTTER SY02 FRENCH CREEK
                                          NEAR ETNA REPORTS 1.27IN
                                          RAIN PAST 24 HOURS.

0645 AM    WIMER                     OR
01/06/02   JACKSON                        SPOTTER JA39 IN WIMER
                                          REPORTS OVERNIGHT RAIN AT
                                          1.84.

0705 AM    GOLD BEACH                OR
01/06/02   CURRY                          SPOTTER CU12 AT GOLD BEACH
                                          REPORTS 2.19 IN RAINFALL
                                          OVERNIGHT.

0714 AM    GOLD BEACH                OR
01/06/02   CURRY                          SPOTTER CU20 3MI UPRIVER
                                          FROM GOLD BEACH REPORTS
                                          3.50 IN RAIN OVERNIGHT.

0730 AM    COOS BAY                  OR
01/06/02   COOS                           SPOTTER CO08 IN COOS BAY
                                          REPORTS 2.20IN RAIN SINCE
                                          MIDNIGHT.

0800 AM    GRANTS PASS               OR
01/06/02   JOSEPHINE                      SPOTTER JO20...6 MILES
                                          WEST...REPORTS 2.10 INCHES
                                          RAIN PAST 24 H HOURS.

0800 AM    WILDERVILLE               OR
01/06/02   JOSEPHINE                      SPOTTER JO38...HAYES HILL
                                          ON HWY 199...REPORTS 2.85
                                          INCHES RAIN PAST 24 HOURS.

0800 AM    GRANTS PASS               OR
01/06/02   JOSEPHINE                      SPOTTER JO46...COLONIAL
                                          VALLEY...REPORTED 1.75
                                          INCHES RAIN PAST 18 HOURS
                                          2PM TO 8AM.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, South Central Oregon Coast

When: January 6, 9:00 AM PST
Where: South Central Oregon Coast forecast zone
Measured: 53 kt (61 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.979, -123.829 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cape Blanco recorded a sustained wind of 53 mph.

High Wind, South Central Oregon Coast

When: January 6, 11:00 AM PST
Where: South Central Oregon Coast forecast zone
Measured: 68 kt (78 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.979, -123.829 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cape Blanco recorded the first of three peak gusts to 68 mph. The others occurred at 1500 and 1800 PST.

High Wind, South Central Oregon Coast

When: January 6, 8:00 PM PST
Where: South Central Oregon Coast forecast zone
Measured: 41 kt (47 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.979, -123.829 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cape Arago recorded a sustained wind of 41 mph.

High Wind, South Central Oregon Coast

When: January 6, 9:00 PM PST
Where: South Central Oregon Coast forecast zone
Measured: 66 kt (76 mph)
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.979, -123.829 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cape Arago recorded a peak gust of 66 mph.

High Wind, South Central Oregon Coast

When: January 7, 7:14 AM PST
Where: South Central Oregon Coast forecast zone
Measured: 60 kt (69 mph)
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.979, -123.829 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter CO41 at Bandon reported 60 mph winds overnight.

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, January 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: 5277474, 5277475, 5277476, 5277477, 5277478.