Winter Storm in Oregon, January 6 to 7, 2002

Name: Winter Storm in Oregon, January 6 to 7, 2002
Start: 2002-01-06T03:00
End: 2002-01-07T21:00
Location: Oregon

January 6 to 7, 2002 · NWS PQR · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 PQR wrote it up.

A winter storm brought high winds, heavy rain, and warmer temperatures to the area, resulting in flooding and mud and land slides. High winds knocked out power along the coast from Cannon Beach and Seaside to Warrenton for varying periods of time. Ten inches of water was reported on US101 south of Seaside. A clogged culvert resulted in a washout on Highway 53- the cost of repair is estimated at $30K. A private single engine plane was flipped by the gusty winds at the Astoria Regional Airport in Warrenton. Land or mudslides were reported on South River Road in Salem and Saltzman Road outside of Portland. Reported winds included Netarts 35 to 45 mph with gusts to 71 mph, Cannon Beach 40 to 45 mph with gusts to 63 mph, Newport Jetty 44 gusts mph gusting to 65 mph, Newport airport 41 mph gusting to 60 mph, Lincoln City gusts to 61 mph, Seaside gusts to 68 mph, Tillamook 60 mph, Florence 41 mph, and Garibaldi 80 mph.

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 Portland, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 6, 2:30 AM PST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 6, 2:30 AM PST, 30 minutes before

...CORRECTED WARNING LIST...

NORTHWEST OREGON AND SOUTHWEST WASHINGTON FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PORTLAND OR
230 AM PST SUN JAN 6 2002

.SYNOPSIS...WET AND WINDY WEATHER IS EXPECTED TODAY AND MONDAY AS
SERIES OF STORMS MOVE ACROSS THE AREA FROM THE SOUTHWEST. MOISTURE
ORIGINATING FROM LOW LATITUDES AND HEAVY RAIN IS ANTICIPATED AT
TIMES. HIGHER PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE AREA BY MID WEEK.

.DISCUSSION...
.SHORT TERM...MAIN RAIN BAND HAS MOVED TO THE SOUTHERN ZONES BUT NOT
EXPECTED TO SAG MUCH FURTHER SOUTH TODAY WITH ANOTHER WAVE NOW INSIDE
140 WEST APPROACHING AND WILL BRING THE MOISTURE PLUME BACK ACROSS
THE AREA. HIGH PRECIPITABLE WATER AMOUNTS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
MONDAY. A FLOOD POTENTIAL STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED WITH RAPID RISES
IN RIVERS BY MONDAY. AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING WAVE...GRADIENTS
TIGHTEN UP ALONG THE COAST. WILL UPGRADE WATCH TO HIGH WIND WARNING
FOR THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH MONDAY MORNING.

.EXTENDED...MRF CONSISTENT WITH CURRENT EXTENDED FORECASTS AND PLAN
NO CHANGES. THE MRF DOES SHOW A THREAT OF RAIN DOWN THE COAST ON
FRIDY...BUT HEIGHTS REMAIN HIGH WITH MOST MOISTURE INTO BRITISH
COLUMBIA SO WILL KEEP FRIDAY DRY WITH A CHANCE OF RAIN ON SATURDAY
WITH UPPER TROUGH DROPPING IN TO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. STARMER

AST +++85 PDX +++85 SLE +++85 EUG +++85

.PQR...GALE WARNING COASTAL WATERS.
       HIGH WIND WARNING COAST ZONES THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
          MONDAY MORNING.

Event by event

4 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Central Oregon Coast

When: January 6, 3:00 AM PST to January 7, 9:00 PM PST
Where: Central Oregon Coast forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Central Willamette Valley

When: January 6, 3:00 AM PST to January 7, 9:00 PM PST
Where: Central Willamette Valley forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Greater Portland Metro Area

When: January 6, 3:00 AM PST to January 7, 9:00 PM PST
Where: Greater Portland Metro Area forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

Winter Storm, Northern Oregon Coast

When: January 6, 3:00 AM PST to January 7, 9:00 PM PST
Where: Northern Oregon Coast forecast zone
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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: 5278056, 5278057, 5278058, 5278059.