Extreme Cold in Oregon, September 5 to 6, 2002

Name: Extreme Cold in Oregon, September 5 to 6, 2002
Start: 2002-09-05T05:18
End: 2002-09-06T08:00
Location: Oregon

September 5 to 6, 2002 · NWS MFR · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

A Frost Warning was issued for the above zones effective at the above times. with some areas meeting the criteria for a freeze warning.

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.

A Frost Warning was issued for the above zones effective at the above times. Reported low temperatures ranged from 25 to 37, so it appears that this warning verified...with some areas meeting the criteria for a freeze warning.

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 Sep 5, 4:25 AM PST, 53 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 5, 4:25 AM PST, 53 minutes before

SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
525 AM PDT THU SEP 05 2002

REMOVED CAZ 083 FROM FROST WARNING

INFRARED/WATER VAPOR IMAGERIES SHOWING CLOSED UPPER LOW AROUND
46N/133W ACCOMPANIED BY QUITE A BIT OF OPEN CELL CU. SKIES MOSTLY
CLEAR OVER THE FORECAST AREA THIS MORNING EXCEPT FOR SOME JET
ENHANCED HIGH CLOUDS MAINLY OVER THE NORTH CENTRAL PORTION OF THE
AREA.

UPPER LOW AND ASSOCIATED TROUGH TO DIG FURTHER SOUTH TODAY WITH
FORECAST AREA REMAINING UNDER DRY SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT.
HEIGHTS/THICKNESSES TO LOWER A BIT FROM WEDNESDAY AND WILL SEE
ADDITIONAL COOLING TODAY. BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT OF LOW TEMPS
TONIGHT. CURRENT TRENDS AND FORECAST GUIDANCE WARRANT ISSUANCE OF
FROST WARNING TONIGHT FOR AREAS EAST OF THE CASCADES AS WELL AS
EASTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY AND ALL OF MODOC COUNTY.

UPPER LOW/TROUGH TO PUSH INLAND FRIDAY WITH ATMOSPHERE BECOMING
INCREASINGLY UNSTABLE AS GREATER DYNAMICS/COLD POOL ALOFT APPROACH.
SUFFICIENT CAPE WITH SLIGHTLY NEGATIVE LIFTED INDICIES WARRANT
MENTION OF AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS BOTH FRIDAY AND SATURDAY WITH
QUANTITATIVE PRECIPITATION FORECASTS REMAINING LOW. PRECIP TO BE MORE
OF THE SHOWERY VARIETY SATURDAY AS THE LOW PASSES OVER THE AREA.

FOR SUNDAY THE UPPER TROUGH MOVES TO THE EAST OF THE AREA WITH UPPER
RIDGING ENSUING. SLOW WARMING TREND BEGINS SUNDAY AS
HEIGHTS/THICKNESSES BEGIN A DAY TO DAY INCREASE. TEMPS TO PLATEAU
TUESDAY BEFORE ANOTHER TROUGH APPROACHES THE AREA ON WEDNESDAY
BRINGING ANOTHER SHOT OF COOLING.

REYNOLDS

.MFR...OR...FROST WARNING TONIGHT 029...030...031.
       CA...FROST WARNING TONIGHT 084...085.

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 extreme cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Klamath Basin

When: September 5, 5:18 AM PST to September 6, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Klamath Basin forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.686, -121.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Northern & Eastern Klamath County & Western Lake County

When: September 5, 5:18 AM PST to September 6, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Northern & Eastern Klamath County & Western Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.740, -121.018 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill, Central & Eastern Lake County

When: September 5, 5:18 AM PST to September 6, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Central & Eastern Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates: 42.793, -120.387 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

What these are

Extreme Cold/Wind Chill: Temperatures or wind chills at or below the local warning criteria, or cold that caused deaths.

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, September 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: 5320404, 5320405, 5320406.