Extreme Cold in Oregon, September 6 to 7, 2002

Name: Extreme Cold in Oregon, September 6 to 7, 2002
Start: 2002-09-06T04:45
End: 2002-09-07T08:00
Location: Oregon

September 6 to 7, 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 22 to 36, 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 6, 2:26 AM PST, 2 hours 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 6, 2:26 AM PST, 2 hours 19 minutes before

SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
230 AM PDT FRI SEP 06 2002

00Z NGM/ETA/AVN/MRF IN.

LOW CLOUDS AND FOG ALONG THE COAST THIS MORNING WITH HIGH CLOUDS FROM
THE REMAINS OF A DISSIPATED EASTERN PACIFIC HURRICANE STREAMING OVER
MODOC AND LAKE COUNTIES.  MOSTLY CLEAR AND COOL OVER THE REMAINDER OF
SOUTHERN OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.

A COLD UPPER TROUGH OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST WILL MOVE SLOWLY
EAST DURING THE NEXT FEW DAYS.  A SHORT WAVE ROTATING THROUGH THE
TROUGH WILL MOVE OVER EASTERN OREGON TODAY...AND THE TROUGH ITSELF
WILL MOVE ONSHORE FRIDAY NIGHT AND REMAIN OVER THE FORECAST AREA
DURING THE DAY SATURDAY.  EXPECT A ROUND OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS
BOTH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING AND SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING.
CONVECTIVE INDICES AND CAPES INDICATE THAT FRIDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING
WILL BE THE MORE ACTIVE DAY...ALTHOUGH WITH MAX CAPES OF 210 ON
FRIDAY AND 70 ON SATURDAY...NOT EXPECTING ANY SEVERE ACTIVITY.  IN
FACT...THEY MAY BE MORE SHOWERS THAN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY...
ESPECIALLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING.  A FROST WARNING WILL LIKELY
BE NEEDED AGAIN FOR THE EAST SIDE TONIGHT AND POSSIBLY SATURDAY
NIGHT.

THE TROUGH WILL DEPART TO POINTS EAST SATURDAY NIGHT AND SHORT WAVE
RIDGING WILL BUILD IN SUNDAY AND MONDAY.  EXPECT A WARMING TREND TO
COMMENCE SUNDAY AS THE AIR MASS DRIES AND THICKNESSES RISE.  A WARM
FRONT WILL MOVE UP FROM THE SOUTH SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY...BUT AT
THIS POINT IT DOES NOT LOOK LIKE IT WILL BE ACTIVE...IT MAY BRING
SOME DRIZZLE TO THE COAST BUT THATS ABOUT IT.  THE THERMAL TROUGH
WILL GRADUALLY REBUILD ALONG THE COAST AS THE WARMING TAKES HOLD.

HEIGHTS WILL BEGIN TO FALL AGAIN TUESDAY AS THE NEXT TROUGH
APPROACHES FROM THE WEST.  THE CURRENT MRF RUN INDICATES THAT IT WILL
MOVE ONSHORE WEDNESDAY NIGHT...PUSHING A COLD FRONT AHEAD OF IT WITH
RAIN POSSIBLE WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND SHOWERS ON THURSDAY.  HOWEVER...THE
MRF IS THE MOST PROGRESSIVE COMPARED TO THE ECMWF AND UKMO SO AM
INCLINED TO DELAY BOTH THE PRECIPITATION AND THE COOLING TREND.  THE
CURRENT FORECAST HAS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS THURSDAY AND IT DOES
DELAY THE COOLING TREND SO WILL KEEP THIS FORECAST FOR NOW AS IT
DEALS ADEQUATELY WITH THE UNCERTAINTY OF THE SITUATION.

STOCKTON

.MFR...FROST WARNING FRI AM...ORZ029/030/031...CAZ083/084/085.

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 6, 4:45 AM PST to September 7, 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 6, 4:45 AM PST to September 7, 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 6, 4:45 AM PST to September 7, 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: 5320407, 5320408, 5320409.