Extreme Cold in Oregon, September 9 to 10, 2002

Name: Extreme Cold in Oregon, September 9 to 10, 2002
Start: 2002-09-09T13:30
End: 2002-09-10T08:00
Location: Oregon

September 9 to 10, 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 isolated 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 29 to 44, so it appears that this warning verified...with isolated 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 9, 1:30 PM PST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 9, 1:30 PM PST, 0 minutes before

SOUTHWEST OREGON/NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
230 PM PDT MON SEP 09 2002

RIDGING CONTINUES TO BUILD ACROSS THE WEST COAST RESULTING IN CLEAR
SKIES INLAND AND PATCHY CLOUDS AT THE COAST. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES
ARE RUNNING ABOUT 5 TO 10 DEGREES WARMER THAN ON SUNDAY WITH THE DEW
POINT EAST OF THE CASCADES HOVERING AROUND 30. EXPECT RADIATIONAL
COOLING TO BRING LOW TEMPERATURES ON THE EAST SIDE CLOSE TO FREEZING
AGAIN TONIGHT. THEREFORE HAVE ISSUED THE FROST WARNING AGAIN FOR THE
SAME AREAS AS BEFORE.

TUESDAY WILL BE ADDITIONAL 5 DEGREES WARMER AS RIDGE CONTINUES TO
BUILD WITH CLEAR SKIES INLAND. THIS WILL ALSO LEAD TO DRYING AT THE
RIDGE TOPS WITH LOWER HUMIDITY AT NIGHT. AT THE COAST LOW CLOUDS IS
EXPECTED TO RETURN AT NIGHT.

WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE END OF
THE WEEK. THE RIDGE MAY START TO BREAK DOWN AROUND SUNDAY AS NEXT
TROUGH APPROACHES THE PAC NW COAST. IT SHOULD HAVE LITTLE EFFECT ON
OUR WEATHER AT THIS TIME.
FB

.MFR...FROST WARNING TONIGHT ORZ 029>031 AND CAZ084-CAZ085.

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 9, 1:30 PM PST to September 10, 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 9, 1:30 PM PST to September 10, 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 9, 1:30 PM PST to September 10, 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: 5320484, 5320485, 5320486.