California, 2004

High Wind in California, August 4, 2004

August 4, 2004 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 high wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 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 Aug 4, 12:30 PM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 12:30 PM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
130 PM PDT WED AUG 4 2004

.DISCUSSION...
A WEAK FRONT AND A SHORT WAVE SEEN ON THE WATER VAPOR LOOP WILL
PROVIDE ENOUGH INSTABILITY INTO THE EARLY EVENING FOR A FEW
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IN THE NORTH PART OF OUR SECTION OF THE
CASCADES AND NORTHERN PARTS OF THE EAST SIDE.

TONIGHTS MARINE PUSH WILL CONTINUE THE COOLER TEMPERATURES THURSDAY.
THURSDAY NIGHT AND FRIDAY A STRONGER FRONT BRINGS SCATTERED SHOWERS
TO SOUTHWEST OREGON AND KEEPS THE REST OF THE COOL WITH BELOW NORMAL
TEMPERATURES.

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY TEMPS WARM BACK TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL AS THE
RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS ALOFT AND OFFSHORE FLOW DEVELOPS NEAR
THE SURFACE. THE THERMAL TROUGH WILL NOT BE STRONG ON THE WEEKEND.

MONDAY ONWARD THE RIDGE SHIFTS EAST INTO THE INTERMOUNTAIN REGION
DRAGGING ALONG WITH IT THE THERMAL TROUGH. THIS TURNS THE LOW LEVEL
FLOW ONSHORE AND COOLS TEMPS TO NORMAL. THE ECMWF CONCURS ALTHOUGH IT
DOES NOT SHIFT THE RIDGE AS FAR TO THE EAST.

&&

.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...NONE.
CA...NONE.

&&

MO

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.

High Wind, Central Siskiyou County

When
August 4, 3:00 PM PST
Where
Central Siskiyou County forecast zone
Measured
60 kt (69 mph) estimated gust
Reported by
GENERAL PUBLIC
Coordinates
41.593, -122.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several people reported what appeared to be a tornado in Yreka this afternoon. One residence sustained wind damage consistent with microburst type winds. While cumulus was building at the time of this incident, no lightning was recorded. In addition, a strong onshore push of marine winds occurred this day, bringing gusty winds to most of the Medford CWA. It appears that this may have been a weak downburst augmented by the marine winds, but it was very localized and it does not appear that a Severe Thunderstorm Warning or High Wind Warning would have been appropriate here.

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

More

Every storm in California in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in California, August 2004

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: 5418184.