Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Oregon, January 1, 2004

Name: Blizzard and Heavy Snow in Oregon, January 1, 2004
Start: 2004-01-01T07:42
End: 2004-01-01T22:36
Location: Oregon

January 1, 2004 · NWS MFR · 6 events in 4 counties and zones

An extraordinary winter storm struck Oregon and Northern California on January 1, 2004. A multitude of warnings and advisories were issued to cover this event.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 6 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: 6

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.

An extraordinary winter storm struck Oregon and Northern California on January 1, 2004. A multitude of warnings and advisories were issued to cover this event. The Oregon warnings are summarized below. Verifying observations are listed above.ORZ024/026 Winter Storm Warning issued at 12/31/03 at 1500 PST, changed to Heavy Snow Warning at 01/01/04 at 0514 PST, expired at 01/01/04 at 0958 PST. Warning elevation was above 2000 feet, lowered to 1500 feet at 01/01/04 at 0514 PST. ORZ025 Heavy Snow Warning issued at 01/01/04 at 0514 PST, expired at 01/01/04 at 0958 PST. Warning elevation was above 1500 feet.ORZ027 Winter Storm Warning issued at 01/01/04 at 0514 PST, expired at 01/01/04 at 0958 PST.ORZ028 Winter Storm Warning issued at 12/31/03 at 1500 PST, expired at 01/01/04 at 0958 PST.ORZ029/030/031Blizzard Warning issued at 01/01/04 at 0807 PST, expired at 01/01/04 at 1445 PST. Northern ORZ030 should have been included in the Winter Storm or Heavy Snow warnings earlier.

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 Jan 1, 3:27 AM PST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 1, 3:27 AM PST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

SOUTHWEST OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD, OR
327 AM PST THU JAN 1 2004

.DISCUSSION...
WAS A BIT CONCERNED THIS EVENING WHEN I WALKED IN AND SAW TAIL END
OF ENHANCEMENT APPROACHING COAST. HOWEVER...CHECKED NCEP SAT WINDS
AND MATCHED UP WELL WITH MODEL GUIDANCE WITH AREA UNDER LEFT EXIT
REGION OF 140 KT JET. AS EVENING PROGRESSED AREA OF STRONG
ENHANCEMENT DEVELOPED ON BACK END SYSTEM WITH WEED OBS SHOWING
STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS AS WOULD BE INDICATED BY H7 WINDS INCREASING
TO 70KT ON MESOETA. THIS IS WELL IN LINE WITH WITH COUPLET OF BL
THETA E CONVERGANCE AND UPPER LEVEL DIVERGANCE...AND MT SHASTA IS
SHOWING INCH PER HOUR SNOWFALL AMOUNTS. MAJOR CHANGES AT THIS TIME
WILL BE CHANGING WARNING FOR THE SHASTA VALLEY TO A BLIZZARD
WARNING AND UPPING THEW ADVISORY IN 27 TO A WARNING AS WELL. EXPECT
DECENT SHOWER ACTIVITY TO CONTINUE IN THE AFTERNOON AS COLD AIR
MOVES IN BEHIND SYSTEM WITH INSTABILITY BELOW ZERO ON COAST AND
WATERS PRODUCING ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY THAT WILL DISSIPATE
AS IT MOVES OFF RELATIVELY WARMER WATERS INLAND. COLD UNSTABLE
PATTERN CONTINUES INTO THE WEEKEND AS COOL FLOW CONTINUES INTO
AREA. UPPER LEVEL TROUGH MOVES INLAND BEFORE TRANSITIONING INTO A
MORE ZONAL PATTERN THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. NEXT MAJOR SYSTEM SET
TO MOVE INTO THE REGION MONDAY...WITH ADVERTISED SNOW LEVELS
AROUND 6000 FEET AND SUBSTANTIAL QPF. WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR
HYDROLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS OF THE POSSIBILITY OF DECENT RAIN ON SNOW
PACK BETWEEN 2000 AND 5000 FT...BUT WILL WAIT UNTIL THIS EVENT GETS
CLOSER IN THE SITES.

&&

.MFR...WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
       OR...SNOW ADVISORY TODAY >1000 SW OR ZONES 021-023-025.
            WINTER STORM WARNING TODAY >1500 SW OR ZONES
            024-026-028-029-030.
       CA...WINTER STORM WARNING TODAY CA ZONES 080-082>085 >2500.
            BLIZZARD WARNING TODAY CA ZONE 081 >2500.

&&

SVEN

Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 1, 6:00 AM PST, 1 hour 42 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
600 AM PST THU JAN 1 2004

ORZ021-023-025-021430-
CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY-EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST-
600 AM PST THU JAN 1 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT ABOVE 1000 FEET...SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR
DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

ORZ024-026-028>030-021430-
EASTERN CURRY COUNTY AND JOSEPHINE COUNTY-JACKSON COUNTY-
KLAMATH BASIN-NORTHEAST KLAMATH COUNTY AND WESTERN LAKE COUNTY-
SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS AND SOUTH OREGON CASCADES-
600 AM PST THU JAN 1 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON

.DAY ONE...TODAY

WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT ABOVE 1500 FEET...SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR
DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

CAZ080-082>085-021430-
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MODOC COUNTY-
NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST SISKIYOU COUNTY-
NORTHEAST SISKIYOU COUNTY AND NORTHWEST MODOC COUNTY-
SOUTH CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY-WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY-
600 AM PST THU JAN 1 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT...SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

CAZ081-021430-
CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY-
600 AM PST THU JAN 1 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

BLIZZARD WARNING IS IN EFFECT...SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

ORZ022-027-031-021430-
CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY COAST-
SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES-
600 AM PST THU JAN 1 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON

.DAY ONE...TODAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

ORR

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 heavy snow, 2 blizzard. Local standard time, as filed.

Blizzard, Klamath Basin

When: January 1, 7:42 AM PST
Where: Klamath Basin forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.686, -121.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter KL09 in Klamath reported blizzard conditions.

Heavy Snow, Northern & Eastern Klamath County & Western Lake County

When: January 1, 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)

Cooperative observer in Chemult reported a 24 hour snow total of 11.5 inches.

Blizzard, Central & Eastern Lake County

When: January 1, 8:21 AM PST
Where: Central & Eastern Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.793, -120.387 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Cooperative observer in Lakeview reported blizzard conditions. He also recorded a 24 hour snow total of 8 inches ending at 2130 PST on 01/02.

Heavy Snow, Northern & Eastern Klamath County & Western Lake County

When: January 1, 9:43 AM PST
Where: Northern & Eastern Klamath County & Western Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.740, -121.018 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter KL73 in Crescent reported 8 inches of snow overnight.

Heavy Snow, Northern & Eastern Klamath County & Western Lake County

When: January 1, 12:08 PM PST
Where: Northern & Eastern Klamath County & Western Lake County forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.740, -121.018 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter KL97 in Crescent reported 8 inches of snow overnight.

Heavy Snow, Jackson County

When: January 1, 10:36 PM PST
Where: Jackson County forecast zone
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 42.432, -122.728 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter JA45 in Butte Falls reported 4 inches of snow 1200-1800 PST.

What these are

Blizzard: Sustained winds or frequent gusts of 35 mph or more with falling or blowing snow that cuts visibility below a quarter mile for three hours or longer.
Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Oregon in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Oregon, January 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: 5380831, 5380836, 5380832, 5380833, 5380834, 5380835.