A Winter Storm Warning was issued for Oregon zones ORZ024 above 1000 feet at 07/0500 PST, effective 07/1600 to 08/1600 PST. Another Winter Storm Warning was issued for ORZ026 above 1500 feet at 08/0830 PST, effective until 09/0400 PST.
Every event with a place to put it; 31 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS MFR wrote it up.
A Winter Storm Warning was issued for Oregon zones ORZ024 above 1000 feet at 07/0500 PST, effective 07/1600 to 08/1600 PST. Another Winter Storm Warning was issued for ORZ026 above 1500 feet at 08/0830 PST, effective until 09/0400 PST. Both warnings were cancelled at 08/1400 PST. Numerous reports verified the warning, and one report verified a Heavy Snow Warning in zone ORZ028
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 7, 3:52 AM PST, 38 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
352 AM PST FRI JAN 7 2005
.DISCUSSION...TWO LOWS TO DEAL WITH TODAY..ONE COMING IN FROM THE
NORTHWEST AND THE OTHER COMING UP FROM THE SOUTHWEST. RADAR SHOWING
WIDESPREAD PRECIP RAPIDLY ADVANCING INLAND AND NORTH FROM THE
SOUTHERN LOW AND PRECIP ALSO STARTING TO INCREASE IN SOUTH TO
SOUTHEAST FLOW BETWEEN THE TWO LOWS OVER WESTERN OREGON. FAIRLY GOOD
OVERUNNING THIS MORNING INTO EARLY AFTERNOON WITH PRECIP EXPECTED TO
OVERSPREAD THE AREA...LEAST AMOUNTS FAR EASTERN ZONES. SNOW LEVELS
SHUD RISE FROM NEAR 1500 FT THIS MORNING TO AROUND 2000 FEET BY MID
DAY.
LATER THIS AFTERNOON THE COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO COME INLAND
WITH THE UPPER LOW REMAINING OVER THE EPAC. THE FRONT MAY BE A BIT
DELAYED PERHAPS FROM PREVIOUS THINKING AS THE UPPER LOW SHOWS DIGGING
POTENTIAL OVER THE EPAC. TEMPERATURE PROFILES STILL SUPPORT SNOW
LEVELS FALLING TO NEAR VALLEY FLOORS MOST AREAS BEHIND THE FRONT.
LOOKS A LITTLE SKETCHY FOR ACCUMULATIONS DOWN TO 1000 FEET THOUGH
WITH TEMPS NOT LOOKING QUITE AS COLD AS PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT. THE UPPER
LEVELS WILL BE QUITE COLD HOWEVER AND THE FRONT LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE
FAIRLY ENERGETIC AND EXPECT THE COLD AIR ALOFT MAY BE PULLED DOWN IN
DEVELOPING INSTABILITY.
STILL EXPECT SISKIYOU COUNTY TO SEE WARNING AMOUNTS WHILE THE
REMAINDER OF THE AREA LOOKS ON TRACK WITH AT LEAST ADVISORIES. WILL
UPGRADE SOME AREAS TO WARNINGS...ZONES 024 IN OREGON...AND 081-083 IN
CA. AM ALSO INTRODUCING AN ADVISORY TO THE COAST RANGE ABOVE 1000
FEET TNT/SAT. THE SWRN TIER OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL BE HARDEST HIT
WITH THE PRECIP WITH MODEST SW FLOW ALOFT.
SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY LOOKS INTERESTING AS WELL AS THE FRONT
RETURNS NORTH AND HANGS OVER THE AREA WITH A WAVE DEVELOPING. COULD
SEE GOOD ONGOING PRECIP AMOUNTS...THOUGH SNOW LEVELS SHOULD RISE
UP A BIT FROM NEAR VALLEY FLOORS. GOOD POTENTIAL FOR ONGOING SNOW
HEADLINES.
MONDAY AND BEYOND...UPPER LOW FILLS AND COMES INLAND WITH DEVELOPING
NW FLOW AND SUBTLE RIDGING. POPS GRADUALLY TAPER OFF THROUGH THURS.
STAVISH
&&
.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WINTER STORM WARNING THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SATURDAY ABOVE 1000
FEET ZONE 24.
SNOW ADVISORY LATE THIS AFTERNOON THRU SATURDAY AFTERNOON ABOVE
1000 FT ZONES 021/022/23/25/26.
SNOW ADVISORY THIS MORNING THROUGH SATURDAY AFTERNOON ZONES
27/28/29/30/31.
CA...WINTER STORM WARNING THIS MORNING THRU SATURDAY AFTERNOON ZONES
80/81/82/83.
SNOW ADVISORY FRIDAY AFTERNOON THRU SATURDAY AFTERNOON ZONES
84/85.
&&
ALSO VISIT THE NWS ON THE WEB AT WEATHER.GOV/MEDFORDHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 700 AM PST THU JAN 6 2005 CAZ080-071430- WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY- 700 AM PST THU JAN 6 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WINTER STORM WATCH FOR FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. POSSIBLE HEAVY SNOW SATURDAY. SEE PDXSPSMFR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. CAZ081-084-085-ORZ021>031-071430- CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY-CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY- CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY COAST- EASTERN CURRY COUNTY AND JOSEPHINE COUNTY- EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS-JACKSON COUNTY-KLAMATH BASIN- MODOC COUNTY-NORTHEAST SISKIYOU AND NORTHWEST MODOC COUNTIES- NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY AND WESTERN LAKE COUNTY- SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN OREGON CASCADES- SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES-SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST- 700 AM PST THU JAN 6 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY POSSIBLE HEAVY SNOW FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. SEE PDXSPSMFR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. CAZ082-083-071430- NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST SISKIYOU COUNTY- SOUTH CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY- 700 AM PST THU JAN 6 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY WINTER STORM WATCH FOR FRIDAY MORNING TO SUNDAY AFTERNOON. SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED. GERIG
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
31 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotter 1SSW OBrien reported 4 inches of snow in 3.5 hours.
The cooperative observer at Cave Junction at 1280 feet reported 8 inches of snow in 24 hours.
The cooperative observer 1NW Williams at 1450 feet reported 10 inches of snow in 24 hours.
The coop observer at Prospect at 2582 feet recorded 9.9 inches of snow in 24 hours.
Spotter 5SW Ruch at China Gulch at 2000 feet reported 5 inches of snow overnight.
Spotter 5WNW Applegate at 1440 feet reported 7 inches of snow overnight.
Spotter 5WNW Applegate recorded 14.5 inches of snow in 24 hours.
Spotter 1SSW OBrien recorded 4 inches of snow overnight.
NWS Employee 2SW Shady Cove reported 7 inches overnight.
Spotter 4NNW Grants Pass at 1300 feet recorded 4 inches of snow in 12 hours.
Spotter 6SE Jacksonville recorded 6 inches of snow in 24 hours.
A SNOTEL station at Bigelow Camp at 5100 feet recorded 26 inches of snow in 24 hours.
16 inches of snow recorded at Sam's Valley in 24 hours.
12 inches of snow recorded at Grants Pass in 24 hours.
7 inches of snow recorded at Rogue River in 24 hours.
12 inches of snow recorded at Ruch in 24 hours.
14.5 inches of snow recorded at Azalea.
11 inches of snow recorded at Wimer.
Spotter N Azalea at 1990 feet reported 6.5 inches of snow in 7 hours. Snow depth on ground at 08/1200 PST was 12 inches.
NWS Employee at 1425 feet in Eagle Point recorded 6 inches of snow in 12 hours.
Spotter 1N Summer Lake at 4272 feet recorded 6 inches of snow in 8 hours.
Spotter 1N Ashland in Buncom at 1780 feet recorded 5 inches of snow overnight.
Spotter 2NNE Selma at 1200 feet reported 7 inches of snow in 9 hours.\
Spotter 1WSW Williams at 1600 feet recorded 12 inches of snow overnight.
Spotter 2 E Glendale recorded 6-7 inches of snow overnight.
Spotter 7W Shady Cove at Morris Creek and East Evans at 2000 feet 15 inches of new snow.
Spotter 4WNW Merlin at 900 feet recorded 8.5 inches of snow in 12 hours.
Spotter 3NE Merlin at 1100 feet recorded 5.5 inches of snow in 12 hours.
The cooperative observer at Cave Junction at 1280 feet reported 8 inches of snow in 24 hours.
The cooperative observer 1 NW Williams at 1450 feet reported 10 inches of snow in 24 hours.
The coop observer at Toketee Falls at 2060 feeet recorded 8.5 inches of snow in 24 hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, January 2005
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: 5434039, 5434268, 5434266, 5434037, 5434040, 5434041, 5434259, 5434158, 5434159, 5434160, 5434258, 5434036, 5434260, 5434261, 5434262, 5434263, 5434264, 5434265, 5434157, 5434252, 5434161, 5434250, 5434251, 5434253, 5434254, 5434255, 5434256, 5434257, 5434269, 5434267, 5434038.