A Winter Storm Warning was issued for the Kalmiopsis area in Oregon zone ORZ024 at 08/1032 PST, effective from 09/0400 to 10/0400 PST. It was converted to a Heavy Snow Warning at 08/1930 PST.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 the Kalmiopsis area in Oregon zone ORZ024 at 08/1032 PST, effective from 09/0400 to 10/0400 PST. It was converted to a Heavy Snow Warning at 08/1930 PST. The Warning was extended until 10/1600 PST at 09/0402 PST. It was cancelled at 10/0145 PST, which was too soon. The above observations, with the exception of the one near Azalea, were recorded just east of the Kalmiopsis area, which is nearly uninhabited. A Snow Advisory was in effect over the remaining interior west side zones. Numerous traffic accidents were reported throughout the area...but no known fatalities.
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 Mar 8, 8:30 PM PST, 3 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
830 PM PST WED MAR 8 2006
.DISCUSSION...FAST MOVING COLD FRONT HAS ALREADY PASSED THROUGH THE
ROGUE VALLEY AND WILL PROBABLY BE OUT OF THE ENTIRE FORECAST AREA BY
10PM. A MUCH COLDER AIRMASS WILL SPREAD OVER THE AREA BY
THURSDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER TO NEAR 1000
FEET WEST OF THE CASCADES. THE 00Z MODEL AND CURRENT SATELLITE DATA
COMING IN SEEMS TO SUGGEST THAT WE WILL SEE THE AREAL COVERAGE OF
PRECIPITATION DECREASE FOR A SHORT PERIOD BETWEEN 06Z TO 12Z
THURSDAY MORNING...THEN INCREASE AFTER 12Z THURSDAY AS THE COLDER
AIRMASS DEEPENS OVER THE REGION. SHOULD BE PLENTY OF SHOWER ACTIVITY
AROUND THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY UNDER A COLD MOIST CYCLONIC FLOW.
SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN QUITE LOW THROUGH THE PERIOD AND ADDITIONAL
SNOWACCUMULATIONS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY NIGHT INTO FRIDAY DOWN TO
NEAR 1000 FEET WEST SIDE VALLEYS.
&&
.AVIATION...MAINLY MVFR CONDITIONS IN RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS CAN BE
EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. LOCAL IFR CONDITIONS IN HEAVIER SNOW
SHOWERS DEVELOPING BY EARLY THURSDAY MORNING.
&&
WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING THURSDAY MORNING FLORENCE OR
TO OR/CA BORDER 0-60NM.
HEAVY SNOW WARNING ORZ024 ABOVE 1000 FEET 4 AM THU TO
4 AM FRI.
SNOW ADVISORY ABOVE 1000 FEET 4 AM THU TO 4 AM FRI
ORZ023-025-026.
CA...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS OR/CA BORDER TO PT.
ST GEORGE CA 0-60NM UNTIL 10PM.
HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING THURSDAY MORNING OR/CA BORDER TO PT.
ST GEORGE CA 0-60NM.
WINTER STORM WARNING CAZ080 ABOVE ABOVE 4000 FEET TO 4 AM THU.
HEAVY SNOW WARNING CAZ080 ABOVE 1500 FEET 4 AM THU TO 4 AM FRI.
ALSO VISIT THE NWS ON THE WEB AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/MEDFORDHAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR 756 PM PST WED MAR 8 2006 PZZ350-356-370-376-091200- FLORENCE, OR TO CAPE BLANCO, OR 0 TO 60 NM- CAPE BLANCO, OR TO PT. ST. GEORGE, CA 0 TO 60 NM- 756 PM PST WED MAR 8 2006 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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. SEE PDXCWFMFR FOR DETAILS. ORZ024-091200- EASTERN CURRY COUNTY AND JOSEPHINE COUNTY- 756 PM PST WED MAR 8 2006 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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY HEAVY SNOW WARNING ABOVE 1000 FEET 4AM THURSDAY-4AM FRIDAY. ORZ023-025>027-030-091200- CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY-EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS- JACKSON COUNTY- NORTHERN AND EASTERN KLAMATH COUNTY AND WESTERN LAKE COUNTY- SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES- 756 PM PST WED MAR 8 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY SNOW ADVISORY ZONES 027 AND 030 THROUGH 4AM THURSDAY. SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY SNOW ADVISORY ZONES 025 AND 026 4AM THURSDAY-4AM FRIDAY. SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. ORZ021-022-091200- CURRY COUNTY COAST-SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST- 756 PM PST WED MAR 8 2006 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...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. HIGH SURF ADVISORY IN EFFECT THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. SEE PDXCFWMFR FOR DETAILS. CAZ080-091200- WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY- 756 PM PST WED MAR 8 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA .DAY ONE...TODAY WINTER STORM WARNING ABOVE 4000 FEET TONIGHT. SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY HEAVY SNOW WARNING ABOVE 1000 FEET 4AM THURSDAY-4AM FRIDAY. STAVISH
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotter DO33 N of Azalea at 1990 feet recorded 4.5 inches of snow overnight.
A member of the public in Cave Junction reported 8 inches of snow in 10 hours.
Spotter JO74 2 NNE Selma at 1200 feet reported 8 inches of snow in 12 hours.
Spotter JO36 1SSW OBrien at 1550 feet reported 8 inches of snow in 7 hours.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, March 2006
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: 5495247, 5495165, 5495166, 5495164.