Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 6 to 7, 2013

Name: Heavy Snow in Oregon, December 6 to 7, 2013
Start: 2013-12-06T06:00
End: 2013-12-07T12:00
Location: Oregon

December 6 to 7, 2013 · NWS MFR · 6 events in 6 counties and zones

A storm moved into southern Oregon and northern California withe a cold air mass already in place in the valleys. down to below 500 feet in elevation.

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.

A storm moved into southern Oregon and northern California withe a cold air mass already in place in the valleys. This allowed significant amounts of snow fall at unusually low elevations...down to below 500 feet in elevation. The cold air remained in place in the valleys...so the snow melted very slowly over the next several weeks.

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 Dec 6, 3:44 AM PST, 2 hours 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 6, 3:44 AM PST, 2 hours 16 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
344 AM PST FRI DEC 6 2013

.SHORT TERM...A LOW PRESSURE CENTER IS LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 100
MILES OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL OREGON. AS THIS LOW
MOVES INLAND IT WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT SNOW TO THE AREA. MODEL
FORECASTS REMAIN ON TRACK SHOWING THIS LOW MOVING INTO THE
SOUTHERN OREGON COAST DURING THE MID TO LATE MORNING...THEN THE
LOW IS FORECAST TO TRACK INLAND INTO SOUTHWEST OREGON DURING THE
AFTERNOON BEFORE MOVING INTO EXTREME SOUTHEAST OREGON AND MODOC
COUNTY DURING THE EVENING. THE VERY COLD CONDITIONS AHEAD OF THIS
LOW WILL ALLOW THE MAJORITY OF THE PRECIPITATION TO FALL AS SNOW.

EARLY THIS MORNING LIGHT SNOW HAS BEGUN IN MUCH OF COOS COUNTY
AND DOUGLAS COUNTY. THIS IS SLIGHTLY EARLIER THAN THE 00Z MODEL
RUNS INDICATED. AS THIS LOW CONTINUES TO MOVE INTO THE COAST THIS
MORNING EXPECT MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW TO DEVELOP ALONG THE
COAST AND IN DOUGLAS COUNTY.

LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN IN OTHER AREAS FROM THE CASCADES
WEST LATER THIS MORNING, INCLUDING JOSEPHINE, JACKSON AND WESTERN
SISKIYOU COUNTIES. SNOW WILL INCREASE DURING THE LATE MORNING INTO
THE AFTERNOON FOR INLAND AREAS FROM CASCADES WEST WITH MODERATE TO
HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED ACROSS THESE AREAS. CURRENT MODEL FORECASTS
CONTINUE TO SHOW THAT SNOW PERSISTS INTO THE EVENING FROM THE
CASCADES WEST...DECREASING FROM NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST AS THE LOW
TRACKS EAST OF THE CASCADES. BY FRIDAY NIGHT, EXPECT ACTIVITY TO
DECREASE TO LIGHT SHOWERS WITH ACCUMULATING SNOW MOST LIKELY ALONG
THE CASCADES AND SISKIYOUS AND IN THE FOOTHILLS. ALONG THE COAST
TODAY, EXPECT MOST THE SNOW TO OCCUR DURING THE MORNING BELOW 500
FEET. THEN EXPECT RAIN TO MIX WITH SNOW IN THE AFTERNOON OVER THE
LOWER ELEVATIONS WITH CONTINUED SNOW ACCUMULATIONS, ESPECIALLY
ABOVE 1000 FEET ELEVATION. HAVE MADE ONLY FINE ADJUSTMENTS TO THE
SNOWFALL FORECAST. TODAY THROUGH TONIGHT, STILL EXPECT 3 TO 6
INCHES OF SNOW IN MOST WEST SIDE VALLEYS AND EVEN ALONG THE COAST
WITH 6 TO 12 INCHES IN THE CASCADES, SISKIYOUS AND MOUNTAINS WEST
OF THE CASCADES.

EAST OF THE CASCADES, LIGHT SNOW IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP IN
NORTHERN KLAMATH COUNTY THIS MORNING. THEN MODERATE TO LOCALLY
HEAVY SNOW WILL DEVELOP IN THE AFTERNOON INTO THE EARLY EVENING.
SNOW WILL PERSIST OVERNIGHT BUT DECREASE TO LIGHT TO MODERATE
SHOWERS. SOUTH WINDS COMBINED WITH THE DRY SNOW MAY PRODUCE
LIMITED VISIBILITIES AT TIMES, ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND
INTO THE EVENING WHEN WINDS ARE BREEZY AT 10 TO 20 MPH OVER THE
MOUNTAINS AND EAST OF THE CASCADES.

BY SATURDAY MORNING...THE LOW WILL HAVE SHIFTED WELL EAST OF THE
AREA INTO NORTHEAST NEVADA BUT A VERY COLD UPPER LEVEL TROUGH WILL
REMAIN OVER THE AREA AND WRAP AROUND MOISTURE WILL BRING SHOWERS.
THE 00Z MODEL RUNS SHOW ONLY LIGHT AND ISOLATED SNOW SHOWERS FOR
AREAS WEST OF THE CASCADES WITH SCATTERED ACTIVITY STILL POSSIBLE
NEAR THE SISKIYOUS AND FROM THE CASCADES EAST. THEN SHOWERS DIMINISH
DURING THE DAY SATURDAY.

THIS UPPER TROUGH SHIFTS EAST SATURDAY NIGHT WITH COLD NORTHERLY
FLOW OVER THE REGION. THIS PATTERN WILL BRING VERY COLD ARCTIC AIR
INTO THE AREA SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH EARLY MONDAY. MODEL GUIDANCE
IS SHOWING EXTREMELY COLD TEMPERATURES SUNDAY MORNING AND MONDAY
MORNING. ON MONDAY THE 00Z NAM SHOWS A WEAK DISTURBANCE MOVING
SOUTH DOWN THE COAST BUT THE OTHER MODELS ARE MUCH WEAKER WITH
THIS FEATURE. SO HAVE ONLY INTRODUCED SLIGHT CHANCE FOR
PRECIPITATION TO THE COAST AD WEST SIDE AREAS. IF THE NAM
VERIFIES, THEN CLOUD COVER SUNDAY NIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING MAY
MODERATE THE VERY COLD TEMPERATURES SLIGHTLY, ESPECIALLY FOR WEST
SIDE LOCATIONS.

&&

.AVIATION...BASED ON THE 06/06Z TAF CYCLE.

CONDITIONS REMAIN VFR EARLY THIS MORNING, EXCEPT FOR LOCAL MVFR IN
THE COOS AND DOUGLAS COUNTY. MID AND HIGH LEVEL CLOUDS ARE INCREASING
AHEAD OF A COLD FRONT. DUE TO THIS FRONT, IFR CIGS/VSBYS IN
RAIN/SNOW/FOG WILL DEVELOP NEAR THE COAST BETWEEN 12Z-15Z THEN
SPREAD INLAND TO THE CASCADES DURING THE AFTERNOON TODAY WITH THE
HIGHER TERRAIN BECOMING OBSCURED. AREAS OF IFR CIGS/VSBYS IN SNOW
WILL DEVELOP EAST OF THE CASCADES FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING
WHILE THE IFR DUE TO SNOW LINGERS WEST OF THE CASCADES. SNOW
SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED TO DECREASE IN NUMBER LATE TONIGHT INTO
SATURDAY MORNING BUT THIS LINGERING ACTIVITY WILL PRODUCE VARIABLE
CONDITIONS WITH CIGS AND VSBYS FREQUENTLY IFR. THIS WILL ALSO KEEP
THE HIGHER TERRAIN FREQUENTLY OBSCURED.

&&

.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST
     SATURDAY FOR ORZ029>031.
     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST
     SATURDAY FOR ORZ029>031.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 AM PST THIS MORNING FOR
     ORZ021-022.
     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM PST SATURDAY
     FOR ORZ024-026.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR ORZ023.
     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM PST SATURDAY
     FOR ORZ025.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM PST
     SATURDAY FOR ORZ027-028.
     WINTER STORM WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR
     ORZ021>023.

CA...WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 7 AM THIS MORNING TO 4 AM PST SATURDAY
     FOR CAZ080-081.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST
     SATURDAY FOR CAZ082-083.
     WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 AM PST
     SATURDAY FOR CAZ084-085.
     WINTER STORM WARNING FROM 1 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 AM PST
     SATURDAY FOR CAZ083>085.

PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON
     TO 4 AM PST SATURDAY FOR PZZ350-356.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 4 PM
     PST SATURDAY FOR PZZ370.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON
     TO 10 PM PST SATURDAY FOR PZZ370.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 10 PM
     PST SATURDAY FOR PZZ376.
     HAZARDOUS SEAS WATCH FROM THIS EVENING THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING
     FOR PZZ376.
     SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON
     TO 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR PZZ376.

CC

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Jackson County

When: December 6, 6:00 AM PST to December 7, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Jackson County forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.432, -122.728 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Numerous reports of heavy snow were recorded. A member of the public in Gold Hill reported 4.0 inches at 1600 feet in 8 hours ending at 06/1415 PST. He also reported multiple vehicles have slid off the road into the ditch on old Highway 99 from Grants Pass to Gold Hill. A member of the public in Trail and another in Gold Hill both reported 4.0 inches of snow in nine hours ending at 06/1500 PST. A spotter 4N Eagle Point reported 5.3 inches of snow in 10.5 hours ending at 06/1630 PST. An NWS employee in Eagle Point reported 5.0 inches of snow in 10.5 hours ending at 06/1430 PST and numerous accidents on Highway 62 from Medford to Eagle Point. A spotter in Phoenix reported 3.5 inches of snow in 12 hours ending at 06/1730 PST. A spotter 1SW Medford reported 4.0 inches of snow in 12 hours ending at 06/1730 PST. A member of the public in Ashland reported 4.0 inches in 75 minutes at 2150 feet ending at 06/1730 PST. A spotter near Del Rio Vineyard reported 4.5 inches of snow between 06/0800 and 06/1500 PST. A spotter in Rogue River reported 5.0 inches of snow in 12 hours ending at 06/1800 PST. A spotter 3WSW Phoenix reported 5.0 inches of snow between 06/1400 PST and 06/1645 PST. A member of the public at Ashland Middle School reported 5.8 inches of snow between 06/1500 PST and 06/1800 PST. A spotter in Ashland reported 6.0 inches at 2340 feet in three hours ending at 06/1730 PST. A spotter 6SW Shady Cove reported 3.5 inches of snow in 6 hours ending at 16/2100 PST. A spotter in Shady Cove recorded 4.5 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 06/1950 PST. A member of the public in Ruch reported 4.0 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 06/2225 PST. A member of the public in White City reported 5.0 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 06/2220 PST. A member of the public 4NW Gold Hill reported 7.0 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 06/2215 PST. A member of the public in Eagle Point reported 7.0 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 06/2220 PST. A spotter 1ENE Ashland reported 7.0 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 07/1030 PST, six inches of which fell by 06/2300 PST. A member of the public in Butte Falls reported 10.0 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 07/1700 PST. Another member of the public in Butte Falls reported 14.0 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 07/1200 PST. A member of the public in Shady Cove reported 8.0 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 07/1100 PST. A member of the public in Prospect reported 7.3 inches of snow at 2500 feet ending at 07/1200 PST. A member of the public 1SSE Ashland reported 7.8 inches of snow in 24 hours at 2100 feet ending at 07/1500 PST. A member of the public in Trail reported 10.0 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 07/0900 PST. A member of the public in Ashland reported 7.5 inches of snow in 24 hours at 2150 feet ending at 07/0900 PST. A member of the public 5NE Gold Hill reported 7.0 inches of snow in Sam's Valley in 24 hours ending at 07/0700 PST.

Heavy Snow, Eastern Curry County & Josephine County

When: December 6, 6:00 AM PST to December 7, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Eastern Curry County & Josephine County forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.417, -123.886 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A spotter 1N Williams reported 5.0 inches of snow in 12 hours or so ending at 06/1630 PST. A spotter 1W Williams reported 3.0 inches of snow at 1650 feet between 06/1445 and 06/1600 PST, and 6 inches total in less than 12 hours ending at 06/1600 PST. A member of the public 4SE Sunny Valley reported 4.0 inches of snow in Hugo in 12 hours ending at 06/1730 PST. A spotter 1SSE Murphy reported 4.0 inches between 06/0800 and 06/1630 PST. A member of the public in WSW Grants Pass reported 6.0 inches of snow in 12 hours ending at 06/1800 PST. A member of the public 2S Wilderville reported 7.5 inches of snow in Wonder in 24 hours ending at 07/0700 PST.

Heavy Snow, Central Douglas County

When: December 6, 6:00 AM PST to December 7, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Central Douglas County forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 43.235, -123.636 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A spotter 10 NW Tiller reported 5.0 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 06/1650 PST, but other reports indicate the bulk of the snow fell in the last 12 hours. A spotter 2E Scottsburg reported 5.5 inches on the Umpqua River ending at 06/1945 PST.

Heavy Snow, Klamath Basin

When: December 6, 6:00 AM PST to December 7, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Klamath Basin forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.686, -121.650 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A member of the public 7WNW Modoc Point reported 12.0 inches of snow in 12 hours at Rocky Point ending at 06/1730 PST.

Heavy Snow, South Central Oregon Coast

When: December 6, 6:00 AM PST to December 7, 12:00 PM PST
Where: South Central Oregon Coast forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.979, -123.829 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A spotter 2E Scottsburg reported 5.5 inches on the Umpqua River ending at 06/1945 PST. While this report was not in ORZ021, it was very close to the boundary. No snowfall reports were received from ORZ021 as the snow level was forecast to be 1500 feet and there are no spotters or snow observation stations that high in ORZ021. However, judging from a known low snow level and several rainfall reports exceeding 0.50 inches in ORZ021, it is assumed that heavy snow criteria was met in ORZ021.

Heavy Snow, Curry County Coast

When: December 6, 6:00 AM PST to December 7, 12:00 PM PST
Where: Curry County Coast forecast zone
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 42.467, -124.215 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

No snowfall reports were received from ORZ022 as the snow level was forecast to be 1500 feet and there are no spotters or snow observation stations that high in ORZ022. However, judging from a known low snow level and several rainfall reports exceeding 0.50 inches in ORZ022, along with many heavy snowfall reports in adjacent zone ORZ024, it is assumed that heavy snow criteria was met in ORZ022.

What these are

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 2013 Every state in 2013 This day in weather history Warnings in Oregon, December 2013

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: 481973, 481974, 481986, 481987, 482496, 482497.