An incoming front brought high winds to isolated locations in northern California.
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.
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.
An incoming front brought high winds to isolated locations in northern California.
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 14, 7:02 PM PST, 6 hours 1 minute earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
802 PM PDT SAT MAR 14 2015
.DISCUSSION...15/00Z NAM IN.
CLOUDY SKIES PREVAIL OVER THE MEDFORD CWA WITH WIDESPREAD
PRECIPITATION OVER MOST OF THE CWA. COVERAGE IS SPOTTIER OVER
EASTERN SISKIYOU AND MODOC COUNTIES. THERE ARE ALSO GUSTY SOUTH
TO SOUTHWEST WINDS ALONG THE COAST AND OVER RIDGES...AS WELL AS
THE SHASTA VALLEY. THE PRECIPITATION WILL MOVE NORTH WITH THE
WARM FRONT AND WILL END FROM THE SOUTH LATER TONIGHT.
A FRONT IS NOW ONSHORE OVER COOS AND DOUGLAS COUNTIES...BUT IT HAS
STALLED AS IT IS NOW PARALLEL TO THE UPPER LEVEL STEERING FLOW.
HOWEVER...A WAVE IS NOW DEVELOPING ON THIS FRONT OFFSHORE. THIS
WILL CAUSE THE INLAND PORTION TO PULL NORTH AS A WARM FRONT...THEN
THE TRAILING COLD FRONT WILL MOVE ONSHORE LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON
AND SUNDAY EVENING. THE DEEPENING OF THE SURFACE LOW ON THE
FRONTAL WAVE IS THE MAIN ITEM OF CONCERN AT THIS TIME...AS IT WILL
BRING STRONG WINDS TO PORTIONS OF THE MEDFORD CWA. HIGH WIND
WARNINGS AND WIND ADVISORIES HAVE ALREADY BEEN ISSUED FOR THIS
STORM AND ARE LISTED BELOW.
ON THE OTHER HAND...PRECIPITATION ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT...
WHILE SIGNIFICANT...WILL NOT BE EXCESSIVE AND NO FLOODING
PROBLEMS ARE ANTICIPATED. THE HEAVIEST AMOUNTS WILL BE IN THE
COAST RANGE ABOVE BROOKINGS.
THE SATURDAY AFTERNOON AFD COVERED THIS EVENT IN SOME DETAIL...AND
THAT DISCUSSION FOLLOWS WITH SOME MINIMAL EDITING.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON DISCUSSION...MUCH OF THE UNCERTAINTY REGARDING
THIS STORM STEMMED FROM VARYING MODEL REPRESENTATIONS OF THE
EXISTENCE AND STRENGTH OF A SURFACE LOW JUST OFFSHORE. NOW IT
APPEARS THAT THIS LOW WILL INDEED EXIST AND IS EXPECTED TO DEEPEN
AS IT SLIDES NORTH THROUGH THE COASTAL WATERS JUST OFFSHORE OF
OREGON. THIS PATTERN IS KNOWN TO PRODUCE STRONG WINDS ALONG THE
COAST. WITH MODELS PRODUCING WINDS IN THE BOUNDARY LAYER AND LOW
LEVELS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH...HAVE ISSUED A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR
THE COAST ALONG AND NORTH OF HUMBUG MOUNTAIN. MEANWHILE...ON THE
EAST SIDE AND IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA...WINDS AT 700 MB ARE
EXPECTED TO APPROACH 60 TO 70 MPH. THIS IS A GOOD PROXY FOR WIND
GUSTS THERE...SO HAVE OPTED TO ISSUE A WIND ADVISORY FOR MUCH OF
THE AREA WITH A HIGH WIND WARNING FOR THE USUAL PROBLEMATIC
LOCATIONS. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THESE AREAS PLEASE SEE THE
NON-PRECIPITATION HAZARD STATEMENT (NPWMFR).
AS FOR PRECIPITATION...MOISTURE FLOW INTO THE FORECAST AREA STILL
APPEARS STRONG...SUGGESTING A RATHER WELL DEFINED ATMOSPHERIC
RIVER EVENT. HOWEVER...THERE IS SOME QUESTION AS TO HOW MUCH OF
THIS MOISTURE CAN BE WRUNG OUT. AN UPPER LEVEL IMPULSE WILL HELP
PRODUCE RAIN OVER THE FORECAST AREA ALONG AND WEST OF THE CASCADES
TONIGHT. AFTER A BRIEF BREAK IN THE STEADY RAIN LATE TONIGHT...A
STRONG SHORTWAVE WILL PUSH THE FRONT INLAND LATE SUNDAY.
HOWEVER...BY THIS TIME...THE BULK OF THE MOISTURE WILL BE WELL TO
THE NORTH OF THE FORECAST AREA. DESPITE THIS...THE LATEST MODEL
RUNS DO SHOW A HEFTY SLUG OF MOISTURE PUSHING ONSHORE ALONG THE
COLD FRONT SUNDAY NIGHT. MUCH OF THIS RAIN WILL FALL OVER THE
SOUTHWESTERN PORTIONS OF THE FORECAST AREA...AS THE FRONT IS
EXPECTED TO WASH OUT AS IT MOVES FURTHER INLAND. ADJUSTED
PRECIPITATION CHANCES AND AMOUNTS TRENDS TOWARD THE HIGHER
RESOLUTION ARW AND DOWNSCALE NAM...AS THERE HAS BEEN SUCCESS WITH
THOSE MODELS WITH SIMILAR SYSTEMS. RAIN WILL TAPER OFF BY MONDAY
MORNING.
ANOTHER CHANGE TO THE FORECAST OCCURS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE
MAIN EVENT. THE GFS AND ECMWF HAVE RESOLVED A TROUGH SWINGING
SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST THROUGH THE AREA. ALTHOUGH THERE IS LITTLE
MOISTURE ASSOCIATED WITH IT...IT WILL PRODUCE ENOUGH INSTABILITY
TO PERHAPS BRING SOME SHOWERS AND MAYBE EVEN A ROLL OF THUNDER
HERE OR THERE TO MUCH OF THE FORECAST AREA. UNCERTAINTY REMAINS
HIGH AS THIS IS THE FIRST CYCLE TO SHOW SUCH A FEATURE. SO...HAVE
KEPT PRECIPITATION CHANCES AT SLIGHT TO CHANCE. ANY SHOWERS WITHIN
THE AREA SHOULD TAPER OFF TUESDAY NIGHT. -BPN
LONG TERM...WEDNESDAY THROUGH SATURDAY...THE ECMWF AND GFS ARE
IN GENERAL GOOD AGREEMENT WITH A RIDGE BUILDING OVER THE PACNW
WEDNESDAY. THE 18Z GFS IS NOW COMING IN LINE WITH THE ECMWF
SOLUTION THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT OF THE RIDGE SHIFTING TO THE
EAST AHEAD OF THE NEXT FRONT THAT SHOULD BRING PRECIPITATION INTO
THE COAST FRIDAY MORNING. SOUTH WINDS INCREASE AHEAD OF THE FRONT
BUT ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE AS STRONG AS SUNDAY'S WINDS. FROM THERE
MODELS DIVERGE...BUT NONE ARE EXCEPTIONALLY AMPLIFIED IN EITHER
DIRECTION AND HAVE GONE WITH A ZONAL SOLUTION FOR THE REMAINDER OF
THE EXTENDED
&&
.AVIATION...FOR THE 15/00Z TAF CYCLE...A STRENGTHENING WARM FRONT
WILL LIFT NORTHWARD ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA THIS EVENING AND
OVERNIGHT YIELDING MODERATE TO LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL FOR A FEW
HOURS FOR AREAS ALONG AND NEAR THE MARBLE MOUNTAINS IN CALIFORNIA
AND THE CASCADES IN OREGON. CEILINGS WILL DETERIORATE TO MVFR AND
IFR AS THIS BOUNDARY MOVES THROUGH. SOUTHEAST WINDS ARE EXPECTED
TO PICK UP IN THE WAKE OF THIS WARM FRONT, BUT SOME PATCHY FOG AND
LOW CLOUDS WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THE VALLEYS ON THE SOUTH END OF THE
FRONT LATE TONIGHT THROUGH EARLY SUNDAY. AS WINDS PICK UP SUNDAY
MORNING, EXPECT WIND SHEAR TO BE POSSIBLE AT MANY LOCATIONS,
CURRENTLY AT KLAMATH FALLS LATE MORNING AND AT NORTH BEND EARLY
MORNING TO MID-AFTERNOON. AN AIRPORT WEATHER WARNING WILL LIKELY
BE NEEDED AT KLAMATH FALLS SUNDAY LATE MORNING THROUGH THE
AFTERNOON. A STRONG FRONT PUSHING ONTO THE COAST WILL BRING A
PERIOD OF STRONG WINDS OVER THE COASTAL WATERS AND COAST IN THE
DURING THE AFTERNOON THROUGH THE EVENING. BTL
&&
.MARINE...UPDATED 300 PM PDT SATURDAY 14 MAR 2015...A FRONTAL
BOUNDARY DRAPED OVER THE COASTAL WATERS WILL BRING INCREASING
SOUTH WINDS AND RAINFALL THIS EVENING. LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH A
LITTLE AFTER MIDNIGHT A SURGE OF SOUTH WINDS IS EXPECTED AHEAD OF
A WARM FRONT LIFTING NORTHWARD. A RELATIVE LULL IN THE WINDS WILL
THEN OCCUR LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MID MORNING SUNDAY. WINDS AND SEAS
WILL RAPIDLY BUILD TO WARNING LEVELS SUNDAY AFTERNOON PERSISTING
INTO THE EVENING AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. THE STRONGEST
WINDS ARE LIKELY TO BETWEEN 10 AND 40 NAUTICAL MILES OF THE COAST
FROM CAPE BLANCO NORTHWARD BETWEEN 4PM AND 10PM PDT SUNDAY. THESE
WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH TO JUST SHORT OF STORM FORCE CAUSING
VERY STEEP WIND SEAS TO PEAK AROUND 17 FEET. EXPECT CONDITIONS TO
SETTLE DOWN EARLY THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK. ANOTHER FRONTAL
SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO ARRIVE IN THE THURSDAY TO FRIDAY TIME FRAME.
BTL
&&
.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 11 AM TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR
ORZ021-022-615-618-619.
HIGH WIND WARNING FROM 5 AM TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR
ORZ030-031-624-625.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR ORZ029.
CA...WIND ADVISORY FROM 5 AM TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR CAZ084-085-285.
WIND ADVISORY FROM 11 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR
CAZ081-082-281-282.
PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS FROM 11 PM
THIS EVENING TO 11 AM PDT SUNDAY FOR PZZ370.
HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING FROM 11 AM SUNDAY TO 5 AM PDT MONDAY
FOR PZZ350-370.
GALE WARNING FROM 11 AM TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR
PZZ350-356-370-376.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS FROM 11 PM THIS
EVENING TO 11 AM PDT SUNDAY FOR PZZ370-376.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR HAZARDOUS SEAS FROM 11 PM SUNDAY
TO 11 AM PDT MONDAY FOR PZZ350-356-370-376.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS FROM 11 AM TO 11 PM PDT
SUNDAY FOR PZZ356.
HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING FROM 11 AM TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR
PZZ356-376.
SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY FOR WINDS FROM 11 PM THIS
EVENING TO 11 PM PDT SUNDAY FOR PZZ376.
15/15/15PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
1237 AM PDT SUN MAR 15 2015
...TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
...DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1236 AM HEAVY RAIN 2 SSE COOS BAY 43.36N 124.22W
03/15/2015 M1.92 INCH COOS OR TRAINED SPOTTER
HEAVY RAIN DURATION 24 HOURS. OBSERVER
LOCATION SOUTH OF COOS BAY.
&&
MNDThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Bolam RAWS recorded a gust to 64 mph at 15/0203 PST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2015Every state in 2015This day in weather historyWarnings in California, March 2015
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: 556123.