Several strong thunderstorms formed over the coastal waters and moved onshore. Several of them likely contained very strong winds, but only one report of high winds was received.
Every event with a place to put it. 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.
Several strong thunderstorms formed over the coastal waters and moved onshore. Several of them likely contained very strong winds, but only one report of high winds was received.
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 16, 10:11 AM PST, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
1011 AM PST SAT JAN 16 2016
.AVIATION...FOR THE 16/18Z TAF CYCLE...A STRONG UPPER SHORTWAVE
IS MOVING THROUGH THE AREA THIS MORNING BRINGING MODERATE TO
HEAVY SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS, SOME OF WHICH MAY PRODUCE
SMALL HAIL. EXPECT WIDESPREAD MVFR CONDITIONS AT ALL WEST SIDE
TERMINALS THIS MORNING WITH A PERIOD OF IFR CIGS/VIS POSSIBLE AS
THE MAIN BAND OF SHOWERS/STORMS MOVES THROUGH. THUNDERSTORMS ARE
EXPECTED TO DIMINISH AS THIS SYSTEM MOVES EAST OF THE CASCADES
THIS AFTERNOON, BUT IT WILL STILL BRING THE POTENTIAL FOR
MODERATE SHOWERS TO KLMT. ALL OF THIS WILL DIMINISH BY LATE
AFTERNOON WITH MVFR TO VFR CONDITIONS THIS EVENING. ANOTHER FRONT
WILL APPROACH LATE TONIGHT WITH LOW LEVEL WIND SHEAR DEVELOPING
OVER WEST SIDE TERMINALS EARLY SUNDAY MORNING AND RAIN ARRIVES
THERE AFTER. -WRIGHT
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 823 AM PST SAT JAN 16 2016/
DISCUSSION...A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING INTO THE OUTER
MARINE WATERS AND THEY ARE MOVING EAST TO NORTHEAST. A SPECIAL
MARINE WARNING WILL BE ISSUED TO COVER FOR THIS. IN ADDITION ADDED
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS FOR THE REST OF THE MARINE WATERS AND ALONG
THE COAST FOR THIS MORNING AND AFTERNOON. ALSO ADDED SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS WHERE THE LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING. THIS
IS ALL DEVELOPING AHEAD OF A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WHICH IS EXPECTED TO
MOVE THROUGH WEST OF THE CASCADES THIS MORNING, THEN EASTSIDE IN
THE AFTERNOON. A BRIEF BREAK IN THE WEATHER IS EXPECTED THIS
EVENING, THEN ANOTHER STRONG WARM FRONT WILL BRING ANOTHER ROUND
OF MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION AND MODERATE TO STRONG WINDS IN
THE SHASTA VALLEY AND HIGHER ELEVATIONS EAST OF THE CASCADES.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE A HIGH WIND WATCH OUT FOR SUNDAY'S STORM WHICH
COULD END UP BEING UPGRADED TO A WARNING BY THIS AFTERNOON.
DECIDED TO CANCEL THE WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FOR THEW CASCADES
AND PORTIONS OF NORTHERN CAL. RADAR IS A LINE OF SHOWERS THAT WILL
BRING ADDITIONAL SNOW SHOWERS TO THE SISKIYOUS AND CASCADES, BUT
ROADS SHOULD BE WARMER DURING THE DAYLIGHT HOURS, SO ADDITIONAL
ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO 1-3 INCHES WITH THE BEST CHANCE
FOR 3 INCHES NEAR CRATER LAKE AND MOUNT ASHLAND.
SNOW LEVELS WILL COME UP BRIEFLY THIS MORNING, THEN COME DOWN
THIS AFTERNOON AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. THEY WILL COME UP
AGAIN ON SUNDAY AS THE WARM FRONT PUSHES THROUGH, BUT THEY MAY NOT
REMAIN HIGH FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME BEFORE LOWERING AGAIN LATE
SUNDAY AFTERNOON OR EVENING. ALSO THE THE PAST COUPLE RUNS OF THE
NAM AND GFS SUGGEST MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION WILL SHIFT
SOUTH INTO NORTHERN CAL LATE SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
-PETRUCELLI
MARINE...UPDATED 350 AM PST SATURDAY 15 JAN 2016...SOUTH GALES
AND VERY STEEP WIND DRIVEN SEAS WILL CONTINUE THIS MORNING THEN
WINDS WILL BRIEFLY LOWER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ANOTHER
PERIOD OF GALE FORCE WINDS IS EXPECTED LATE THIS EVENING THROUGH
SUNDAY MORNING. VERY STEEP SEAS TODAY WILL BECOME SWELL DOMINATED
LATE THIS MORNING AND THIS AFTERNOON AS LARGE AND LONG PERIOD WEST
SWELL RAPIDLY BUILDS INTO THE WATERS. LARGE WEST SWELL WILL
PERSIST TONIGHT INTO SUNDAY AND COMBINE WITH VERY STEEP WIND WAVES
TO BRING CHAOTIC AND HAZARDOUS SEAS TO THE WATERS. LARGE AND VERY
STEEP SEAS WILL GRADUALLY LOWER LATE SUNDAY NIGHT. ADDITIONAL
STRONG FRONTS ARE EXPECTED THROUGH LATE NEXT WEEK...RESULTING IN
PERIODS OF STRONG SOUTH WINDS AND VERY STEEP SEAS. /CC
PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 448 AM PST SAT JAN 16 2016/
DISCUSSION...
A MATURE FRONTAL SYSTEM CONTINUES TO PUSH THROUGH THE FORECAST
AREA THIS MORNING, WITH PLENTY OF SHOWERS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE
INTO THE AFTERNOON. SNOW LEVELS HAVE BEEN SOMEWHAT SLOW TO RISE
OVERNIGHT AND NO FREEZING RAIN HAS YET TO BE REPORTED.
TEMPERATURES AT KLAMATH FALLS HAVE WARMED TO 36 DEGREES, SO THE
THREAT HAS PASSED THERE. HOWEVER, WE'RE HANGING ONTO THE WINTER
WEATHER ADVISORY NEAR THERE THROUGH 7AM PST BECAUSE TEMPERATURES
FROM KENO NORTHEASTWARD INTO THE CHEMULT AND CRESCENT AREAS
INDICATE FREEZING OR FROZEN PRECIPITATION COULD BE OCCURRING
AND/OR COULD OCCUR. LAST UPDATES FROM ODOT WERE AROUND 830PM LAST
EVENING.
FOR SNOW LEVELS TODAY THROUGH MONDAY, HAVE DECIDED TO GO MOSTLY
WITH THE ECMWF, AS IT IS THE ONLY MODEL THAT IS PICKING UP ON THE
INTRICACIES OF THE AIR MASS OVER THE MOUNT SHASTA AREA, KLAMATH
FALLS AREA, AND THE SISKIYOUS. THIS SUPPORTS A CONTINUATION OF
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORIES FOR THE CASCADES, SISKIYOUS, AND A SMALL
PORTION OF THE EAST SIDE THROUGH 10 AM PST. IT IS POSSIBLE THE
ADVISORY IN THE CRATER LAKE AREA MIGHT NEED TO BE EXTENDED INTO
THE AFTERNOON IF SHOWER ACTIVITY IS AS ROBUST AS THE NAM12'S
LATEST RUN INDICATES.
WINDS WILL PEAK THIS MORNING ACROSS THE AREA, AND SEEM TO BE ON
TRACK AT THE CURRENT TIME.
AFTER A BRIEF BREAK THIS EVENING, THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM WILL
ARRIVE OVERNIGHT INTO SUNDAY. THIS STORM WILL BE WARMER, WITH SNOW
LEVELS BEGINNING AROUND 6KFT AND THEN RISING TO NEAR 7KFT, AND
MAYBE AS HIGH AS 8KFT. HAVE SIDED WITH THE COOLER ECMWF IN
KEEPING SNOW LEVELS ON THE LOWER SIDE OF THE ENVELOPE OF GUIDANCE
DUE TO RECENT MODEL PERFORMANCE AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT THE
PRECIPITATION RATES AT THE TIME OF THE WARMEST PERIOD DEPICTED BY
THE MODELS SHOULD BE HEAVY ENOUGH TO LOWER SNOW LEVELS TO AT LEAST
THE LOWER SIDE OF THE GUIDANCE. STILL, WITH 2 TO 4 INCHES OF
PRECIPITATION COMBINED WITH SOME MELTING SNOW AT THE 3000 TO 7000
FOOT ELEVATIONS, WE DO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT EXCESSIVE RUN OFF AND
LANDSLIDE POTENTIAL ACROSS MUCH OF SISKIYOU...JOSEPHINE...AND
CURRY COUNTIES. AT THIS POINT IT APPEARS THAT STREAMS, CREEKS, AND
URBAN FLOODING ARE LIKELY TO BE THE MAIN CONCERN. ON THURSDAY A
SIMILAR, BUT COLDER AND NOT QUITE AS WET FRONTAL SYSTEM CAUSED
SOME STREAMS AND CREEKS TO REACH BANKFULL IN JOSEPHINE COUNTY, SO
THE CONCERNS ARE REALISTIC. MODELS DIFFER QUITE A BIT WITH
PRECIPITATION FORECASTS IN JACKSON COUNTY, AS USUAL, DUE TO
DIFFERING DEPICTION OF DOWNSLOPE DRYING. FOR NOW WENT WITH A MID-
RANGE FORECAST. IF THE WETTER END OF THE GUIDANCE WERE TO OCCURWE'D
LIKELY HAVE SOME SIMILAR FLOOD CONCERNS IN JACKSON COUNTY, AS
WELL.
WINDS WITH THIS NEXT FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL ALSO BE STRONG AGAIN. FOR
NOW, HAVE WATCHES OUT FOR SOME AREAS. AN ADVISORY MIGHT BE NEEDED
FOR PORTIONS OF THE ROGUE VALLEY. MODELS ALSO HAD BEEN INDICATING
70 KT 700MB WINDS AND 50KT 850MB WINDS REACHING THE SISKIYOUS AND
CASCADES AND 70 KNOT WINDS AT 850MB REACHING THE COAST, BUT HAVE
BACKED OFF ON 06Z RUNS. IF THESE INCREASE AGAIN WE'LL LIKELY NEED
TO ADD SOME HIGH WIND WATCHES FOR THESE AREAS. FOR NOW IT LOOKS
WINDY, BUT NOT EXCESSIVELY SO.
THE PARADE OF STORMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE WEEK AND BEYOND.
THE NEXT ORDER OF BUSINESS AFTER THE WEEKEND STORM WILL BE
TRACKING A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM DUE TO AFFECT US ON TUESDAY. THERE
ARE HINTS THAT THIS COULD BE A WIND BOMB, MEANING MOSTLY A WIND
STORM, BUT THE PROGRESSIVE NATURE OF THE PATTERN SEEMS TO INDICATE
THAT ANOTHER WET STORM IS EQUALLY AS LIKELY TO OCCUR. BTL
&&
.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR ORZ030-031.
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT FOR
ORZ030-031.
FLOOD WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT FOR
ORZ022-024.
HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST MONDAY FOR ORZ021-022.
CA...HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR CAZ085.
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT FOR
CAZ085.
FLOOD WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH LATE SUNDAY NIGHT FOR
CAZ080-082.
HIGH WIND WARNING UNTIL 4 PM PST THIS AFTERNOON FOR CAZ081.
HIGH WIND WATCH FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING FOR
CAZ081.
PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...GALE WARNING UNTIL 10 AM PST SUNDAY FOR
PZZ350-356-370-376.
HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING UNTIL 4 AM PST MONDAY FOR PZZ350-356.
HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING FROM 10 AM SUNDAY TO 4 AM PST MONDAY FOR
PZZ370-376.The Medford radar (KMAX), 188 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 19:30 UTC.
1 thunderstorm wind. Local standard time, as filed.
A spotter 2SSE Coos Bay reported that a wind gust estimated at 70-75 mph blew off shingles and caused widespread tree damage. Power lines were damaged by the winds and trees, and 13000 people were without power at one point. Time of the wind event was estimated.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, January 2016
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: 610499.