Oregon, 2016

Flood in Oregon, January 17 to 18, 2016

January 17 to 18, 2016 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Heavy rains caused a minor flood on the Rogue River at Agness.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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
1

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.

Heavy rains caused a minor flood on the Rogue River at Agness.

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 Jan 17, 8:23 PM PST, 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 17, 8:23 PM PST, 27 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
823 PM PST SUN JAN 17 2016

.UPDATE...THE FORECAST WAS UPDATED EARLIER THIS EVENING TO CLEAN
UP SOME OF THE WIND HEADLINES, LOWER THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH AND
ADJUST SNOW LEVELS DOWNWARD/SNOW AMOUNTS UPWARD (ABOVE 4500 FEET
NORTH OF HIGHWAY 140) BASED ON WEB CAMS NEAR DIAMOND LAKE SHOWING
SOME PRETTY GOOD SNOW SHOWERS.

&&

.DISCUSSION...A POTENT COLD FRONT PUSHING EAST OF THE CASCADES
CONTINUES TO MOVE SLOWLY SOUTHWARD AND EASTWARD THIS EVENING.
THIS FRONT BROUGHT WIDESPREAD RAINFALL OF 3 TO 5 INCHES FROM THE
CURRY COAST SOUTHWARD TO WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY. 1 TO 3 INCH RAIN
AMOUNTS WERE COMMON ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF THE WEST SIDE,
INCLUDING HERE IN THE ROGUE VALLEY, WHERE RAINFALL SINCE MIDNIGHT
WAS 1.13 INCHES AT THE AIRPORT (THROUGH 8 PM). THE HEAVY RAIN BAND
BROUGHT AREAL FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS, CREEKS AND URBAN AREAS IN
PORTIONS OF JOSEPHINE, JACKSON AND SISKIYOU COUNTIES AND AN AREAL
FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES THERE THROUGH 1015 PM. SMALL STREAMS AND
CREEKS ARE STARTING TO TURN THE CORNER DOWNWARD, BUT SOME RIVERS
WILL STILL RISE OVERNIGHT INTO MONDAY. THE COQUILLE WILL BE
MONITORED FOR FLOOD POTENTIAL AND THE ROGUE AT AGNESS CURRENTLY IS
UNDER FLOOD WARNING.

THERE CAN STILL BE SOME SHOWERS THROUGH THE FIRST PART OF
TONIGHT, BUT PRECIPITATION WILL TREND DOWNWARD AND SHOULD END
OVERNIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING IN ALL AREAS BUT THE FAR SOUTH AND
EAST. EXPECT SOME LOW CLOUDS AND FOG TO DEVELOP IN THE VALLEYS
TOWARD MORNING. THE NEXT SYSTEM WILL BRING RAIN BACK TO THE COAST
MONDAY AFTERNOON, THEN RAIN WILL SPREAD INLAND MONDAY NIGHT. SPILDE

&&

.AVIATION...FOR THE 18/00Z TAF CYCLE...A COLD FRONT WITH MODERATE TO
HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON INTO
THE EVENING WITH THE TRAILING END OF THE PRECIP SHIELD NEAR THE
COAST AT THIS TIME. CONDITIONS WILL GENERALLY BE MVFR IN RAIN AT ALL
TERMINALS INLAND FROM THE COAST, HOWEVER, A PERIOD OF IFR CONDITIONS
IS POSSIBLE AS THE MAIN RAIN BAND MOVES THROUGH. RAIN WILL DIMINISH
FROM WEST TO EAST TONIGHT. MOUNTAINS WILL BE OBSCURED THROUGH
TONIGHT WITH AREAS OF FOG EXPECTED IN THE VALLEYS, BOTH EAST AND
WEST OF THE CASCADES. -SVEN

&&

.MARINE...UPDATED 750 PM PST SUNDAY 17 JAN 2016...VERY STEEP SWELL
DOMINATED SEAS WILL CONTINUES THROUGH TONIGHT. SEAS WILL LOWER
SLIGHTLY EARLY MONDAY MORNING. ANOTHER FRONT WILL BRING INCREASED
SOUTH WINDS AND STEEP TO VERY STEEP SEAS LATE MONDAY MORNING THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING. ADDITIONAL STRONG FRONTS ARE EXPECTED TUESDAY
THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK WITH GALES POSSIBLE TUESDAY. -SVEN

&&

.PREV DISCUSSION... /ISSUED 235 PM PST SUN JAN 17 2016/

DISCUSSION...MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES OVER MOST OF THE AREA.
HOWEVER THE BACK EDGE OF THE HEAVIER RAIN IS ALREADY IN WESTERN
JOSEPHINE CURRY AND SOUTHEAST DOUGLAS COUNTY AND WILL CONTINUE TO
SLOWLY MOVE EAST TO SOUTHEAST DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING.
THERE WERE A FEW SPOTTER REPORTS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS OVER BANKFULL
WITH SOME FLOODING NEAR APPLEGATE AND SELMA. GIVEN THAT SOME
FLOODING IS ALREADY OCCURRING AND MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL
CONTINUE INTO THIS EVENING, HAVE DECIDED TO ISSUE A AREAL FLOOD
WARNING FOR JOSEPHINE, JACKSON AND SISKIYOU COUNTY UNTIL 10:15 PM
PST THIS EVENING. ALSO THERE IS CONCERN FOR FLOODING AT THE SOUTH
FORK COQUILLE AT MYRTLE POINT AND AFTER COORDINATION WITH THE RFC,
WE'LL BE ISSUING A FLOOD WARNING FOR THAT POINT. IN ADDITION A FLASH
FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE BURN SCARS IN THE STABILITY OF
BURN SCARS IN WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY AT THE JULY AND HAPPY CAMP
WILDFIRE COMPLEXES. SO FAR HAVE NOT SEEN ANY REPORTS OF ANY SLIDES
AT ANY OF THESE LOCATIONS, BUT IT WILL BE SOMETHING THAT WILL NEED
TO BE MONITORED.

MODERATE TO HEAVY PRECIPITATION WILL DECREASE FROM NORTHWEST TO
SOUTHEAST THIS EVENING AS A COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH. SNOW LEVELS
WILL START OUT AROUND 6000 FEET, BUT ARE EXPECTED TO FALL BETWEEN
4500 AND 5000 FEET TONIGHT. HOWEVER BY THAT TIME MOST OF THE
SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION WILL HAVE MOVED OUT OF THE AREA, THUS
LIMITING THE AMOUNT OF ACCUMULATING SNOW FOR THE MOUNTAINS AND
EASTSIDE. WEAK SHORTWAVE RIDGING BUILDS IN BRIEFLY LATE TONIGHT INTO
MONDAY MORNING. THE NEXT FRONT WILL ARRIVE AT THE COAST LATE MONDAY
AFTERNOON AND MOVE INLAND MONDAY NIGHT, BUT THIS ONE IS NOT EXPECTED
TO BRING SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL AMOUNTS. ALSO SNOW LEVELS WILL BE
LOWER AT AROUND 5000 FEET.

WIND HEADLINES REMAIN INTACT, EXCEPT DECIDED TO CANCEL THE ADVISORY
FOR THE ROGUE VALLEY AND TRIM DOWN THE COVERAGE AREA OF THE HIGH
WIND WARNING FOR THE SHASTA VALLEY. GUSTY WINDS ARE EXPECTED NEAR
ASHLAND, BUT THEY WILL REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA.

OUR NEXT CONCERN COMES ON TUESDAY. THE MODELS CONTINUE TO SHOW A
SURFACE LOW DEVELOPING INSIDE OF 130W EARLY TUESDAY MORNING AND
MOVING NORTHEAST OFF THE OREGON COAST DURING THE DAY. THE MODELS
DIFFER WITH THE STRENGTH, TIMING AND TRACK OF THE SURFACE LOW. RIGHT
NOW THE NAM AND GFS SHOW SIMILAR SOLUTIONS TRACKING THE LOW
NORTHEAST ALONG THE OREGON COAST DURING THE DAY THURSDAY, BUT HAVE
BACKED OFF SLIGHTLY ON THE STRENGTH. IN CONTRAST, THE EC AND
CANADIAN TRACK THE LOW FURTHER SOUTH NEAR THE OREGON/CAL BORDER.
CONFIDENCE REMAINS LOW ON THE TRACK OF THE LOW AND FOR NOW HAVE
MADE LITTLE CHANGE TO TUESDAY'S FORECAST.

THE WEATHER QUIETS DOWN AGAIN WEDNESDAY AS SHORTWAVE RIDGING BUILDS
IN, BUT A WARM FRONT WILL APPROACH LATE IN THE DAY AND COULD BRING
LIGHT STEADY PRECIPITATION WEST OF THE CASCADES LATE IN THE DAY.
-PETRUCELLI

LONG TERM...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...FEW CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE
EXTENDED FORECAST THIS AFTERNOON AS MODELS REMAIN IN DECENT
AGREEMENT IN A CONTINUATION OF UNSETTLED WEATHER. THE NEXT
ATMOSPHERIC RIVER WILL EDGE INTO THE COAST ON THURSDAY AND THEN
REMAIN OVER OUR AREA UNTIL A KICKER SYSTEM WEAKENS AND DISPLACES IT
TO THE SOUTH AND EAST ON FRIDAY. MOIST, WESTERLY FLOW WILL THEN SET
IN OVER THE AREA FOR THE WEEKEND FOR A CONTINUED CHANCE OF RAIN.
THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS OF A WEAK RIDGE OVER THE AREA THIS
WEEKEND, BUT IT LOOKS LOW ENOUGH IN AMPLITUDE THAT RAIN WILL
CONTINUE TO SPILL OVER IT, AT LEAST FOR THE WEST SIDE. THE FLOW
ALOFT THEN BACKS TO THE SOUTHWEST AGAIN, WITH A RETURN OF A DEEP SUB-
TROPICAL MOISTURE FLOW EARLY NEXT WEEK. -WRIGHT

AVIATION...FOR THE 17/18Z TAF CYCLE...A COLD FRONT WITH MODERATE TO
HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON.
CONDITIONS WILL GENERALLY BE MVFR IN RAIN AT ALL TERMINALS INLAND
FROM THE COAST, HOWEVER, A PERIOD OF IFR CONDITIONS IS POSSIBLE AS
THE MAIN RAIN BAND MOVES THROUGH. RAIN WILL DIMINISH FROM WEST TO
EAST TONIGHT, AND FOG WILL BE POSSIBLE AS SKIES BRIEFLY CLEAR.
MOUNTAINS WILL BE OBSCURED THROUGH TONIGHT. -WRIGHT

MARINE...UPDATED 830 AM PST SUNDAY 17 JAN 2016...WINDS WILL
CONTINUE TO DIMINISH OVER THE WATERS AS A FRONT MOVES ONSHORE THIS
MORNING. SEAS WILL BECOME SWELL DOMINATED TODAY AS A HEAVY WEST
SWELL BUILDS IN AND CONTINUES THROUGH TONIGHT. SEAS WILL LOWER
SLIGHTLY EARLY MONDAY MORNING. ANOTHER FRONT WILL BRING INCREASED
SOUTH WINDS AND STEEP TO VERY STEEP SEAS LATE MONDAY MORNING THROUGH
MONDAY EVENING. SOUTH WINDS MAY REACH GALE FORCE IN THE WATERS
BEYOND 10 NM FROM SHORE ON MONDAY, ESPECIALLY FOR AREAS NORTH OF
CAPE BLANCO. ELSEWHERE, EXPECT SMALL CRAFT WINDS ON MONDAY.
ADDITIONAL STRONG FRONTS ARE POSSIBLE TUESDAY THROUGH THE END OF THE
WEEK. OF NOTE, THE FRONT ON TUESDAY MAY BRING STRONG GALES TO THE
WATERS AND WILL NEED TO MONITOR THIS SYSTEM WITH FUTURE MODEL RUNS.
-WRIGHT

&&

.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...HIGH SURF ADVISORY UNTIL 4 AM PST MONDAY FOR ORZ021-022.
     WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR ORZ030-031.

CA...WIND ADVISORY UNTIL 10 PM PST THIS EVENING FOR CAZ085.

PACIFIC COASTAL WATERS...GALE WATCH FROM LATE MONDAY NIGHT THROUGH
     TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR PZZ350-356-370-376.
     HAZARDOUS SEAS WARNING UNTIL 10 PM PST MONDAY FOR
     PZZ350-356-370-376.

MAS/MAP/TRW/SBN

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 17, 4:04 PM PST, 4 hours 46 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
404 PM PST SUN JAN 17 2016

...TIME...  ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
...DATE...  ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0330 PM     HEAVY RAIN       2 ESE JACKSONVILLE      42.30N 122.92W
01/17/2016  M1.52 INCH       JACKSON            OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            24 HOURS ENDING 330 PM OBSERVER LOCATION
            ABOUT 3 MI EAST OF JACKSONVILLE.

&&

NWS MEDFORD OR
IRIS SYSTEM
Local storm report, Jan 17, 4:16 PM PST, 4 hours 34 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
416 PM PST SUN JAN 17 2016

...TIME...  ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
...DATE...  ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0416 PM     HEAVY RAIN       3 S MCCLOUD             41.22N 122.15W
01/17/2016  M2.45 INCH       SISKIYOU           CA   TRAINED SPOTTER

            24 HOUR 4 PM TO 4 PM OBSERVER LOCATION NR
            I-5 & HWY 89.

&&

SBN
Local storm report, Jan 17, 4:20 PM PST, 4 hours 30 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
420 PM PST SUN JAN 17 2016

...TIME...  ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
...DATE...  ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0400 PM     HEAVY RAIN       4 W MERLIN              42.52N 123.50W
01/17/2016  M2.35 INCH       JOSEPHINE          OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            24 HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL ENDING AT 4:00 PM.
            OBSERVER LOCATION EAST SIDE OF BUCKHORN MT.

&&

BS
Local storm report, Jan 17, 4:55 PM PST, 3 hours 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
455 PM PST SUN JAN 17 2016

...TIME...  ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
...DATE...  ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0430 PM     HEAVY RAIN       1 SSE MURPHY            42.34N 123.33W
01/17/2016  M2.33 INCH       JOSEPHINE          OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            24 HOUR RAINFALL TOTAL ENDING AT 4:30 PM.
            OBSERVER LOCATION MURPHY.

&&

BS
Local storm report, Jan 17, 4:56 PM PST, 3 hours 54 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
456 PM PST SUN JAN 17 2016

...TIME...  ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
...DATE...  ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0455 PM     HEAVY RAIN       1 NNW HARBOR            42.05N 124.26W
01/17/2016  M2.68 INCH       CURRY              OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            RAINFALL TOTAL FROM MIDNIGHT ENDING AT 4:45
            PM. OBSERVER LOCATION 4 MI N OF CA BORDER ON
            EASTSIDE HWY 101.

&&

BS
Local storm report, Jan 17, 6:07 PM PST, 2 hours 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
607 PM PST SUN JAN 17 2016

...TIME...  ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
...DATE...  ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0606 PM     HEAVY RAIN       KERBY                   42.19N 123.65W
01/17/2016  M3.05 INCH       JOSEPHINE          OR   TRAINED SPOTTER

            24 HR 1730 TO 1730 . OBSERVER LOCATION
            MIDDLE OF KERBY BEHIND STONE FRONT TAVERN.

&&

SBN

The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Curry

When
January 17, 8:50 PM PST to January 18, 6:51 PM PST
Where
Curry County, 1.71 mi NW of Marial to 2.07 mi ENE of Marial
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Official NWS Observations
Coordinates
42.740, -123.900

The Rogue River at Agness exceeded the flood stage of 17.0 feet at 17/2050 PST. It crested at 20.87 feet at 18/0930 PST, which constitutes a minor flood. It dropped below flood stage at 18/0930 PST.

What these are

Flood
Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Oregon in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, January 2016

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: 611118.