The Parker 2 Wildfire was started by lightning on 08/03/17 around 2:00 PM PDT. As of the last report on 08/15 at 04:30 PDT, the fire was at 7697 acres and was 100% contained.
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.
The Parker 2 Wildfire was started by lightning on 08/03/17 around 2:00 PM PDT. As of the last report on 08/15 at 04:30 PDT, the fire was at 7697 acres and was 100% contained. 10.4 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
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 Aug 3, 8:14 AM PST, 4 hours 46 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Medford OR
914 AM PDT Thu Aug 3 2017
.DISCUSSION...Haze and smoke from wildfires are becoming a factor
in temperature forecast today. The forecast high of 110 in Medford
could be a degree or two too high given the smoke in the area and
the high instead may be around 108-109. We made minor adjustments
for high temperature and expanded the coverage of haze and smoke
into most of Douglas County. The rest of the forecast is on track
with slight decrease in temperatures each day.
Thunderstorm chance is less so today for the Oregon side but
remains a possibility for northern California. However we will
have to contend with increasing chance of thunderstorms this
weekend as both GFS and ECMWF bring a closed low to northern
California coast. /FB
&&
.AVIATION...03/12Z TAF CYCLE... VFR will continue through the TAF
period with two exceptions: first, possible visibility reductions
due to local wildfire smoke (including at KMFR), and second, areas
of IFR fog and low clouds will impact the coastal waters and along
the immediate coast. Inland, scattered cumulus buildups will pop up
again this afternoon and evening over the higher terrain of northern
California, and some of these may develop into isolated
thunderstorms. /BPN
&&
.MARINE...Updated 230 AM PDT Thursday August 3 2017...North winds
are giving way to south winds and fog as a southerly surge pushes up
the coast. Winds and seas have diminished considerably, and these
relatively calm conditions are expected to continue at least until
Saturday morning. North winds will return early next week as the
thermal trough redevelops. Models have trended much weaker with
this, but periods of small craft advisory winds are possible. -BPN
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 100 AM PDT Thu Aug 3 2017/
DISCUSSION...03/00Z NAM/GFS/EC in.
Very hot weather continues under a strong upper ridge. This ridge
will remain in place into Friday before weakening very slowly
through the weekend.
The thermal trough shifted inland Wednesday and coastal waters
winds have diminished and become southerly over much of the area.
Stratus and fog is surging up the coast. It was still hot north
of Cape Blanco Wednesday but the return of onshore flow will mean
cooler temperatures Thursday. That same thermal trough made for a
very hot day on the west side. Medford experienced its third
hottest day on record and the hottest since 1981 with a high of
112 degrees.
The trough will continue to weaken and move farther inland
Thursday into the weekend. Temperatures will cool slowly
beginning Thursday, although Thursday looks to be only a degree
or two cooler inland. It's still going to be very hot through
the weekend.
There were a few lightning pulses and flashes today over Lake and
Modoc county, but the only cloud-to-ground strikes occurred over
Modoc county, and most of those were near the July Complex
wildfire.
As far as support for convective activity, Thursday looks more
stable than Wednesday. If anything gets going Thursday, it will be
over the Salmon Forks region of southern Siskiyou County and
southern Modoc County. Not expecting much if anything though.
Friday now looks more stable and will likely be dry. Instability
edges back into Siskiyou/Modoc counties Saturday so will go with a
slight chance of afternoon/evening thunderstorms at that time.
Extended discussion from the Wednesday afternoon AFD...Saturday
through Tuesday. On Saturday southerly winds in the 700-500mb
layer returns, especially for Siskiyou and Modoc Counties. We
reintroduced a chance of thunderstorms for the northern
California zones as well as extreme southern Lake County.
Southerly flow is more persistent into Sunday with more 700-500mb
moisture. The trend from Sunday through early next week is an
increase in thunderstorm threat and coverage. The GFS hints at SE
flow into areas west of the Cascades and this could bring isolated
thunderstorms into southern Jackson County as early as Sunday.
Temperatures decrease a bit but will still be about 5 to 10
degrees above normal.
AVIATION...03/12Z TAF CYCLE... VFR will continue through the TAF
period with two exceptions: first, possible visibility reductions
due to local wildfire smoke (including at KMFR), and second,
areas of IFR fog and low clouds will impact the coastal waters and
along the immediate coast. Inland, scattered cumulus buildups
will pop up again this afternoon and evening over the higher
terrain of northern California, and some of these may develop into
isolated thunderstorms. -CC/BPN
MARINE...Updated 230 AM PDT Thursday August 3 2017...North winds
are giving way to south winds and fog as a southerly surge pushes
up the coast. Winds and seas have diminished considerably, and
these relatively calm conditions are expected to continue at least
until Saturday morning. North winds will return early next week
as the thermal trough redevelops. Models have trended much weaker
with this, but periods of small craft advisory winds are possible.
-BPN
FIRE WEATHER...Updated 240 AM Thursday 3 August, 2017...Very hot
and dry weather will continue, with record breaking temperatures
possible again today. Today will mark the end of the hottest
temperatures this week, as a gradual cooling trend is expected
through this weekend, but temperatures will still remain well
above normal. Heat will therefore remain a primary concern for
crews involved in firefighting efforts and all precautions should
be taken to ensure that crews stay hydrated and avoid heat
exhaustion and heat stroke. Even crews in the higher elevations
will not be immune to the heat, with afternoon temperatures
expected to be in the 90s with little relief at night.
The thermal trough has started its slow progression east, but
will still produce at least Haines 5 and 6 conditions over most of
the existing wildfires. Red Flag warnings are in effect for this
over the Devils Lake fire, and also for gusty winds and low
relative humidity along and west of the Cascades. Humidities will
be in the single digits, and wind gusts could exceed 20 mph for a
couple of hours each afternoon/evening. Even in areas not covered
by warnings, high Haines and very hot and dry conditions can be
expected today and to a lesser extend tomorrow. An isolated
afternoon or evening thunderstorm is possible this afternoon,
especially in northern California, and where pyrocumulus clouds
develop elsewhere.
On Friday, models are showing increased winds over the East Side
during the late afternoon and evening. With the dry and hot
conditions and ongoing fires, this could be problematic for the
Devil's Lake fire and the Modoc July complex. Winds and low
humidity will approach critical levels in the Rogue valley during
the late afternoon and evening as well. Conditions are marginal
for Red Flag, so have continued the Fire Weather Watch for both
locations to raise awareness of the increasing wind speeds.
Temperatures will lower and humidities should improve this
weekend, but a weakness in the upper air pattern offshore should
move toward the California Coast allowing flow to become more
southerly. With increased short wave activity and moisture,
thunderstorm chances will rise and cover much of the area by
Sunday and Monday. -Spilde/BPN
&&
.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Red Flag Warning until 9 PM PDT this evening for ORZ624.
Fire Weather Watch from Friday afternoon through Friday evening
for ORZ624.
Heat Advisory until 8 PM PDT Friday for ORZ027>030.
Excessive Heat Warning until 8 PM PDT Friday for ORZ021-023>029.
Heat Advisory until 8 PM PDT Friday for ORZ023.
Red Flag Warning until 9 PM PDT this evening for ORZ617-622.
Red Flag Warning until 9 PM PDT this evening for ORZ623.
Fire Weather Watch from Friday afternoon through Friday evening
for ORZ622.
CA...Fire Weather Watch from Friday afternoon through Friday evening
for CAZ285.
Heat Advisory until 8 PM PDT Friday for CAZ082>085.
Excessive Heat Warning until 8 PM PDT Friday for CAZ080>085.
Pacific Coastal Waters...None.
FJB/FJB/BPNThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 wildfire. Local standard time, as filed.
The Parker 2 Wildfire was started by lightning on 08/03/17 around 2:00 PM PDT. As of the last report on 08/15 at 04:30 PDT, the fire was at 7697 acres and was 100% contained. 10.4 million dollars had been spent on firefighting efforts.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2017Every state in 2017This day in weather historyWarnings in California, August 2017
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: 710836.