Another in a series of fronts brought high winds to a few 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.
Another in a series of fronts brought high winds to a few 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 Feb 8, 8:58 PM PST, 5 hours 6 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Medford OR
858 PM PST Wed Feb 8 2017
.SHORT TERM...A strong and very moist frontal system will impact
the area tonight and Thursday. This is a very warm and moist
system and snow levels are expected to be around 8000 feet or
higher elevation into Thursday afternoon. Moderate to locally
heavy rain is spreading into the area this evening as a front
approaches the coast. Rainfall is expected to become heavy along
the coast and into Siskiyou and Josephine counties tonight into
Thursday with moderate to locally heavy rain for other inland
areas. Rain will be falling on already saturated soils and bring
the potential for river, small stream and urban flooding. In areas
where there is snow, rain will combine with snowmelt to bring
increased chances for flooding. Across Curry county 3 to 6 inches
of additional rain is forecast tonight through Thursday afternoon
and between 2 to 5 inches is expected in southern and western
Josephine county as well as across western and south-central
Siskiyou county. River flood warnings are in effect for portions
of the Sprague, Scott, Klamath, Pit and Coquille river systems.
Also of concern, is the chance for small stream flooding and urban
flooding. An areal flood watch is in effect across the area due
to heavy rain or combined rainfall and snowmelt bringing an
increased risk for flooding.
Additionally, very heavy rain rates are forecast in western
Siskiyou county where there are significant burn scars from
recent years. This will bring a risk for debris flow and flash
flooding near and within the burn scars in western Siskiyou,
including the Gap, Happy Camp and July complex. The latest high
resolution HRRR is indicating half inch per hour rain rates
Thursday morning which are a concern for the burn scars in this
area. The high resolution ARW and NMM also support high rain rates
in Curry and western Siskiyou counties. Additionally, the
satellite data shows deep moisture with total precipitable water
values between 1.25 and 1.5 inches off the Northern California
coast, which would support high rainfall rates as well. Flash
flood watches are in effect for the burn scar areas in western
Siskiyou and we will be closely monitoring this situation tonight
and Thursday. Residents living near or traveling through the burn
scar areas in western Siskiyou, specifically the Gap, Happy Camp
and July complex burn scars, should be alert to the possibility of
debris flows or landslides with this storm. Please see the FFAMFR
for details on the flash flood watch as well as on the areal
flood watches.
This storm will also bring strong and gusty winds to the area.
Models continue to show a powerful 75 to 85 kt 700 mb jet moving
into the area tonight and Thursday with an 80+ kt low level jet
moving into the coast. High wind warnings remain in effect for
many locations, including the coast, Shasta valley, portions of
the Cascades and Siskiyous, as well as for the Summer Lake area
and surrounding high terrain. Very windy and gusty conditions
reaching advisory levels are likely for many other locations
across the area as well. Please see the NPWMFR for details.
&&
.AVIATION...09/00Z TAF CYCLE...MVFR will be widespread along the
coast with areas of IFR/LIFR along the south coast near
Gold Beach and Brookings. Periods of moderate to heavy rainfall and
strong, gusty south winds will continue in those areas tonight
through Thursday morning with wind shear potential at KOTH through
about 09z. Inland, mostly VFR with areas of MVFR ceilings and
terrain obscuration. Wind shear will also be possible at KRBG
and KMFR, but winds should surface in those areas overnight or
at the latest Thursday morning. Wind gusts past 35 kt are expected
at KLMT after 06z, persisting through Thursday. An airport weather
warning is in effect for this hazard. -Spilde
&&
.MARINE...Updated 300 PM PST Wednesday 8 February 2017...Gales
and steep to very steep seas are expected for all areas through
this evening. A very strong southerly low-level 925-850mb jet will
develop ahead of a cold front this evening and peak at 85-90kt
over the waters between 09-15z. As a result, we expect storm
force winds over the waters beginning later this evening and
continuing into Thursday morning. It almost goes without
saying that this will generate very high and dangerous seas,
and mariners should consider remaining in port until the storm
passes. The cold front will move onshore later Thursday morning and
winds will subside below gale force, but high and very steep seas
will persist Thursday afternoon into Friday with weaker fronts
moving onshore. High pressure will then build offshore making for a
relatively quiet weekend with moderate northwest swell. -Spilde
&&
.PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 405 PM PST Wed Feb 8 2017/
SHORT TERM...Large area of moderate to heavy rain is heading to
the coast. This will lead to many rivers and stream to rise
overnight above their banks. A series of Flood Warnings have been
issued. The heavy rain on top of snow could lead to snowmelt and
slides over burn scars areas as well as areas with steep slopes.
Snow level was around 7000 feet in Medford this afternoon and will
remain high through Thursday.
Moreover, the strong front will also bring very strong winds to
our forecast area. The coastal range of Curry County is already
seeing wind gust to near 60 mph. As the front approaches,
sustained south winds will increase to 20-40 mph, first at the
coast, then spreading east into the Shasta Valley and then further
east into the Klamath Basin overnight and into the Lakeview area
closer to daybreak Thursday. With H7 winds in the 50-60 knot
range, conditions in the Cascades and Siskiyou Mountains will also
be quite windy. The front is expected to push inland after
midnight and this is when we expect the strongest mixing of the
upper level winds down to the valleys of SW Oregon, especially
closer to the morning hours. Winds will be breezy in the Rogue
valley most of Thursday.
A broad upper level trough will keep unstable air mass over the
area with showers on Friday. The snow levels will come down to
4000-4500 feet with potential for more snow in the Cascades and
Siskiyous. The atmosphere will start to dry out on Saturday as a
ridge builds into the area. /FB
LONG TERM...Sunday through Wednesday Night...The long term period
continues with the break in precipitation. Easterly winds during this
period will at least somewhat help to dry things out. High
temperatures west of the Cascades will rise into the mid to upper
50s while the lows will rise from the low to mid 30s to the upper
30s to low 40s through the period. East of the Cascades,
temperatures will remain slightly above normal during this time
frame with temperatures in the low to mid 20s raising to the low 30s
by the end of the week. Highs, on the other hand, will be between
the mid 40s to low 50s.
The next wet system will approach the area beginning Wednesday. This
will likely be a return to the wet and active pattern that we've
seen this winter. Although confidence is pretty high that southern
Oregon and northern California will see precipitation, confidence is
particularly low regarding the intensity and duration. Therefore, it
is difficult to pin down particular impacts. That being said,
despite the extended period being dry, it will be warm and snow
levels will continue to rise through the end of the week. So
although the small creeks and streams will have a chance to go back
to normal, it won't take an extremely strong or a long-duration
storm to create adverse impacts. Therefore, it is going to be
important monitor the upcoming situation as it unfolds. -Schaaf
&&
.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...High Wind Warning until 4 PM PST Thursday for ORZ030-031.
Flood Watch through Thursday evening for ORZ025>031.
Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST Thursday for ORZ030-031.
High Surf Advisory until 7 PM PST Thursday for ORZ021-022.
High Wind Warning until 1 PM PST Thursday for ORZ021-022.
Flood Watch through Thursday afternoon for ORZ021>023.
Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST Thursday for ORZ023>025.
Flood Watch through Thursday evening for ORZ024.
High Wind Warning until noon PST Thursday for ORZ027-028.
Wind Advisory until 10 AM PST Thursday for ORZ026-029.
CA...High Wind Warning until 4 PM PST Thursday for CAZ085.
Flood Watch through Thursday evening for CAZ080>085.
Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST Thursday for CAZ085.
Wind Advisory until 10 AM PST Thursday for CAZ084.
Flash Flood Watch through Thursday afternoon for CAZ080.
High Wind Warning until 10 AM PST Thursday for CAZ081.
High Wind Warning until 4 PM PST Thursday for CAZ083.
Pacific Coastal Waters...Storm Warning until 10 AM PST Thursday for PZZ350-356-370-376.
High Surf Advisory until 7 PM PST Thursday for PZZ350-356.
Gale Warning until 10 AM PST Thursday for PZZ350-356-370-376.
Hazardous Seas Warning from 10 AM Thursday to 4 PM PST Friday
for PZZ350-356-370-376.
CCPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
1223 AM PST THU FEB 9 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1200 AM HEAVY RAIN 1 NNE LANGLOIS 42.94N 124.45W
02/09/2017 M2.80 INCH CURRY OR TRAINED SPOTTER
12 HOUR RAINFALL 2.80 INCHES 24 HOUR
RAINFALL 3.06 INCHES FROM 8PM TO 9PM,
RECEIVED 0.54 INCHES .
&&
NWS MEDFORD OR
IRIS SYSTEMPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
1224 AM PST THU FEB 9 2017
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1119 PM TSTM WND GST 1 NNE LANGLOIS 42.94N 124.45W
02/08/2017 M46 MPH CURRY OR TRAINED SPOTTER
.
&&
NWS MEDFORD OR
IRIS SYSTEMThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Timber Mountain RAWS recorded gusts exceeding 57 mph continuously between 09/0004 PST and 09/1003 PST. The peak gust was 74 mph 09/0503 PST. The Rush Creek RAWS recorded a gust to 61 mph at 09/1403 PST and a gust to 59 mph at 09/1503 PST.
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, February 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: 670108.