An incoming front brought high winds to northern California.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 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 Dec 14, 6:21 AM PST, 1 hour 28 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Medford OR
621 AM PST Fri Dec 14 2018
.DISCUSSION...
A strong and sharp cold front is gathering west of the coastal
waters this morning as southeasterly winds increase in some
locations. These southeast winds have mixed warm and dry air down
to the surface in some areas while other areas still reside in
the air mass that got trapped under the inversion last evening.
This is leading to some abrupt variations in conditions in short
distances this morning. For instance, it's in the lower 50s and
breezy in the Ashland area, while it's in the upper 20s with fog
in the Medford area. Along and near the coast temperatures are now
in the lower 60s ahead of the incoming cold front while sheltered
valleys and those just a bit inland from the coast are in the
30s.
In addition to the ongoing wind headlines and high surf advisory
that are in effect for today, we've issued a Winter Weather
Advisory for snow and blowing snow for portions of southern and
western Siskiyou County above 4500 feet. We expect a strong surge
of southerly winds across the forecast area this morning into this
afternoon to be followed by a sharp cold front that will bring
snow levels in the 4500-5500 foot range down to 3000-4000 feet
tonight. This front is expected to be a quick hitter, with
precipitation likely only lasting for about 6 hours at most
locations. 6 hour rainfall could exceed an inch on portions of
Curry County and snow amounts in the mountains should be generally
2-6 inches above 4500 feet.
There are 3 additional concerns for today. The first is that there
will be a threat of thunderstorms along and near the coast this
afternoon. Any thunderstorms there will be capable of moderate to
strong wind gusts. The second is wind gusts across the mountains
and east side. With 700MB winds in the 70-80mph range ahead of the
front, these stronger winds aloft could mix down in gusts for
elevations above 5kft. However, it's a short-lived threat about 2
hours either side of midday. Third is snow levels in the Mount
Shasta area. The NAM12 guidance suggests snow levels could fall as
low as 3kft, but other guidance keeps the snow level at or above
4kft. If the precipitation rates are heavy enough, like the NAM12
bullishly indicates, then snow levels could end up more toward
the NAM12 solution.
A few showers with today's front will linger this evening through
Saturday morning. Upslope SE flow precipitation is then expected
to continue in the Mount Shasta area Saturday as another strong
front pushes toward the coast. This front is expected to generally
hang offshore resulting in gusty SE winds in areas prone to
higher winds from that direction. The front is then expected to
push inland Sunday afternoon through Monday. Like today's front,
the heaviest precipitation with it is expected to affect the
coast and northwestern California. Snow levels are expected to be
in the 6kft-7kft range Sunday before coming down Sunday night
through Monday.
Early next week the models diverge with the GFS pushing fronts
mostly into Washington and northern Oregon while the ECMWF
maintains a more progressive pattern. Snow levels are likely to
surge upward during this time period and then come back down. It
should be noted that some model runs show enough precipitation
over SW Oregon that some coastal and near coastal rivers could see
major rises by later in the week. BTL
&&
.AVIATION...For the 14/12Z TAFs...A strong front will reach the
coast around 15Z then move across the area through this afternoon.
Strong winds aloft will lead to LLWS for all sites this morning
until stronger winds can surface, especially along the coast, in the
Shasta Valley, the Rogue Valley and east of the Cascades. VFR
conditions prevail this morning. There are only a few patches of
LIFR fog in interior west side valleys, with coverage limited due to
strong winds aloft and high level cloud cover. Ceilings will
deteriorate to MVFR at the coast first, then over much of the area
with mountain obscuration as the front pushes east. The coast will
also be where MVFR cigs lower to IFR at times in moderate to heavy
rain from mid-morning into early afternoon. BR-y/DW
&&
.MARINE...Updated 230 AM PST Friday 14 December 2018...The main
update to the forecast was to add a hazardous seas warning after the
end of strong frontal winds early this afternoon. It extends into
early Saturday morning. High to very high seas will likely continue
with multiple fronts expected through next week. Southerly winds
have increased to gales ahead of a strong front that will sweep
through the waters this morning. While wind waves peak this morning,
a heavy swell train will keep combined seas very high through late
tonight. Improvement on Saturday morning will be slight and brief.
The next front will bring possible gales late Saturday into Sunday,
and another swell train may bring the highest seas of the season so
far Sunday into Sunday night.
&&
.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...Wind Advisory until 7 PM PST this evening for ORZ030-031.
High Wind Warning until 1 PM PST this afternoon for ORZ021-022.
High Surf Advisory until 4 AM PST Sunday for ORZ021-022.
Wind Advisory until 1 PM PST this afternoon for ORZ026.
CA...Wind Advisory until 7 PM PST this evening for CAZ085.
Winter Weather Advisory from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM PST
this evening for CAZ080-082.
High Wind Warning until 1 PM PST this afternoon for CAZ081.
Pacific Coastal Waters...Gale Warning until 1 PM PST this afternoon for
PZZ350-356-370-376.
Hazardous Seas Warning from 1 PM this afternoon to 1 AM PST
Saturday for PZZ350-356-370-376.
BTL/DWThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Weed Airport RAWS recorded gusts exceeding 57 mph continuously during this interval. The peak gust was 71 mph recorded at 14/0948 PST.
The Callahan RAWS recorded a gust to 65 mph at 14/0916 PST. The Blue Ridge RAWS recorded a gust to 59 mph at 14/1051 PST.
The Blue Mountain RAWS recorded a gust to 61 mph at 14/1527 PST. The Juniper Creek RAWS recorded a gust to 62 mph at 14/1352 PST. The Rush Creek RAWS recorded a gust to 64 mph at 14/1403 PST and a gust to 62 mph at 14/1503 PST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2018
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: 790737, 790735, 790736.