An incoming front brought high winds to the Oregon coast and some inland locations.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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 the Oregon coast and some inland locations.
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 15, 2:57 PM PST, 4 hours 50 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Medford OR
257 PM PST Sat Dec 15 2018
.DISCUSSION...
.Short Term...Tonight through Tuesday Night...The wet and windy
pattern shows no real sign of slowing down. Currently, a large low
is swirling in the Gulf of Alaska, and appears quite impressive in
today's satellite imagery. A front emanating from this low looms
offshore of southern Oregon, and this will be our next big
weather-producer as it make its way into and across the forecast
area tonight and tomorrow.
Winds will be the primary concern, as mid-level wind profiles and
gradients look similar, but not quite as strong, as the event we
experienced yesterday. Tonight's front lacks the features and
timing of various features that combined just as the front moved
onshore, creating our notable wind event. Nevertheless, we do have
High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories in effect across the
region, as the synoptic pattern and surface pressure gradients are
all conducive to gusty winds. Details on these can be found at
PDXNPWMFR. While we do expect a good deal of rain with his front,
snow levels will raise to above 6000 feet, so there is no threat
of significant winter weather impacts. Snow levels will drop to
around 4500 feet on the back side of the system Sunday night, but
by then, showers will be tapering off, and snowfall amounts will
be light.
As there is little rest for the weary, after only a brief break
Monday morning, the next front is set to arrive Monday afternoon
and evening. This front is traveling much slower, and is expected
to stall out as it crosses the area. This will result in an
extended period of rain and wind from Monday evening through
Tuesday night, with snow levels rising from around 4500 feet late
Monday to over 7000 feet Tuesday morning. Given the duration of
the event, rainfall totals will be substantial along and west of
the Coastal ranges, as well as in the Umpqua and along the
Cascades, where the prevailing west flow is likely to produce the
best lift along the terrain. Area rivers and streams should have
plenty of room for this rain, but we can not rule out the chances
for localized high water, especially in urban areas or small
streams. But once again, snow will not be a major concern for the
area passes. While winds once again look to be gusty, they should
be much weaker than the previous events. We will re-evaluate the
need for wind headlines over the next few forecast cycles. -BPN
.LONG TERM...Wednesday through Saturday, December 19-22, 2018...
Overall, we'll maintain a progressive pattern across the area mid-
late next week with times of rain/wind, but nothing that suggests
anything too anomalous for this time of year. Initially, the cold
front that moves through Tuesday night will stall just to our
south due to strong ridging centered off the southern California
coast. Light precipitation associated with this front (mainly rain
due to snow levels >6000 feet) could linger in some areas on
Wednesday morning, especially along and west of the Cascades, but
largely, expect it to dry out. The mid and upper level flow will
back from west to southwesterly as the ridge to the south shifts
eastward and another trough/low pressure develops out near 140W.
This will allow the front to lift back to the north as a warm
front Wednesday. There could be some light precipitation along the
coast, but most areas remain dry Wednesday night into Thursday
morning. Mid-level warming will allow snow levels to rise further
to 7000-8000 feet during this time frame. The next cold front is
expected to arrive at the coast late Thursday, then move onshore
Thursday night. There is still some degree of spread in the
guidance associated with the timing of this front, so we have
maintained a broader approach to our POP/QPF grids, but have a
focus of the highest POPs/QPFs on Thursday evening/night as the
front moves onshore. Expect the bulk of the precipitation with
this event to be rain, but snow levels should settle back to
4500-5500 feet by Friday morning in lingering post- frontal
showers. We could catch another break Friday night into Saturday
with the next Pacific front arriving sometime the latter half of
next weekend. -Spilde
&&
.AVIATION...For the 15/18Z TAFs... Coastal areas should generally
remain MVFR in rain. Inland...VFR weather through late afternoon
and evening will deteriorate inland to IFR after 06z across the
Umpqua valley and the Rogue Valley will likely see southeast wind
prevent most fog there with prevalent VFR. West of the Cascades
the terrain will become mostly obscured tonight with areas of rain
after 06z. East of the Cascades the weather will be dominated by
gusty south winds and generally VFR clouds with higher mountains
obscured. Stavish
&&
.MARINE...Updated 230 PM PST Saturday 15 December 2018...
Strong gales will occur tonight into Sunday and will combine with
another swell train that will bring the highest seas of the season
so far Sunday into Sunday night. The surf zone will become very
dangerous. Winds diminish Sunday night but long period west swell
will remain...with combined seas very steep in excess of 20 feet.
Another long-lived gale event is expected Monday night into
Tuesday. Another gale event is expected Thursday night. Stavish
&&
.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...High Wind Warning from 10 PM this evening to 10 PM PST Sunday
for ORZ030-031.
Wind Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 10 PM PST Sunday for
ORZ029>031.
High Wind Warning from 10 PM this evening to 4 PM PST Sunday for
ORZ021-022.
High Surf Warning from 4 AM Sunday to 4 PM PST Monday for
ORZ021-022.
High Surf Advisory until 4 AM PST Sunday for ORZ021-022.
Wind Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 4 PM PST Sunday for
ORZ023>025.
Wind Advisory until 4 PM PST Sunday for ORZ026.
CA...High Wind Warning from 10 PM this evening to 10 PM PST Sunday
for CAZ085.
Wind Advisory from 10 PM this evening to 10 PM PST Sunday for
CAZ084-085.
High Wind Warning until 10 PM PST Sunday for CAZ081.
Wind Advisory until 10 PM PST Sunday for CAZ081.
Pacific Coastal Waters...Gale Watch from Monday afternoon through late Monday night for
PZZ350-356-370-376.
Gale Warning until 4 PM PST Sunday for PZZ350-356-370-376.
Hazardous Seas Warning from 4 PM Sunday to 4 PM PST Monday for
PZZ350-356-370-376.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The ODOT sensor at Humbug Mountain recorded a gust to 60 mph at 15/2002 PST.
The Squaw Peak RAWS recorded a gust to 80 mph at 16/0239 PST.
The Long Prairie RAWS recorded a gust to 58 mph at 16/0813 PST.
The ODOT sensor at Valley Falls recorded a gust to 58 mph at 16/1740 PST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2018Every state in 2018This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, 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: 790741, 790742, 790740, 790743.