A strong cold front brought high winds to many locations in southwest and south central Oregon.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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.
A strong cold front brought high winds to many locations in southwest and south central Oregon.
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 5, 4:47 AM PST, 2 hours 53 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion
National Weather Service Medford OR
447 AM PST Sat Jan 5 2019
.DISCUSSION...The first bands of showers are moving into Curry
county at this time from the approaching system. Comparing the
High level water vapor images to the Nam12 and GFS 500 mb omega
the NAM 12 seems to be handling the system the best at this time,
but looks to be a tad fast, which would explain the delayed timing
of the winds which should have surfaced in the Shasta Valley and
at Klamath Falls a couple of hours ago, but has surfaced now. As
the surface low continues to move up to offshore of the northern
California coast a little after noon, 700 MB winds will continue
to increase, with the Redding to Medford pressure gradient
continuing to tighten. The combination of the two will increase
southerly wind up the Shasta valley that will spill over into the
Rogue Vally by early afternoon. The strong southerly flow up the
Sacramento Valley will both transport high moisture flow into the
Mt. Shasta area as well as provide good orographic lift which will
bring heavy precipitation rates that may occasionally bring snow
levels briefly down below 2500 feet through the day. By late
afternoon 700 MB winds increase to 60-70 KT, and as the low moves
on shore and the BL to 700 MB winds become southwest the winds
will be the strongest at the coast as the winds funnel along the
coastal range.
Saturday evening the winds swing to the southwest to west over the
area ahead of the next system that moves in Sunday morning. There
will be a brief lull in the heavier snow in the Mt. Shasta area
Sunday morning, then south winds increase again up the Sacramento
Valley into the Shasta valley and heavy precipitation rates return
to the Mt. Shasta area late morning into the afternoon. Another
deep surface low swings up the coast in roughly the same track,
but the 700 MB winds will be more westerly, and snow levels should
hover around 2500 feet Sunday. With the more westerly flow at 700
MB areas north of the Siskiyous will not be as rain shadowed and
the cascades will also see an abundance of snow into Sunday
afternoon and evening, spilling over to the east side. With this
have extended the winter storm warning in the Mt. Shasta area into
Sunday and issued watches in Oregon above 2500 feet, although with
an unstable air mass Sunday morning and heavier precipitation
rates into Sunday afternoon, snow levels could be lower than that
at times. Sven
&&
.AVIATION...For the 05/12Z TAFs...VFR conditions early this morning
will deteriorate over the next several hours as a strong low
pressure center approaches the area. Winds will increase ahead of
this front and this, combined with continued high level cloud cover,
should scour out what little fog development has occurred overnight.
Strong winds aloft will accompany the approaching system and wind
shear will be a concern for all sites west of the Cascades by early
Saturday morning. Strong winds will begin to surface at KRBG, KMFR,
and KLMT, among other areas, later this morning. Expect widespread
significant turbulence through the forecast area Saturday, as well
as spreading precipitation and lowered flight conditions. Some
improvement is possible late in the TAF period.
One other note of significance...the lowest ceilings and poorest
visibility will likely be focused in the Mount Shasta City area
where heavy snow is expected Saturday. -BPN/Keene
&&
.MARINE...Updated 200 AM PST Saturday, 5 January 2019...Widespread
very steep and hazardous seas of up to 20 feet will continue through
today. Meanwhile, strong low pressure will push toward the coast
early this morning, then move northward and push inland north of
Cape Blanco late this afternoon, producing south to southeast gales
through the morning. If the low continues to strengthen, there could
be a storm force gust here or there as well.
A rapid wind shift will occur this afternoon, and westerly gales
will continue into Saturday evening. Seas will become very steep and
chaotic in response to these winds. Another, slightly weaker system,
will follow quickly Sunday morning. This low will move into northern
California, so the strongest winds will likely be south of Cape
Blanco. However, seas will be very steep and hazardous for all areas
through Sunday so have extended the Gale Warning through Sunday
night to cover this.
More frontal systems are expected through early next week with
periods of gales and very heavy steep seas likely. Conditions are
not expected to improve until frontal activity slows down late next
week. -BPN/Schaaf
&&
.MFR WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
OR...High Wind Warning until 10 PM PST this evening for ORZ030-031.
Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 10 PM PST this evening
for ORZ029>031.
Winter Storm Watch from late tonight through late Sunday night
for ORZ029>031.
High Wind Warning until 10 PM PST this evening for ORZ027-028.
High Wind Warning from 10 AM this morning to 7 PM PST this
evening for ORZ022.
Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 7 PM PST this evening
for ORZ023>026.
High Wind Warning from 1 PM this afternoon to 10 PM PST this
evening for ORZ021.
Winter Storm Watch from late tonight through late Sunday night
for ORZ023>026.
Winter Storm Watch from late tonight through late Sunday night
for ORZ027-028.
High Wind Warning from 10 AM this morning to 7 PM PST this
evening for ORZ026.
CA...High Wind Warning until 10 PM PST this evening for CAZ085.
Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 10 PM PST this evening
for CAZ084-085.
Winter Storm Watch from late tonight through late Sunday night
for CAZ085.
Wind Advisory from 10 AM this morning to 7 PM PST this evening
for CAZ080.
Winter Storm Warning from 11 AM this morning to 10 PM PST Sunday
above 3000 feet in the for CAZ080.
Winter Storm Warning from 11 AM this morning to 10 PM PST Sunday
above 3000 feet in the for CAZ082-083.
High Wind Warning until 10 PM PST this evening for CAZ081.
Pacific Coastal Waters...Gale Warning until 4 AM PST Monday for PZZ350-356-370-376.
Hazardous Seas Warning until 7 AM PST this morning for
PZZ350-356-370-376.
SBN/SBN/SBNThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The Squaw Peak RAWS recorded gusts exceeding 74 mph continuously during this interval. The peak gust was 88 mph recorded at 05/1539 PST.
The Summer Lake RAWS recorded a gust to 60 mph at 05/1238 PST.
The Buckhorn RAWS recorded a gust to 58 mph at 05/1552 PST. A member of the public in White City reported a tree falling on power lines, causing power outages. Law enforcement reported a tree on the roof of a home on Upper Applegate Road. A large tree was uprooted on North Main street in Ashland. A 40-foot tree fell on a fence and shed on Glendower Street in Ashland. A healthy 15 foot tree 6-8 inches in diameter fell 2NNE Medford. Power outages affected approximately 1500 customers in Jackson County.
The Gold Beach ASOS recorded a gust to 59 mph at 06/0359 PST. A spotter 1SE Brookings reported a gust to 70 mph at 05/1430 PST. A utility company reported a tree down on a power line on Carpenterville Road. The outage affected 500 customers.
The Calimus RAWS recorded a gust to 59 mph at 05/1700 PST.
The Long Prairie RAWS recorded a gust to 61 mph at 05/1913 PST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Oregon in 2019Every state in 2019This day in weather historyWarnings in Oregon, January 2019
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: 792713, 792715, 792712, 792711, 792714, 792710.