Heavy Snow in California, December 20 to 22, 1996

The heaviest snow in many years caused a number of problems in the Shasta-Cascades region and in the Sierra Nevada range. 8-foot snow accumulations at the higher elevations in a 36-hour timeframe came within half a foot of the record at Kirkwood Ski Resort (Amador/El Dorado counties). A storm total of 8 feet fell in the Lake Tahoe area. 4-foot accumulations in 30 hours occurred at the 3000 to 4000-foot elevations. Heavy snow fell as low as 1500 feet, and lighter accumulations fell as low as 500 feet MSL. The heavy snow pulled down numerous trees, taking power lines with them. About 120,000 people in the Sierra Nevada and its foothills lost power for several days, with some getting back power late Christmas Eve, and most regaining power by the day after Christmas. The snow closed most roads and several major highways in the region, including state route 70, Interstate 80 (closed nearly two days), and US Route 50 (closed nearly 3 days). The passenger train "California Zephyr" (Amtrak's Oakland to Chicago route) derailed in the Sierra Nevada near the town of Blue Canyon. Falling trees brought down a water flume in Tuolumne county and stopped power to a water pump that serviced much of Amador county; so county residents also went without running water for several days. Small avalanches at a ski resort injured two people. The storm also caused two fatalities. One man died from hypothermia when he got lost cross-country skiing in the blizzard condtions. A woman died near Lassen Lodge when her car plummeted off a 150-foot cliff from state highway 36. These heavy snows would not melt until the end of the year, when they contributed to some of the worst flooding in state history.