Winter Storm, San Francisco
- When
- January 23, 4:00 AM PST to January 24, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- San Francisco forecast zone
- Coordinates
- 37.778, -122.442 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in California, January 23 to 24, 1996
A storm that originated in the Gulf of Alaska rotated two fronts through northern California, eventually bringing snow levels to the 1500 foot level with large accumulations in the Sierra Nevada. The second front was much stronger with 3-foot accumulations in the mountains and winds strong enough to cause white-out conditions.
Where it happened
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.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 2
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.
What happened
The episode as NWS STO wrote it up.
A storm that originated in the Gulf of Alaska rotated two fronts through northern California, eventually bringing snow levels to the 1500 foot level with large accumulations in the Sierra Nevada. The second front was much stronger with 3-foot accumulations in the mountains and winds strong enough to cause white-out conditions. Interstate 80 and other major roads where closed by transportation officials, and the US Forest Service issued avalanche warnings due the heavy, fast snowfall.
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Coastal Monterey County
- When
- January 23, 4:00 AM PST to January 24, 10:00 PM PST
- Where
- Coastal Monterey County forecast zone
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Tornadoes in Louisiana, January 23, 1996
- Flooding in Ohio, January 23 to 30, 1996
- Flood in California, January 23 to 24, 1996
- Flooding in Kentucky, January 23 to 30, 1996
- High Wind in Tennessee, January 23 to 24, 1996
- Winter Storm in Idaho, January 23 to 24, 1996
- Winter Weather in Wisconsin, January 23, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Oregon, January 23 to 24, 1996
- Blizzard in Wyoming, January 23 to 24, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, January 23, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Wisconsin, January 23 to 24, 1996
- Heavy Snow in Montana, January 23 to 24, 1996
More
Every storm in California in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 1996
Sources
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5537533, 5537534.