Winter Storm, San Francisco
- When
- January 26, 9:00 PM PST to January 27, 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- San Francisco forecast zone
- Measured
- 30
- Coordinates
- 37.778, -122.442 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Winter Storm in California, January 26 to 27, 1996
This Pacific storm carried abundant amounts of subtropical moisture and packed winds of 65kt in the Sierra Nevada. Snowfall in the mountains measured as much as 3 feet.
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.
This Pacific storm carried abundant amounts of subtropical moisture and packed winds of 65kt in the Sierra Nevada. Snowfall in the mountains measured as much as 3 feet. Major highways across the Sierra Nevada were closed during the overnight hours. Cold dry air trapped in the northern end of the Sacramento Valley, coupled with the warm moist air riding over the top of this cold air, caused a freak snowfall in the Redding area. WSO Redding reported 6 inches of snow. The surprise snowfall caused a number of vehicle accidents in the city of Redding and the surrounding area.
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 26, 9:00 PM PST to January 27, 6:00 PM PST
- Where
- Coastal Monterey County forecast zone
- Measured
- 65
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
- Heavy Snow in Iowa, January 26, 1996
- Tornado in Alabama, January 26, 1996
- Blizzard in Wisconsin, January 26 to 27, 1996
- Cold in North Dakota, January 26, 1996
- Blizzard in Iowa, January 26 to 27, 1996
- Hail in Mississippi, January 26, 1996
- Tornado in Louisiana, January 26, 1996
- Flash Flood in Alabama, January 26, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Mississippi, January 26, 1996
- Flooding in North Carolina, January 26 to 27, 1996
- Winter Storm in Nebraska, January 26, 1996
- Damaging Wind in Mississippi, January 26, 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: 5537535, 5537536.