California, 1998

Cold in California, December 6 to 7, 1998

December 6 to 7, 1998 · NWS STO · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

The second Arctic blast in a five day period produced well below normal temperatures. The cold air not only affected the Northern Sacramento Valley, but also seeped south into the Northern San Joaquin Valley.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
5

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.

The second Arctic blast in a five day period produced well below normal temperatures. The cold air not only affected the Northern Sacramento Valley, but also seeped south into the Northern San Joaquin Valley. Record low temperatures as well as low maximum temperatures were recorded at Redding Airport, Sacramento Executive Airport, and Stockton Airport. Specifically on the 6th, Redding reported a low of 25 degrees, Red Bluff 28, Chico 27, Sacramento 27, Vacaville 28, and Stockton 29.

Event by event

5 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.

Cold/Wind Chill, Central Sacramento Valley

When
December 6, 3:00 AM PST to December 7, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Central Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern Sacramento Valley

When
December 6, 3:00 AM PST to December 7, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Northern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Cold/Wind Chill, Carquinez Strait and Delta

When
December 6, 3:00 AM PST to December 7, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Carquinez Strait and Delta forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Cold/Wind Chill, Northern San Joaquin Valley

When
December 6, 3:00 AM PST to December 7, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Northern San Joaquin Valley forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

Cold/Wind Chill, Southern Sacramento Valley

When
December 6, 3:00 AM PST to December 7, 9:00 AM PST
Where
Southern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

Cold/Wind Chill
Cold or wind chill below warning criteria that caused deaths, injuries or damage.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 1998

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5676295, 5676296, 5676297, 5676298, 5676299.