Heavy Snow and Waterspout in California, February 16 to 17, 1998

Name: Heavy Snow and Waterspout in California, February 16 to 17, 1998
Start: 1998-02-16T19:00
End: 1998-02-17T18:10
Location: California

February 16 to 17, 1998 · NWS SGX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

A low pressure trough at the surface, and very cold air aloft, set the stage for heavy snow in the mountains. Snow was reported as low as 3500 feet.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 4 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

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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 4

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 SGX wrote it up.

A low pressure trough at the surface, and very cold air aloft, set the stage for heavy snow in the mountains. Snow was reported as low as 3500 feet. Eight to twelve inches of snow fell above 5500 feet, with six to eight inches as low as 4500 feet. The cold, unstable conditions triggered a waterspout which was visible off of Point Loma.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

3 heavy snow, 1 waterspout. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Riverside County Mountains

When: February 16, 7:00 PM PST to February 17, 10:00 AM PST
Where: Riverside County Mountains forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, P Sw San Bernardino

When: February 16, 7:00 PM PST to February 17, 10:00 AM PST
Where: P Sw San Bernardino forecast zone
Coordinates: 34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, San Diego County Mountains

When: February 17, 7:00 AM PST to 3:00 PM PST
Where: San Diego County Mountains forecast zone
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Waterspout, San Diego

When: February 17, 6:00 PM PST to 6:10 PM PST
Where: San Diego County, 5 mi SW of Ocean Beach
Coordinates: 33.028, -116.770 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow: Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.
Waterspout: A tornado over water. One that moves ashore is filed as a tornado from the coastline on.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in California, February 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5631316, 5631319, 5631317, 5631318.