California, 2001

Winter Storm and Winter Weather in California, April 20 to 21, 2001

April 20 to 21, 2001 · NWS HNX · 5 events in 5 counties and zones

A late season major snow storm swept over the mountain areas of Interior Central California. Snow amounts reported at elevations less than 4000 feet MSL: 6" at North Fork; 4" at Oakhurst; 6" near Coarsegold; and 4-6" by Sequoia Park at elevations at 3000 feet MSL.

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 HNX wrote it up.

A late season major snow storm swept over the mountain areas of Interior Central California. Snow amounts reported at elevations less than 4000 feet MSL: 6" at North Fork; 4" at Oakhurst; 6" near Coarsegold; and 4-6" by Sequoia Park at elevations at 3000 feet MSL. In the Kern Mountains above 4000 feet MSL: Tehachapi and Bear Valley 4"; Frazier Park 3"; and light snow accumulations on Interstate-5 over the Grapevine and Highway 58 through Tehachapi Pass. Accompanying winds gusted to 54 MPH through Jawbone Canyon in the Kern Mountains. In the higher elevations, snow amounts reported: Fish Camp 12"; Yosemite 16" at 6000 feet MSL (trees downed from heavy snow and wind); Hockett Meadow at 8200 feet MSL and Lodgepole 20"; Grant Grove 12"; and Mountain Home at 5400 feet MSL 13".

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 20, 3:00 PM PST, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 20, 3:00 PM PST, 0 minutes before
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Event by event

4 winter storm, 1 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, S Sierra Foothills

When
April 20, 3:00 PM PST to April 21, 3:00 AM PST
Where
S Sierra Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
PARK/FOREST SERVICE

Winter Storm, Tulare Cty Foothills

When
April 20, 3:00 PM PST to April 21, 3:00 AM PST
Where
Tulare Cty Foothills forecast zone
Reported by
PARK/FOREST SERVICE

Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns

When
April 20, 3:00 PM PST to April 21, 3:00 AM PST
Where
S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Reported by
PARK/FOREST SERVICE

Winter Storm, Tulare Cty Mtns

When
April 20, 3:00 PM PST to April 21, 3:00 AM PST
Where
Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
Reported by
PARK/FOREST SERVICE

Winter Weather, Kern Cty Mtns

When
April 20, 10:00 PM PST to April 21, 3:00 AM PST
Where
Kern Cty Mtns forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Winter Weather
Snow, sleet or freezing rain below warning levels that still caused disruption, damage or casualties.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2001

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: 5240965, 5240966, 5240968, 5240969, 5240967.