California, 2001

Winter Weather in California, April 9 to 10, 2001

April 9 to 10, 2001 · NWS SGX · 4 events in 4 counties and zones

Sleet and heavy downpours caused havoc during the afternoon and evening commute Monday. In Fontana, on westbound Interstate 10, over 100 cars were involved in several chain-reaction accidents.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

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.

Sleet and heavy downpours caused havoc during the afternoon and evening commute Monday. In Fontana, on westbound Interstate 10, over 100 cars were involved in several chain-reaction accidents. In the San Jacinto Mountains, on Highway 74 near the Vista Point, one vehicle drove off the road. In all, fifteen people were injured. In the foothills and the mountains, snow fell overnight below the 3000 foot level with three to six inches of snow accumulating at elevations above 6000 feet. Snow fell in Adelanto, Phelan, and Pinon Hills, and dense fog filled the Cajon Pass.

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 San Diego, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 8, 8:30 PM PST, 4 hours 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 8, 8:30 PM PST, 4 hours 31 minutes before
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The radar

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

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 winter weather. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Weather, San Bernardino County Mountains

When
April 9, 1:01 AM PST to April 10, 6:21 AM PST
Where
San Bernardino County Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Riverside County Mountains

When
April 9, 2:15 PM PST to April 10, 12:15 PM PST
Where
Riverside County Mountains forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
33.744, -115.994 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, San Bernardino County Valley/The Inland Empire

When
April 9, 4:53 PM PST to 8:00 PM PST
Where
San Bernardino County Valley/The Inland Empire forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
34.293, -116.086 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Winter Weather, Apple and Yucca Valleys

When
April 9, 5:00 PM PST to 9:00 PM PST
Where
Apple and Yucca Valleys forecast zone
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
34.841, -116.178 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5237555, 5237556, 5237554, 5237557.