The observation above verified a Heavy Snow Warning, but apparently a good bit of it fell "between" warnings. A Winter Storm Warning was issued for zone CAZ082 above 4000 feet at 1258 PST on 12/17, lowered to 3500 feet at 0422 PST on 12/18, and expired at 1900 PST on 12/18.
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.
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.
The episode as NWS MFR wrote it up.
The observation above verified a Heavy Snow Warning, but apparently a good bit of it fell "between" warnings. A Winter Storm Warning was issued for zone CAZ082 above 4000 feet at 1258 PST on 12/17, lowered to 3500 feet at 0422 PST on 12/18, and expired at 1900 PST on 12/18. The next Winter Storm Warning was issued at 0620 PST on 12/19. This report came in during the early hours of that warning, indicating that the snow fell in the previous 24 hours. A snow measuring device at Sand Flat at 6750 feet indicated that the bulk of the snow fell between 0600 PST and 1800 PST on 12/18, so it appears that this warning was cancelled prematurely. Other than the above report, however, all reported amounts did not meet Heavy Snow Warning criteria.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Mt. Shasta Ski Park reported 10 inches of snow in 24 hours ending at 0800 PST.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2001Every state in 2001This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2001
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: 5273878.