California, 2001

Winter Storm in California, February 9 to 12, 2001

February 9 to 12, 2001 · NWS STO · 9 events in 9 counties and zones

A cold, prolonged winter storm dumped heavy snow down to the 1500 foot level. Lighter snow fell down to 500 feet.

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
9

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.

A cold, prolonged winter storm dumped heavy snow down to the 1500 foot level. Lighter snow fell down to 500 feet. Highways 50 and 88, and Interstate 80 all were temporarily closed due to the heavy snow. Avalanche potential was at its highest level. PG&E reported about 3000 homes were affected by power outages. One to two feet of snow was common below 3000 feet, while the higher terrain measured up to six feet in 72 hours.

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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Feb 8, 9:00 PM PST, 7 hours earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Feb 8, 9:00 PM PST, 7 hours before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA
900 PM PST THU FEB 08 2001

THE UPPER LOW IS SPINNING OFF THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST COAST AND SLIDING
SOUTHEAST WITH AN ATTENDANT COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE NORCAL COAST.
IR SATELLITE IMAGES SHOWS AN EXTENSIVE BAND OF HIGH CLOUDS HAS MOVED
EAST OVER THE EASTERN HALF OF THE CWA. BOTH RADAR AND SATELLITE
PICKED UP A MID CLOUD DECK...THAT ACCORDING TO A COOP OBSERVER
PRODUCED SOME VERY LIGHT RAIN AROUND 6 PM IN THE SOUTHERN SAC VALLEY
A LITTLE HEAVIER PRECIPITATION IS CURRENTLY MOVING ACROSS THE
NORTHERN PORTION OF THE CWA WITH RED BLUFF REPORTING LIGHT RAIN AND
SHINGLETOWN SOUTHEAST OF REDDING AT 3300 FEET REPORTING LIGHT SNOW.
KDAX REFLECTIVITY SHOWS THE PRECIPITATION IS NORTH OF MARYSVILLE.
RAWS DATA INDICATES MEASURABLE PRECIPITATION...A FEW STATIONS...MT
SHASTA AND COASTAL MOUNTAIN LOCATIONS...TO THE NORTH AND WEST OF THE
CWA...HAVE PICKED UP A FEW HUNDREDTHS OF AN INCH SO FAR. THE 00Z KOAK
SOUNDING INDICATED SIGNIFICANT WARMING DURING THE PAST 24 HOURS
THROUGHOUT THE COLUMN WITH PREFRONTAL WWA. THE INTERMEDIATE KOAK
SOUNDING AT 03Z SHOWS THE SATURATED LAYER HAS LOWERED FROM 6H TO
AROUND 750 MB IN ONLY THE PAST 3 HOURS. NO UPDATES EXPECTED AS TIMING
OF CURRENT FORECAST LOOKS GOOD WITH A WINTER STORM WARNING IN THE
NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND NORTHERN SAC VALLEY STARTING TONIGHT AND
WATCHES FOR HIGHER TERRAIN FURTHER EAST FOR FRIDAY.

.STO...WINTER STORM WARNING LATE TONIGHT AND FRIDAY FROM THE
      MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN SHASTA COUNTY TO LAKE COUNTY AND THE
      NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY.
        WINTER STORM WATCH FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT FOR EASTERN
      SHASTA COUNTY.
        WINTER STORM WATCH FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY FOR WESTERN PLUMAS
      COUNTY/LASSEN PARK AND THE WEST SLOPES OF THE NORTHERN SIERRA
      NEVADA.
        WINTER STORM WATCH FRIDAY AND FRIDAY NIGHT FOR THE MOTHERLODE
  N    AND EAST FOOTHILLS/NORTH SACRAMENTO VALLEY.

Event by event

9 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, Clear Lake/Southern Lake County

When
February 9, 4:00 AM PST to February 12, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Clear Lake/Southern Lake County forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Burney Basin/Eastern Shasta County

When
February 9, 4:00 AM PST to February 12, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Burney Basin/Eastern Shasta County forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Shasta Lake/North Shasta County

When
February 9, 4:00 AM PST to February 12, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Shasta Lake/North Shasta County forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Northern Sacramento Valley

When
February 9, 4:00 AM PST to February 12, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Northern Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley

When
February 9, 4:00 AM PST to February 12, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Northeast Foothills/Sacramento Valley forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Mountains Southwest Shasta County to Northern Lake County

When
February 9, 4:00 AM PST to February 12, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Mountains Southwest Shasta County to Northern Lake County forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada

When
February 9, 4:00 AM PST to February 12, 4:00 PM PST
Where
West Slope Northern Sierra Nevada forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County

When
February 9, 4:00 AM PST to February 12, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Mt Shasta/Western Plumas County forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER

Winter Storm, Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland

When
February 9, 4:00 AM PST to February 12, 4:00 PM PST
Where
Motherlode/Camptonville to Groveland 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.

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, February 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: 5231122, 5231123, 5231124, 5231125, 5231126, 5231127, 5231128, 5231129, 5231230.