Winter Storm and Heavy Rain in California, January 10 to 12, 2001

Name: Winter Storm and Heavy Rain in California, January 10 to 12, 2001
Start: 2001-01-10T11:00
End: 2001-01-12T08:00
Location: California

January 10 to 12, 2001 · NWS LOX · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A powerful winter storm brought heavy rain, heavy snow and strong winds to Central and Southern California. with between 5 to 10 inches of liquid equivalent precipitation in the mountains.

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: 8

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 LOX wrote it up.

A powerful winter storm brought heavy rain, heavy snow and strong winds to Central and Southern California. Total rainfall amounts ranged from 2 to 5 inches across coastal areas...with between 5 to 10 inches of liquid equivalent precipitation in the mountains. Due to very dry soil conditions, flash flooding did not occur. However...numerous reports of urban flooding were received, including the cities of Orcutt, Mount Olympus and Pasadena. This storm also dropped snow levels down to around 3000 feet, producing very significant snowfall in the mountains. At resort levels, above 6000 feet, snowfall totals ranged between 2 and 4 feet. Between 3000 and 6000 feet, snowfall totals ranged from 8 to 24 inches. Along with the heavy snow, southerly winds of 30 to 40 mph with gusts to 60 mph produced widespread visibilities of one mile or less in blowing snow across the mountains.

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 Los Angeles, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 10, 8:40 AM PST, 2 hours 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 10, 8:40 AM PST, 2 hours 20 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jan 10, 11:00 AM PST, 0 minutes before

CAZ034>041-044>047-051>054-059-088-102000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE LOS ANGELES/OXNARD CA
1100 AM PST WED JAN 10 2001

...SUMMARY OF ALL NON-ROUTINE PRODUCTS ISSUED FOR SAN LUIS
   OBISPO...SANTA BARBARA...VENTURA...AND LOS ANGELES COUNTIES...

   WIND ADVISORY ALONG THE CENTRAL COAST UNTIL 9 PM TONIGHT.

   WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE MOUNTAINS ABOVE 4000 FEET THIS
   AFTERNOON THROUGH THURSDAY.

   COASTAL FLOOD WATCH LATE TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY.

THIS SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT WILL BE UPDATED HOURLY AS LONG AS AT
LEAST THREE NON-ROUTINE WEATHER PRODUCTS ARE IN EFFECT FOR THE WFO LOS
ANGELES FORECAST AREA.

WOFFORD

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 storm, 4 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, San Luis Obispo County Mountains

When: January 10, 11:00 AM PST to January 12, 8:00 AM PST
Where: San Luis Obispo County Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Winter Storm, Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range

When: January 10, 11:00 AM PST to January 12, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Los Angeles County Mountains Excluding the Santa Monica Range forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Winter Storm, Ventura County Mountains

When: January 10, 11:00 AM PST to January 12, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Ventura County Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Winter Storm, Santa Barbara County Mountains

When: January 10, 11:00 AM PST to January 12, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Santa Barbara County Mountains forecast zone
Reported by: GENERAL PUBLIC

Heavy Rain, San Luis Obispo

When: January 10, 11:00 AM PST to January 12, 8:00 AM PST
Where: San Luis Obispo County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 35.387, -120.452 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Los Angeles

When: January 10, 11:00 AM PST to January 12, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Los Angeles County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.198, -118.261 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Santa Barbara

When: January 10, 11:00 AM PST to January 12, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Santa Barbara County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.538, -120.031 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Ventura

When: January 10, 11:00 AM PST to January 12, 8:00 AM PST
Where: Ventura County, Countywide
Reported by: TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates: 34.358, -119.126 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
Heavy Rain: Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in California in 2001 Every state in 2001 This day in weather history Warnings in California, January 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5227894, 5227895, 5227896, 5227897, 5227898, 5227899, 5227900, 5227901.