Following high winds that plagued the region on December 14, a strong cold front brought heavy snow to northeast California and the Sierra Nevada overnight and into Sunday, December 15. About 6 inches of new snow fell in the Lake Tahoe basin and valleys of northeast California.
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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 REV wrote it up.
Following high winds that plagued the region on December 14, a strong cold front brought heavy snow to northeast California and the Sierra Nevada overnight and into Sunday, December 15. About 6 inches of new snow fell in the Lake Tahoe basin and valleys of northeast California. At higher elevations, over a foot of snow fell at the 7000 foot elevations, while over 2 feet was reported in most locations at the 8000 foot level.
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 Reno, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 14, 2:45 PM PST, 1 hour 15 minutes earlier.
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</html>CAZ070>073-NVZ001>005-151500- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 700 AM PST SAT DEC 14 2002 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NEVADA...THE EASTERN SIERRA AND NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE..SATURDAY A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE SIERRA THIS EVENING AND ACROSS WESTERN NEVADA TONIGHT. VERY STRONG WINDS WILL PRECEDE THE FRONT WITH LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW DEVELOPING ALONG THE SIERRA AND NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA TONIGHT. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR ALL AREAS. DAMAGING WINDS OF 30 TO 60 MPH WILL BE COMMON WITH LOCALLY STRONGER GUSTS...SEE RNONPWREV FOR DETAILS. A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT TONIGHT FOR MONO COUNTY...THE LAKE TAHOE AREA...AND LASSEN...EASTERN SIERRA AND EASTERN PLUMAS COUNTIES...SEE RNOWSWREV FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY A SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER SYSTEM IS POSSIBLE MONDAY WITH ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY PRECIPITATION AND STRONG WINDS. THIS SYSTEM IS COLDER AND WILL BRING SNOW LEVELS DOWN TO MOST VALLEY FLOORS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOW AND HIGH WINDS.
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</html>The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
6 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2002
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: 5325382, 5325383, 5325380, 5325381, 5325384, 5325385.