California, 2002

Heavy Snow in California, January 25 to 26, 2002

January 25 to 26, 2002 · NWS REV · 4 events in 1 county or zone

Several ski resorts in Alpine and Placer Counties reported heavy snow in a 24 hour period. Kirkwood had 12-18 inches of snow at 7800 feet, Alpine Meadows had 16 inches at 7000 feet, Squaw Valley reported 12 inches at 6200 feet and 17 inches at 8200 feet, and Homewood had 12 inches at 6200 feet and 18 inches at 7900 feet.

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 REV wrote it up.

Several ski resorts in Alpine and Placer Counties reported heavy snow in a 24 hour period. Kirkwood had 12-18 inches of snow at 7800 feet, Alpine Meadows had 16 inches at 7000 feet, Squaw Valley reported 12 inches at 6200 feet and 17 inches at 8200 feet, and Homewood had 12 inches at 6200 feet and 18 inches at 7900 feet.

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 Reno, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Jan 25, 3:05 AM PST, 2 hours 5 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 25, 3:05 AM PST, 2 hours 5 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 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When
January 25, 5:10 AM PST to January 26, 5:10 AM PST
Where
Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.935, -120.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When
January 25, 6:00 AM PST to January 26, 6:00 AM PST
Where
Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.935, -120.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When
January 25, 6:00 AM PST to January 26, 6:00 AM PST
Where
Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.935, -120.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, Greater Lake Tahoe Area

When
January 25, 8:00 AM PST to January 26, 8:00 AM PST
Where
Greater Lake Tahoe Area forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
38.935, -120.458 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Heavy Snow
Snowfall reaching the local warning threshold without the other hazards of a winter storm.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in California in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2002

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: 5279379, 5279380, 5279381, 5279382.