Another strong low pressure system brought heavy snow to the eastern Sierra Nevada from the evening of December 15 to the evening of December 16. By Monday evening, over a foot of new snow fell above 6000 feet with over 2 feet of new snow above 7000 feet.
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.
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.
Another strong low pressure system brought heavy snow to the eastern Sierra Nevada from the evening of December 15 to the evening of December 16. By Monday evening, over a foot of new snow fell above 6000 feet with over 2 feet of new snow above 7000 feet. Nearly three feet of new snow fell above the 8000 foot level as reported by ski areas.
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 15, 3:00 PM PST, 6 hours earlier.
WESTERN NEVADA AND EASTERN CALIFORNIA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
300 PM PST SUN DEC 15 2002
MODEL TRENDS FOLLOW SATELLITE IMAGES INDICATING A STRONG JETSTREAM
NEAR 40N DIVING A PACIFIC COLD FRONT TO NEAR THE OREGON COAST THIS
AFTERNOON. THE SYSTEM HAS A STRONG PRESSURE GRADIENT ACROSS THE
FRONTAL BAND AND THE MODELS SHOW UP TO 75 KNOT 700 MB WINDS AHEAD OF
THE FRONT OVER NRN CA TONIGHT THEN SHIFTING ACROSS THE NRN SIERRA TO
WRN NV MONDAY. THE 700 WINDS TURN WSW AND DECREASE WITH THE FRONTAL
PASSAGE MONDAY BUT STRONG WINDS WILL LIKELY ACCOMPANY THE FRONT AS
IT CONTINUES SOUTH THROUGH MINERAL AND MONO COUNTY INTO MONDAY
EVENING. STRONG DYNAMICS SUPPORT HEAVY PRECIPITATION DEVELOPING
OVER NRN CA TONIGHT AND SHIFTING SOUTH OVER THE SIERRA MONDAY. SNOW
LEVELS RISE SLIGHTLY NEAR 6000-6500 FEET JUST AHEAD OF THE FRONT
THEN LOWER RAPIDLY THROUGH THE DAY AND NEAR VALLEY FLOORS LATE IN
THE DAY. BANDS OF LIGHTER PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED TO SPREAD
ACROSS WRN NV MONDAY. PRECIPITATION BECOMES MORE OROGRAPHIC OVER
THE SIERRA MONDAY NIGHT WITH AMOUNTS DECREASING FROM THE NORTH
OVERNIGHT. CYCLONIC FLOW AND A COLD AIRMASS NORTH OF THE JET BRING
SNOW OR SHOWERS OVER THE SIERRA AND A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS TO WRN
NV VALLEYS TUESDAY. A FEW SHOWERS LINGER TUESDAY NIGHT INTO EARLY
WEDNESDAY AS THE UPPER TROUGH SHIFTS EAST. PARTIAL CLEARING FOLLOWS
BY WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS AN UPPER RIDGE BUILDS NEAR THE WEST COAST.
OSTERMAN.
IN THE EXTENDED...THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY...MODELS IN GENERAL
AGREEMENT BUILDING A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE INTO THE GULF OF ALASKA
WHILE A TROF MOVES INTO THE GREAT BASIN. RIDGE OVER THE AREA WILL
MOVE EAST THURSDAY AS AN UPPER LOW APPROACHES FROM THE GULF OF
ALASKA. WARM FRONTAL ENERGY FROM THIS MOVES INTO THE SIERRA
THURSDAY WITH A CHANCE OF SNOW SHOWERS...PERHAPS A SLIGHT CHANCE OF
SNOW SHOWERS IN THE IMMEDIATE WESTERN NEVADA VALLEYS AS WELL.
UNFORTUNATELY WE CAN EXPECT MORE STRONG WINDS AS THIS DEVELOPS WITH
H7 WINDS OF 60-65 KTS.
FRIDAY THE FRONT MOVES SOUTH AND EAST AND OVER THE WEEKEND COLD
UPPER LOW SETTLES ACROSS THE REGION. THIS SUPPORTS A CHANCE OF
SNOW OR SNOW SHOWERS EACH DAY WITH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES. THERE
MAY BE SOME DRYING ACROSS SOUTHERN AREAS SUNDAY AS THE TROF SLOWLY
MOVES EAST. SG
.REV...HIGH WIND WARNING TONIGHT AND MONDAY ZONES 70..71
HIGH WIND WARNING AFTER MIDNIGHT THROUGH MONDAY ZONES
72/02..03..05
HIGH WIND WARNING MONDAY ZONES 73..01..04
WINTER STORM WARNING TONIGHT AND MONDAY ZONE 71
WINTER STORM WARNING AFTER MIDNIGHT THROUGH MONDAY ZONE 72/02
WINTER STORM WARNING MONDAY AND MONDAY NIGHT ZONE 73CAZ070>073-NVZ001>005-161500- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV 700 AM PST SUN DEC 15 2002 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NEVADA...THE EASTERN SIERRA AND NORTHEAST CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE..MONDAY WINTER STORM WILL LEAVE LIGHT SNOW OVER MOST AREAS THIS MORNING. BY THIS AFTERNOON SNOW WILL TURN TO SNOW SHOWERS. SEE RNOWSWREV FOR DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... NO SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY AT THIS TIME.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
830 PM PST SUN DEC 15 2002
TIME(PST) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0451 AM KIRKWOOD SKI AREA CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 ALPINE 16-24 INCHES IN PAST 24
HOURS.
0600 AM ALPINE MEADOWS CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 PLACER 22 INCHES AT 6900
FEET...32 INCHES AT 8600
FEET. 24 HOUR TOTALS.
0600 AM HEAVENLY SKI AREA CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 EL DORADO 18-24 INCHES IN PAST 24
HOURS.
0630 AM BOREAL SKI AREA CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 NEVADA 12-24 INCHES IN PAST 24
HOURS.
0639 AM NORTHSTAR SKI AREA CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 PLACER 12-14 INCHES AT 7300 FT...
0655 AM TRUCKEE CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 NEVADA 9 INCHES OVERNIGHT AT
AIRPORT.
0717 AM DONNER SKI RANCH CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 PLACER 18-20 INCHES IN PAST 24
HOURS.
1045 AM SQUAW VALLEY SKI AREA CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 PLACER 14 INCHES AT 8200 FEET.
1100 AM TAHOE CITY CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 PLACER 12 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
REPORTED BY COAST GUARD.
1114 AM DIAMOND PEAK SKI AREA NV HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 WASHOE 13 INCHES IN PAST 24 HOURS.
1209 PM SIERRA AT TAHOE SKI AREA CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 EL DORADO 18-24 INCHES IN PAST 24
HOURS.
0100 PM MAMMOTH MTN SKI AREA CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 MONO 12 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
0345 PM YUBA PASS CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 SIERRA 12 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
REPORTED BY CALTRANS.
0350 PM PORTOLA CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 PLUMAS 6-9 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
REPORTED BY SPOTTERS PU07
AND PU12.
0355 PM WESTWOOD CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 LASSEN 10-12 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
REPORTED BY CALTRANS.
0400 PM 5 NW RENO NV HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 WASHOE 5 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
REPORTED BY NWS EMPLOYEE.
0500 PM MAMMOTH LAKES CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 MONO 5-7 INCHES OVERNIGHT.
REPORTED BY SPOTTER MO13
0610 PM 10 N BRIDGEPORT CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 MONO 8-12 INCHES AT 7200 FEET
NEAR DEVILS GATE SUMMIT.
REPORTED BY SPOTTER MO12.
0615 PM JUNE MOUNTAIN SKI AREA CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 MONO 13 INCHES OVERNIGHT AT
JUNE MEADOWS CHALET 8500
FT. UP TO 30 INCHES AT
SUMMIT 10000 FEET.
0620 PM MEYERS CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 EL DORADO 10 INCHES OVERNIGHT AT
MEYERS AND SOUTH LAKE
TAHOE. 14 INCHES AT ECHO
SUMMIT.
1000 PM SUGAR BOWL SKI AREA CA HEAVY SNOWFALL
12/15/02 NEVADA 24 INCHES AT 6900
FEET...38 INCHES AT 8400
FEET. 24 HOUR TOTALS.The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
4 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Nevada in 2002Every state in 2002This day in weather historyWarnings in Nevada, 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5323932, 5323933, 5323934, 5323935.