A Winter Storm Warning was issued for California zone CAZ082 for elevations above 4000 feet at 0014 PDT on 04/12/03. The warning level was lowered to 3500 feet at 2200 PDT on 04/12, then the warning was downgraded to a snow advisory at 1400 PDT on 04/13.
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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 MFR wrote it up.
A Winter Storm Warning was issued for California zone CAZ082 for elevations above 4000 feet at 0014 PDT on 04/12/03. The warning level was lowered to 3500 feet at 2200 PDT on 04/12, then the warning was downgraded to a snow advisory at 1400 PDT on 04/13. The above observations verified the warning. In the case of the report from CAZ081, this observation was very close to the boundary between CAZ081/082 and is likely much more representative of conditions in CAZ082 than the remainder of CAZ081.
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.
Spotter SY05 2W Weed reported 13 inches of snow in the 24 hours ending at 0700 PDT.
Spotter SY94 5W of I-5 between Mt. Shasta City and Weed reported 12 inches of snow in the 24 hours ending at 0800 PDT.
Spotter SY39 6W Black Butte reported 16 inches of snow in the 24 hours ending at 0800 PDT.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2003
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: 5348501, 5348502, 5348503.