California, 2003

Heavy Snow in California, April 27 to 28, 2003

April 27 to 28, 2003 · NWS MFR · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A Winter Storm Warning was issued for California zone CAZ082 above 4500 feet at 1506 PDT on 04/27. The elevation of the warning was raised to 5000 feet at 2140 PDT on 04/27, and the warning expired at 1023 PDT on 04/28.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 MFR wrote it up.

A Winter Storm Warning was issued for California zone CAZ082 above 4500 feet at 1506 PDT on 04/27. The elevation of the warning was raised to 5000 feet at 2140 PDT on 04/27, and the warning expired at 1023 PDT on 04/28. Nearly all the spotters and observation platforms are below the warning elevation, so no verifying reports were recieved from those sources. However, Sand Flat at 6750 feet recorded 9 inches of snow in 7 hours between 2100 UTC on 04/27 and 0400 UTC on 04/28, so it is likely that this warning verified. In addition, Mount Shasta City, below the warning level, recieved a 1.10 inches of rain in the 24 hours ending at 2000 PDT on 04/28. This would also support a warning at higher elevations.

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, South Central Siskiyou County

When
April 27, 3:06 PM PST to April 28, 12:23 PM PST
Where
South Central Siskiyou County forecast zone
Reported by
OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
Coordinates
41.593, -122.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

See below.

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 2003Every state in 2003This day in weather historyWarnings in California, April 2003

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: 5348508.