Heavy Snow in California, April 3 to 4, 2003

Name: Heavy Snow in California, April 3 to 4, 2003
Start: 2003-04-03T09:27
End: 2003-04-04T04:10
Location: California

April 3 to 4, 2003 · NWS MFR · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A Heavy Snow Warning was issued for California zones CAZ080/082 for 2500-3000 feet effective at the above times. At 1127 PST on 04/03, the warning level was lowered to 2000-3000 feet.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 2 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: 2

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 Heavy Snow Warning was issued for California zones CAZ080/082 for 2500-3000 feet effective at the above times. At 1127 PST on 04/03, the warning level was lowered to 2000-3000 feet. Many reports indicated snow advisory amounts, but none verified a Heavy Snow Warning.

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 Medford, OR wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 3, 9:00 AM PST, 27 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 3, 9:00 AM PST, 27 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Apr 3, 6:30 AM PST, 2 hours 57 minutes before

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In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 3, 8:11 AM PST, 1 hour 16 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

2 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, Western Siskiyou County

When: April 3, 9:27 AM PST to April 4, 4:10 AM PST
Where: Western 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.

Heavy Snow, South Central Siskiyou County

When: April 3, 9:27 AM PST to April 4, 4:10 AM 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

Every storm in California in 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings 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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5348499, 5348500.