California, 2003

Heavy Snow and Heavy Rain in California, April 4, 2003

April 4, 2003 · NWS HNX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

A fast-moving cold front swept over Southern Sierra Nevada during the day on the 4th. While snow amounts did not meet Winter Storm thresholds, significant snow amounts of 7-13 inches did fall at mid-altitudes on the range.

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
$1,000
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 HNX wrote it up.

A fast-moving cold front swept over Southern Sierra Nevada during the day on the 4th. While snow amounts did not meet Winter Storm thresholds, significant snow amounts of 7-13 inches did fall at mid-altitudes on the range. Typical of locally heavy rain events on the San Joaquin Valley floor on this day, Northwest Fresno received almost 1 inch of rain that led to flooded streets.

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 Hanford, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Apr 4, 2:27 AM PST, 1 hour 33 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 4, 2:27 AM PST, 1 hour 33 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

1 heavy rain, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Fresno

When
April 4, 4:00 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST
Where
Fresno County, 5 mi NW of Fresno
Property damage
$1,000
Reported by
NEWSPAPER
Coordinates
36.758, -119.649 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Snow, S Sierra Mtns

When
April 4, 6:10 AM PST to 4:00 PM PST
Where
S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Reported by
AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5350282, 5350281.