Winter Storm in California, December 6 to 7, 2003

Name: Winter Storm in California, December 6 to 7, 2003
Start: 2003-12-06T14:00
End: 2003-12-07T17:00
Location: California

December 6 to 7, 2003 · NWS HNX · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 winter storm, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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 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 Dec 6, 9:25 AM PST, 4 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 6, 9:25 AM PST, 4 hours 35 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
925 AM PST SAT DEC 6 2003

.SHORT TERM...FOR THE CENTRAL CALIFORNIA INTERIOR...SATELLITE AND
RADAR LOOPS AND SPOTTER REPORTS INDICATE THAT THERE HAS BEEN LITTLE
BREAK IN THE PRECIPITATION...ALBEIT REDUCED TO VERY LIGHT IN
SPOTS...OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA BETWEEN THE EXITING SYSTEM
AND THE APPROACHING FRONTAL BAND. ON THE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY FLOOR...
RAIN HAS SPREAD OVER MUCH OF THE NORTH VALLEY...AND SHOULD REACH
MERCED AND MADERA BY 18Z.

15Z RAWS TEMPERATURE READINGS INDICATE THAT THE SNOW LEVEL IN THE
SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA THIS MORNING IS AROUND 8500-9000 FEET. EXPECT
THE SNOW LEVEL TO DROP TO 7500 FEET BY LATE AFTERNOON AS THE MAIN
RAIN BAND MOVES INTO THE AREA. THE 12Z MESO-ETA SHOWS VERY STRONG
700-MB OMEGAS OVER THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...IN EXCESS OF 20
MICROBARS/SECOND...SO LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND SNOW APPEAR LIKELY FOR
THE WINTER STORM WARNING PERIODS. /THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING./

700-MB TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST BY ALL THREE 12Z SHORT-RANGE MODELS
TO FALL TO -2 C AT YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK BY 00Z SUNDAY...AND TO
ALMOST -6 C BY 12Z SUNDAY FOR A PROJECTED SNOW LEVEL OF 5500 FEET. A
STRONG PUSH OF COLD AIR IS FORECAST TO CONTINUE THROUGH THE DAY
SUNDAY...WITH 700-MB TEMPERATURES FORECAST TO BOTTOM OUT AT -8 C BY
00Z MONDAY FOR SNOW APPROACHING THE HIGHER FOOTHILLS. /AND POSSIBLY
INTO THE FOOTHILLS IN HEAVY SHOWERS./ THE RFC TOTAL QPF FOR YOSEMITE
VALLEY FOR THE STORM IS 1.49 INCH...SO EXPECTED SNOW ACCUMULATIONS
LOOK ON TRACK.

BEYOND THIS WEEKEND/S STORM...THE NEXT CONCERN WILL BE THE COLD
AIRMASS ASSOCIATED WITH THE COLD FRONT. IF THERE IS APPRECIABLE
CLEARING SUNDAY NIGHT BEHIND THE FRONT...COULD SEE WIDESPREAD
CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY LOW TEMPERATURES MONDAY IN
THE 30S. WHETHER ANY FROST FORMS WILL BE DEPENDENT ON WHEN OR IF THE
LOW-LEVEL WINDS SUBSIDE OVERNIGHT.

.LONG TERM...FOR TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY...PROGS IN FAIRLY GOOD
AGREEMENT WITH THE WEST COAST RIDGE BREAKING DOWN EARLY TUESDAY.
LATEST TWO GFS RUNS HAVE COME INTO AGREEMENT WITH THE ECMWF AND GEM
WITH THIS TIMING AND BRING DEEP MOISTURE AHEAD OF A S/W TROUGH INTO
THE CWFA BY TUESDAY AFTERNOON. THE TROUGH THEN CROSSES CENTRAL CA ON
TUESDAY NIGHT. WILL INCREASE CLOUD COVER AND POPS ACROSS ALL ZONES
TUESDAY AFTERNOON AND TUESDAY NIGHT AS GFS INDICATING IMPRESSIVE MID
LEVEL OMEGAS OVER THE CWFA ALONG WITH DEEP MOISTURE DURING THIS TIME
FRAME. THE GFS HAS ALSO COME INTO AGREEMENT WITH THE ECWMF IN
BRINGING A STRONG UPPER CUT-OFF LOW DOWN THE CA ON THURSDAY. IF THIS
SOLUTION PANS OUT...ENOUGH DEEP MOISTURE SHOULD BE DRAWN INTO
CENTRAL CA TO PROVIDE THE ENTIRE CWFA WITH AT LEAST A CHANCE OF
PRECIPITATION THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT. HAVE THEREFORE INCREASED
CLOUD COVER AND INTRODUCED CHANCE POPS FOR OUR AREA FOR THIS TIME
FRAME THEN TAPERING TO A SLIGHT CHANCE ON FRIDAY AS THE LOW
APPROACHES BAJA. SINCE THE MODELS OFTEN HAVE DIFFICULTY HANDLING
UPPER CUT-OFF LOWS...CONFIDENCE IS LOW FOR D6 AND D7. HAVE RAISED
MINIMUM TEMPERATURES THROUGH THE PERIOD AS INCREASED MOISTURE WILL
INHIBIT RADIATIONAL COOLING.

&&

.HNX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...WINTER STORM WARNING FOR THE
                                   SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA...FROM
                                   YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON...FOR
                                   THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY
                                   MORNING.
                                ...SNOW ADVISORY FOR THE TULARE
                                   COUNTY MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING
                                   THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.

&&

SANGER/DS

Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 6, 5:00 AM PST, 9 hours before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA
500 AM PST SAT DEC 6 2003

CAZ096-071300-
SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-
500 AM PST SAT DEC 6 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA
FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON.

.DAY ONE...TODAY.

A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH SUNDAY
MORNING.  REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER STATEMENT /WWUS46 KHNX/
FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY TROUGH FRIDAY

THE WINTER STORM WARNING WILL CONTINUE THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING. REFER
TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER STATEMENT /WWUS46 KHNX/ FOR FURTHER
DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

CAZ097-071300-
TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS-
500 AM PST SAT DEC 6 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

A SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING.
REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER STATEMENT /WWUS46 KHNX/ FOR
FURTHER DETAILS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

CAZ089>095-098-099-071300-
WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-
MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS-
KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY-
SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT-
500 AM PST SAT DEC 6 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN
JOAQUIN VALLEY...THE SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS...AND THE KERN COUNTY
MOUNTAINS AND DESERTS.

.DAY ONE...TODAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE.

Event by event

1 winter storm. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns

When: December 6, 2:00 PM PST to December 7, 5:00 PM PST
Where: S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Reported by: AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC

A weather system crossed Interior Central California late on the 6th through much of the 7th depositing significant snows on elevations above 6500 feet M.S.L.: Tuolumne Meadows reported 10" new snow with a water content of 1.09 inches. Approximate snow amounts reported were 18" at Horse Meadow and Agnew Pass; and 12" at Volcanic Knob and Paradise Meadow. Snow amounts dropped off quickly to the south such that the Tulare County Mountains had amounts of 6" or less. Foothill areas had from 1" to 2" rainfall over 24-hours from this event.

What these are

Winter Storm: A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.

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, December 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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5330694.