California, 2004

Heavy Snow in California, January 2, 2004

January 2, 2004 · NWS MFR · 2 events in 1 county or zone

A Heavy Snow Warning was issued for California zones CAZ080 at 1122 PST on 01/02/04 and downgraded to an advisory at 1501 PST on 01/02/04. The two verifying reports above indicate that this warning was issued late.

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 at 1122 PST on 01/02/04 and downgraded to an advisory at 1501 PST on 01/02/04. The two verifying reports above indicate that this warning was issued late.

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 Jan 2, 8:54 AM PST, 4 hours 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jan 2, 8:54 AM PST, 4 hours 41 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Jan 2, 6:05 AM PST, 7 hours 30 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEDFORD OR
605 AM PST FRI JAN 2 2004

CAZ080-ORZ021>028-031430-
CENTRAL DOUGLAS COUNTY-CURRY COUNTY COAST-
EASTERN CURRY COUNTY AND JOSEPHINE COUNTY-
EASTERN DOUGLAS COUNTY FOOTHILLS-JACKSON COUNTY-
SISKIYOU MOUNTAINS AND SOUTH OREGON CASCADES-
SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON CASCADES-SOUTH CENTRAL OREGON COAST-
WESTERN SISKIYOU COUNTY-
605 AM PST FRI JAN 2 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SNOW ADVISORY IS IN EFFECT...SEE PDXWSWMFR FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER
CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES.

CAZ081>085-ORZ029>031-031430-
CENTRAL AND EASTERN LAKE COUNTY-CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MODOC COUNTY-
CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY-KLAMATH BASIN-
NORTH CENTRAL AND SOUTHEAST SISKIYOU COUNTY-
NORTHEAST KLAMATH COUNTY AND WESTERN LAKE COUNTY-
NORTHEAST SISKIYOU COUNTY AND NORTHWEST MODOC COUNTY-
SOUTH CENTRAL SISKIYOU COUNTY-
605 AM PST FRI JAN 2 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR SOUTHERN OREGON AND NORTHERN
CALIFORNIA

.DAY ONE...TODAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

MO

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jan 2, 10:12 AM PST, 3 hours 23 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Jan 2, 10:55 AM PST, 2 hours 40 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 2, 11:09 AM PST, 2 hours 26 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 2, 11:12 AM PST, 2 hours 23 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 2, 11:58 AM PST, 1 hour 37 minutes before
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Local storm report, Jan 2, 12:32 PM PST, 1 hour 3 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
January 2, 1:35 PM PST
Where
Western Siskiyou County forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.593, -122.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter SY89 in Sawyer's Bar reported 9 inches of snow overnight.

Heavy Snow, Western Siskiyou County

When
January 2, 4:08 PM PST
Where
Western Siskiyou County forecast zone
Reported by
TRAINED SPOTTER
Coordinates
41.593, -122.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Spotter SY100 in Happy Camp reported 8 inches of snow overnight.

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 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in California, January 2004

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: 5380841, 5380842.