Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns
- When
- February 27, 8:00 AM PST to February 28, 8:00 AM PST
- Where
- S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Winter Storm and Heavy Rain in California, February 27 to 28, 2006
A substantial snowfall again occurred in the Southern Sierra Nevada and Tulare County Mountains in a 24-hour period across the 27th and 28th of the month after a long period of minimal major storm activity (January 3rd). New snow amounts in the South Sierra included 50 inches at Upper Burnt Corral, 36" at Mitchell Meadow, and 30" at Charlotte Lake.
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
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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 substantial snowfall again occurred in the Southern Sierra Nevada and Tulare County Mountains in a 24-hour period across the 27th and 28th of the month after a long period of minimal major storm activity (January 3rd). New snow amounts in the South Sierra included 50 inches at Upper Burnt Corral, 36" at Mitchell Meadow, and 30" at Charlotte Lake. In the Tulare County Mountains 30 inches fell at Tunnel Guard Station, and 20" at Crabtree Meadow and Chagoopa Plateau. This winter storm marked the beginning of a late season wet period for Interior Central California that would extend into mid-April and provide the area with a good snowpack that otherwise was tending toward the dry side. Heavy rain occurred through much of the Kern County Mountains with rainfall reports varying from 1/4" up to 2.5". The Tehachapi area received approximately 1.5" of rain. There were no reports of flooding despite local areas of heavy rain. With wind flow aloft from the southwest during this time period the Central and Southern San Joaquin Valley experienced relatively light rainfall amounts due to a very pronounced rain-shadow from the Coast Range Mountains.
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 Feb 27, 3:45 AM PST, 4 hours 15 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Feb 27, 3:45 AM PST, 4 hours 15 minutes before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, Feb 27, 5:00 AM PST, 3 hours before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY - HANFORD CA 500 AM PST MON FEB 27 2006 CAZ089>092-281300- WEST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-EAST CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- SOUTHWESTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-SOUTHEASTERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- 500 AM PST MON FEB 27 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY. .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY. AFTER TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. CAZ093>095-098-099-281300- MARIPOSA MADERA AND FRESNO COUNTY FOOTHILLS-TULARE COUNTY FOOTHILLS- KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS-INDIAN WELLS VALLEY- SOUTHEASTERN KERN COUNTY DESERT- 500 AM PST MON FEB 27 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SIERRA NEVADA FOOTHILLS...AND THE KERN COUNTY MOUNTAINS AND DESERT. .DAY ONE...TODAY A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH STATEMENT /WGUS66 KHNX/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. CAZ096-097-281300- SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON-TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS- 500 AM PST MON FEB 27 2006 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO KINGS CANYON...AND THE TULARE COUNTY MOUNTAINS. .DAY ONE...TODAY A WINTER STORM WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTHERN SIERRA NEVADA FROM YOSEMITE TO THE KERN COUNTY LINE FROM 8 AM TO 10 AM PST TUESDAY. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST WINTER WEATHER MESSAGE /WWUS46 KHNX...SFOWSWHNX/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH LATE TONIGHT. PLEASE REFER TO THE LATEST FLOOD WATCH STATEMENT /WGUS66 KHNX...SFOFFAHNX/ FOR FURTHER DETAILS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY THE WINTER STORM WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM PST TUESDAY. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. TLM
The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
2 winter storm, 1 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
Winter Storm, Tulare Cty Mtns
- When
- February 27, 8:00 AM PST to February 28, 8:00 AM PST
- Where
- Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
- Reported by
- AWOS,ASOS,MESONET,ETC
Heavy Rain, Kern
- When
- February 27, 8:00 AM PST to February 28, 8:00 AM PST
- Where
- Kern County, Tehachapi
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 35.343, -118.730 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Winter Storm
- A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
- Heavy Rain
- Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- High Wind in California, February 27, 2006
- Strong Wind in California, February 27 to 28, 2006
- High Wind in Washington, February 27, 2006
- Winter Storm in Ohio, February 27, 2006
- Cold in Vermont, February 27, 2006
- Wildfire in Oklahoma, February 27, 2006
- Cold in New York, February 27, 2006
- High Surf in Hawaii, February 27 to 28, 2006
- Winter Storm in Idaho, February 27 to 28, 2006
- Winter Weather in Pennsylvania, February 27 to 28, 2006
- Coastal Flood in California, February 27, 2006
- High Wind in Montana, February 27, 2006
More
Every storm in California in 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in California, February 2006
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: 5490200, 5490201, 5490202.