California, 2006

Winter Storm and Heavy Snow in California, November 26 to 27, 2006

November 26 to 27, 2006 · NWS HNX · 2 events in 2 counties and zones

An upper level trough of low pressure moved across Central California and brought the first winter storm of the season to the Southern Sierra Nevada from the evening of the 26th through the morning of the 27th. Snowfall amounts above 6000 ft MSL were generally 9-10 inches between Yosemite NP and Kings Canyon NP with the highest reading of 19 inches of new snow at Tenaya Lake (8150 ft MSL).

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 HNX wrote it up.

An upper level trough of low pressure moved across Central California and brought the first winter storm of the season to the Southern Sierra Nevada from the evening of the 26th through the morning of the 27th. Snowfall amounts above 6000 ft MSL were generally 9-10 inches between Yosemite NP and Kings Canyon NP with the highest reading of 19 inches of new snow at Tenaya Lake (8150 ft MSL). New Snow amounts south of Kings Canyon NP were 2-7 inches.

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 Nov 26, 2:52 PM PST, 3 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 26, 2:52 PM PST, 3 hours 8 minutes before
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Event by event

1 winter storm, 1 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Winter Storm, S Sierra Mtns

When
November 26, 6:00 PM PST to November 27, 12:00 PM PST
Where
S Sierra Mtns forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

Heavy Snow, Tulare Cty Mtns

When
November 26, 6:00 PM PST to November 27, 12:00 PM PST
Where
Tulare Cty Mtns forecast zone
Reported by
Mesonet

What these are

Winter Storm
A storm that brought snow, sleet or freezing rain at warning levels, usually over several hours or days.
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 2006Every state in 2006This day in weather historyWarnings in California, November 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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 4888, 5273.