California, 2007

Heavy Snow in California, December 16 to 17, 2007

December 16 to 17, 2007 · NWS MFR · 3 events in 3 counties and zones

An incoming front brought Heavy Snow to areas of Northern Calfornia. A Winter Storm Warning was issued for California zones CAZ080/082/083 above 2500 feet at 15/2045, effective from 16/1600 until 17/1000 PST.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
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 MFR wrote it up.

An incoming front brought Heavy Snow to areas of Northern Calfornia. A Winter Storm Warning was issued for California zones CAZ080/082/083 above 2500 feet at 15/2045, effective from 16/1600 until 17/1000 PST. The warning snow levels varied between 2500 and 3000 feet during the effective time, and the warning was extended to include the next storm at 16/1440 PST before being effectively cancelled at 17/0428 PST (CAZ082/083) and 17/0954 (CAZ080).

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 Dec 16, 3:30 PM PST, 30 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 16, 3:30 PM PST, 30 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 16, 3:56 PM PST, 4 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

3 heavy snow. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Snow, South Central Siskiyou County

When
December 16, 4:00 PM PST to December 17, 4:00 AM PST
Where
South Central Siskiyou County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.593, -122.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

A spotter 1N Mount Shasta City recorded 6 inches of snow during this interval.

Heavy Snow, Western Siskiyou County

When
December 16, 4:00 PM PST to December 17, 4:00 AM 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)

Based on a spotter report of 6 inches of snow during this interval in adjoining zone CAZ082, it is assumed that Winter Storm Warning criteria was met in zone CAZ080 as well.

Heavy Snow, North Central & Southeast Siskiyou County

When
December 16, 4:00 PM PST to December 17, 4:00 AM PST
Where
North Central & Southeast Siskiyou County forecast zone
Reported by
Trained Spotter
Coordinates
41.593, -122.540 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Based on a spotter report of 6 inches of snow during this interval in adjoining zone CAZ082, it is assumed that Winter Storm Warning criteria was met in zone CAZ083 as well.

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 2007Every state in 2007This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2007

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: 63458, 119643, 119644.