A cool high pressure system in the wake of a storm coupled with light winds and clear skies to bring unseasonably cold morning temperatures to the northern Sacramento Valley.
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.
The episode as NWS STO wrote it up.
A cool high pressure system in the wake of a storm coupled with light winds and clear skies to bring unseasonably cold morning temperatures to the northern Sacramento Valley.
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 Sacramento, CA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 17, 9:30 PM PST, 2 hours 30 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 930 PM PST WED DEC 17 2008 .DISCUSSION (UPDATE)... NORTHERN CALIFORNIA IS BETWEEN A DEPARTING UPPER LOW OVER SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA...AND AN APPROACHING UPPER LOW MOVING INTO WASHINGTON STATE. BETWEEN THESE SYSTEMS...SURFACE HIGH PRESSURE HAS BUILT OVER THE SNOW COVERED GREAT BASIN...AND A DRIER AIRMASS IS OVER CENTRAL CALIFORNIA. TEMPERATURES ARE RUNNING SOME 5 TO 10 DEGREES COOLER THAT THIS SAME TIME LAST NIGHT. ADDITIONALLY...DEW POINTS ARE 5 TO 11 DEGREES LESS THAN YESTERDAY. THE HIGH PRESSURE ALOFT AND LIGHT SURFACE WINDS AND CLEAR SKIES WILL ALLOW FOR STRONG RADIATIONAL COOLING OVERNIGHT. THE FREEZE WARNING IN EFFECT FOR THE CENTRAL VALLEYS LOOKS GOOD AT THIS POINT. HERE ARE SOME RECORD LOW TEMPERATURES FOR DECEMBER 18: REDDING......24 RED BLUFF....23 SACRAMENTO...28 STOCKTON.....24 MODESTO......26 BELIEVE MANY OF THESE WILL BE CLOSE CALLS GIVEN TEMPERATURE TRENDS THIS EVENING. THE FLY IN THE OINTMENT IS THE MID/HI CLOUDS MOVING INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING UPPER LOW. THESE ARE MOVING INTO THE NORTHERN SAC VALLEY RAPIDLY...AND COULD SLOW COOLING OVERNIGHT. BUT...THE THICKER CLOUDS AND ASSOCIATED PRECIPITATION IS NOT EXPECTED UNTIL AFTER 18Z THURSDAY. THEREFORE WILL LEAVE THE FREEZE WARNING IN PLACE. EAST GRADIENT OVER THE SIERRA OF ABOUT 4MB IS KICKING UP SOME GUSTY WINDS THROUGH CANYONS ALONG THE FOOTHILLS AND MOTHERLODE. THESE COULD KEEP SOME TEMPERATURES A BIT MILDER OVERNIGHT. 00Z MODELS TRENDING JUST A BIT SLOWER WITH TOMORROWS PRECIPITATION...BUT IN GENERAL THE FORECAST LOOKS ON TRACK. IF...ANY OVERRUNNING SHOWERS WORK INTO THE REDDING...RED BLUFF...OR CHICO AREAS TOMORROW MORNING...IT COULD STILL BE COLD ENOUGH THAT THESE WILL FALL AS SNOW. IT IS NOT TOTALLY OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT THIS COULD ALSO OCCUR IN SACRAMENTO...VACAVILLE...STOCKTON OR MODESTO IF THE CLOUDS TIME IT RIGHT. NOT ENOUGH CONFIDENCE IN THIS TO PUT IT IN THE FORECAST FOR ANYWHERE BUT THE NORTHERN SAC VALLEY BUT THIS BEARS WATCHING. NEXT SYSTEM SPREADS SNOW SHOWERS INTO THE MOUNTAINS 18Z-00Z TOMORROW. NOT AS MUCH SNOW IS EXPECTED AS OVER THE WEEKEND...HOWEVER STRONG WIND GUSTS AND VERY LIGHT AND POWDERY SNOW WILL CREATE BLIZZARD CONDITIONS OVER MOUNTAIN PASSES BY TOMORROW AFTERNOON. VERY COLD WIND CHILLS BELOW ZERO ARE EXPECTED...USE CAUTION IF YOU ARE TRAVELING IN THE MOUNTAINS AND MUST EXIT YOUR CAR FOR ANY REASON. TEMPERATURES IN THE VALLEYS WILL STRUGGLE TO GET OUT OF THE 40S TOMORROW. MINOR UPDATES TO THIS EVENINGS FORECAST FOR WINDS OVER RIDGES AND TEMPERATURES. SG .FROM PREVIOUS DISCUSSION (ISSUED AT 3:30 PM WEDNESDAY)... PRECIPITATION WILL SPREAD SOUTH AND EAST THROUGH THE DAY ON THURSDAY...WITH THE BRUNT OF THE MOISTURE MOVING THROUGH THE REGION LATE THURSDAY AFTERNOON INTO FRIDAY MORNING. SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN RELATIVELY LOW WITH THIS SYSTEM...PRIMARILY RANGING BETWEEN 1000 FEET ACROSS THE NORTHERN WARNING AREA AND 2500 FEET FURTHER SOUTH. THEREFORE...A WINTER STORM WATCH REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...THE BURNEY BASIN...AND THE SIERRA. BELIEVE SIGNIFICANT SNOW FALL WILL BE POSSIBLE IN THESE AREAS...WITH GOOD UPSLOPE FLOW AND OROGRAPHICS ENHANCING THE SNOWFALL TOTALS. QPF VALUES ARE STILL SOME WHAT VARIABLE...AS MODELS ARE NOT SURE WHETHER OR NOT THIS SYSTEM MAY BE ABLE TO TAP A SLIGHTLY HIGHER PW PLUME NEAR 140 WEST. AT THIS TIME...AM DOUBTFUL THIS WILL HAPPEN...AS THE WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS THIS AIR BEING PRETTY WELL BLOCKED BY THE DIGGING SYSTEM. SOME SNOW ACCUMULATIONS WILL ALSO BE LIKELY IN THE FOOTHILLS AND THE COASTAL REGION...BUT BELIEVE THESE VALUES WILL STAY UNDER WARNING CRITERIA AT THIS TIME. THIS SYSTEM WILL ALSO BE SOME VERY GUSTY WINDS TO THE REGION...WITH 700 MB WINDS APPEAR TO RANGE BETWEEN 40 AND 50 KNOTS THURSDAY NIGHT. THEREFORE...EXPECT SOME GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH POSSIBLE OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN OF THE SIERRA. THINGS WILL TURN MORE SHOWERY BEHIND THE COLD FRONT ON FRIDAY...AND BEGIN TO TAPER OFF BY THE AFTERNOON. EXPECT JUST LINGERING SHOWERS PRIMARILY OVER THE MOUNTAINS BY FRIDAY NIGHT...WITH DRY CONDITIONS DEVELOPING BY SATURDAY. FRIDAY NIGHT MAY ALSO BARE WATCHING...AS CLEARING SKIES MAY BRING ANOTHER NIGHT OF FREEZING TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE REGION. PALMER .EXTENDED FORECAST (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT)...THE PATTERN OF GENERALLY UNSETTLED WEATHER WITH SHORT BREAKS IN BETWEEN STORM SYSTEMS WILL CONTINUE THROUGH THE MIDDLE PART OF NEXT WEEK. THE SECOND STORM SYSTEM OF IMMEDIATE CONCERN WILL MOVE SOUTH OUT OF THE GULF OF ALASKA INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SUNDAY MORNING BEFORE MOVING EAST INTO THE ROCKIES BY TUESDAY. THE GFS CANADIAN AND EUROPEAN MODELS HAVE ALL BEEN QUITE CONSISTENT WITH THE HANDLING OF THIS STORM...FEEL CONFIDENT ENOUGH TO FORECAST LIKELY PRECIPITATION FOR THE FORECAST AREA. THIS STORM IS LIKELY TO BRING HIGHER RAIN/SNOW TOTALS THAN THE THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY STORM AS IT HAS MARITIME ORIGINS AND A BETTER PRECIPITABLE WATER PLUME ASSOCIATED WITH IT. SINCE THE UPPER LOW ASSOCIATED WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL REMAIN TO THE NORTH AND EAST OF NORCAL...EXPECT SNOW LEVELS TO BE HIGHER (IN THE 3000-4000 FT RANGE) THAN THE PAST FEW STORMS. A SHORT BREAK WILL ENSUE BEFORE THE NEXT STORM SYSTEM APPROACHES IN THE CHRISTMAS EVE TO CHRISTMAS TIMEFRAME. WHILE THERE ARE STILL SOME MODEL HANDLING AND TIMING ISSUES WITH THIS STORM...IT STILL LOOKS TO BE THE MOST POTENT OF ANY WE HAVE SEEN THIS MONTH. THE SYSTEM WILL MAKE A STRONG CONNECTION WITH SUBTROPICAL MOISTURE...HEAVY PRECIPITATION IS A POSSIBILITY. WITH SUBTROPICAL AIR BEING PULLED IN...SNOW LEVELS WILL REMAIN ELEVATED. ALTHOUGH THIS STORM IS STILL A WEEK AWAY AND A LOT CAN CHANGE... THERE IS A LOT OF CONCERN ABOUT HOW IT WILL IMPACT THE CHRISTMAS HOLIDAY. STAY TUNED. DANG && .AVIATION... CDFNT AND ASSOCD UPR TROF APCHG NORCAL WL MOVG THRU THU INTO FRI. WDSPRD VLY FRST THRU 17Z THU. FOR INTR VLY...VFR THRU 18Z THU THEN INCRSG AREAS MVFR/IFR CONDS IN PCPN SPRDG N TO S AND CONTG INTO FRI MRNG WITH IMPVG CONDS AFT 18Z FRI. FOR INTR FTHLS AND MTNS INCLG W SLPS OF SIERNEV...GENLY VFR THRU 18Z THU THEN INCRSG IFR AND LCL LIFR CONDS SPRDG N TO S AND CONTG THRU FRI AFT WITH SLOLY IMPVG CONDS FM N TO S AFT 20Z FRI. SN LVLS ARND 010-015. NWLY FLOW ALF BKG TO WLY THU MRNG. ISOLD NELY SFC WND GSTS TO 30 KTS THRU E-W CANYONS OF W SLPS SIERNEV TIL 13Z THU. AREAS WLY SFC WND GSTS 25-35 KTS OMTNS DVLPG AFT 18Z THU AND CONTG INTO FRI MRNG WITH ISOLD GSTS TO 50 KTS OVR HYR MTN TRRN. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ...FREEZE WARNING FROM 10 PM THIS EVENING TO 10 AM PST THURSDAY FOR THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY...THE NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY...AND THE DELTA. ...WINTER STORM WATCH FROM THURSDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING FOR BURNEY BASIN / EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY-SHASTA LAKE AREA / NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY-WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA-WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 700 AM PST WED DEC 17 2008 CAZ013>019-063-064-066>069-181500- SHASTA LAKE AREA/NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY- BURNEY BASIN/EASTERN SHASTA COUNTY-NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY-SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY- CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA-NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY- MOUNTAINS SOUTHWESTERN SHASTA TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTIES- CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY-MOTHERLODE- EAST FOOTHILLS/NORTH SACRAMENTO VALLEY- WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK-WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA- 700 AM PST WED DEC 17 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY SUB-FREEZING TEMPERATURES ARE EXPECTED OVER THE SACRAMENTO VALLEY THIS MORNING. * FREEZE WARNING.............SEE WWUS76 KSTO - NPWSTO FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM IS EXPECTED TO BRING MORE WINTRY WEATHER TO THE INTERIOR OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND INTO FRIDAY. AFTER A BREAK IN WEATHER SYSTEMS...ANOTHER STORM SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO MOVE INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY. * WINTER STORM WATCH.........SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS TO THEIR LOCAL NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE OFFICE. THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE INTERNET AT (LOWER CASE): HTTP://WWW.WRH.NOAA.GOV/STO
1 cold/wind chill. Local standard time, as filed.
A daily low temperature record of 23 degrees was set at Redding Airport. This broke the old record of 24 degrees set in 1989.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in California in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in California, December 2008
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: 146146.