A low pressure system brought snowfall and strong winds to the eastern Sierra.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
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 REV wrote it up.
A low pressure system brought snowfall and strong winds to the eastern Sierra.
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 Reno, NV wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 21, 3:00 PM PST, 2 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RENO NV
300 PM PST SUN DEC 21 2008
.SHORT TERM...
FIRST WAVE OF THE NEXT SYSTEM HAS MOVED INTO THE REGION WITH THE
MAIN MOISTURE PLUME GRADUALLY SLIDING SOUTH DOWN THE SIERRA TOWARD
MONO COUNTY. THERE WILL BE LULL IN THE ACTION BEHIND THIS WAVE WITH
PRECIP IN THE SIERRA LIGHTENING UP BEFORE THE MAIN COLD FRONTAL BAND
PUSHES THROUGH THE REGION TONIGHT. A FEW INCHES OF SNOW IS POSSIBLE
WITH THE FIRST WAVE BUT THE BRUNT OF THE PRECIPITATION WILL COME
WITH THE COLD FRONT. CURRENT THINKING HAS NOT CHANGED WITH THIS
SYSTEM AND STILL EXPECTING AROUND A FOOT OR SO OF SNOW ABOVE 7000
FEET IN THE TAHOE BASIN WITH LESSER AMOUNTS OVER LASSEN/PLUMAS
COUNTIES AND SIERRA VALLEYS INCLUDING LAKE TAHOE. THE SIERRA OF MONO
COUNTY COULD RECEIVE 6 TO 10 INCHES ABOVE 7000 FEET BUT LOOKS TO BE
BELOW ADVISORY LEVELS. NORTHERN WASHOE/SURPRISE VALLEY SHOULD SEE
SEVERAL INCHES OF SNOW WITH THE FRONT TONIGHT WHICH LOOKS TO PUSH
SOUTH AND THROUGH THE RENO AREA AROUND 4AM. JET DYNAMICS ARE
SOMEWHAT FAVORABLE IN TRYING TO PUSH LIGHT PRECIP OVER THE SIERRA
INTO THE RENO/CC AREA AROUND 6Z...WHICH WOULD FALL AS RAIN...BUT THE
BEST CHANCES OF RECEIVING PRECIP WILL BE RAIN CHANGING TO SNOW WITH
THE COLD FRONT. SNOW LEVELS ARE CURRENTLY AROUND 6000 FEET NORTH TO
AROUND 7000 FEET SOUTH AND WILL PLUMMET TO ALL VALLEY FLOOR
LOCATIONS LATER TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW MORNING AS 700 MB TEMPS DROP
TO -12 TO -14C. IN THE LEE OF THE SIERRA SNOWFALL IS NOT EXPECTED TO
ACCUMULATE TO MUCH MORE THAN AN INCH AND WILL BE LOCALIZED.
WINDS AHEAD OF THE FRONT DO LOOK TO BE BREEZY AND WILL LIKELY GUST
TO 45 MPH. WINDS COULD BE SLIGHTLY STRONGER OVER MONO COUNTY LATER
TONIGHT INTO TOMORROW MORNING AS THE JET STRENGTHENS AS IT
APPROACHES THE SOUTHERN SIERRA. A WIND ADVISORY IS NOT OUT OF THE
REALM OF POSSIBILITY FOR MONO COUNTY. SIERRA RIDGE WINDS ARE STILL
EXPECTED TO GUST TO AROUND 100 MPH AS 700 MB WINDS INCREASE TO
OVER 50 KTS.
AFTER THE FRONT PASSES...SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY
AFTERNOON. ANOTHER WEAK FAST WAVE WILL MOVE INTO THE SIERRA IN
NORTHWEST FLOW MONDAY NIGHT AND COULD PRODUCE SEVERAL INCHES OF
ADDITIONAL SNOW IN THE SIERRA WITH LOCALIZED UP TO AN INCH IN VALLEY
LOCATIONS.
TUESDAY IS EXPECTED TO BE MAINLY DRY AS THE NEXT SYSTEM DROPS DOWN
THE CA COAST. THIS LOW SHOULD BE FAR ENOUGH WEST TO KEEP THE
MAIN PRECIP BAND WELL WEST OF THE SIERRA TUESDAY NIGHT. THERE IS
STILL EXPECTED TO BE SOME LIGHT SNOW SHOWERS OVER THE SIERRA AND
INTO WESTERN NEVADA DURING THIS TIME BUT ACCUMULATIONS WILL BE VERY
MINIMAL. THE LOW WILL THEN SWING INLAND WEDNESDAY AND DEPENDING ON
TRACK COULD GIVE THE SOUTHERN SIERRA SOME MODEST
SNOWS...PARTICULARLY OVER MONO COUNTY WHERE POTENTIALLY SIX INCHES
OF SNOW COULD FALL IN THE HIGH SIERRA. THIS FAST MOVING LOW SHOULD
BE SOUTH AND EAST OF THE AREA BY LATE WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AS THE
NEXT STORM APPROACHES. MILNE
.LONG TERM...CHRISTMAS DAY THROUGH SUNDAY...
MEDIUM RANGE MODELS ARE CONSISTENT IN BRINGING ANOTHER COLD FRONT
THROUGH THE SIERRA AND WESTERN NEVADA ON CHRISTMAS DAY. THE EC AND
CANADIAN ARE SHARPER WITH THE ASSOCIATED TROUGH AND A BIT FASTER
THAN THE GFS...AND ALSO DEPICT A STRONG NW-SE ORIENTED JET WHILE THE
GFS BRINGS IN A MORE FAVORABLE WNW-ORIENTED JET ACROSS THE SIERRA.
THE LATEST NAM SUPPORTS THE GFS ORIENTATION SO THE GENERAL CONCEPT
OF THE GFS WAS USED FOR THE CHRISTMAS PERIOD.
ALL MODELS ARE GENERATING BETWEEN 1/2 INCH TO AN INCH OR MORE QPF
FOR THE SIERRA MAINLY AFTER MIDNIGHT CHRISTMAS EVE TO LATE AFTERNOON
CHRISTMAS DAY. THE ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA
DURING THE DAY SO WE WILL HAVE STRONG RIDGE GUSTS AND SURFACE WINDS
WHICH WILL INCREASE THE NIGHT OF CHRISTMAS EVE AND CONTINUE
CHRISTMAS DAY. IT WILL BE COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW ALL AREAS. IF WE STAY
CONSERVATIVE ON QPF AMOUNTS...WE COULD STILL SEE UP TO 6 INCHES AT
LAKE LEVEL WITH OVER A FOOT AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA FROM
TAHOE SOUTH INTO MONO COUNTY. LASSEN COUNTY AND NORTHERN WASHOE
SHOULD SEE SEVERAL INCHES. FOR THE RENO-CARSON AREAS THE ORIENTATION
OF THE JET WILL BE CRITICAL. IF IT COMES IN CLOSE TO THE GFS
SOLUTION THIS AREA WOULD BE UNDER THE FAVORABLE LEFT EXIT REGION FOR
FORCING. ALSO THE FRONTOGENESIS LOOKS DECENT WITH THIS SYSTEM. WILL
HAVE TO LOOK AT FUTURE RUNS...RENO-CARSON COULD BE SHADOWED OUT AND
SEE MORE WIND THAN SNOW EXCEPT FOR A QUICK INCH WITH THE FRONT...OR
WE COULD PICK UP A COUPLE OF INCHES DUE TO FAVORABLE DYNAMICS.
THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY WE WILL SEE SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS
MAINLY IN THE SIERRA UNDER COLD CYCLONIC FLOW ALOFT. AS THE
CHRISTMAS SYSTEM MOVES RAPIDLY EAST THE UPPER FLOW FLATTENS OUT
HEIGHTS INCREASE THROUGH THE WEEKEND AND THE JET IS PUSHED NORTH
INTO THE PACNW. THIS WOULD KEEP OUR AREA GENERALLY DRY FOR THE
WEEKEND WITH ANY CHANCE OF SHOWERS CONFINED TO FAR NORTHEAST CA AND
THE OREGON BORDER.
TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE BELOW SEASONAL NORMALS BUT WILL MODERATE
CLOSER TO NORMAL FOR THE WEEKEND UNDER BUILDING HEIGHTS. EXPECT
FRIDAY TO BE THE COLDEST DAY BEHIND THE FRONT. WARMING ALOFT FOR THE
WEEKEND WILL CREATE STRONG INVERSIONS WITH COLD VALLEY TEMPERATURES
AND MUCH WARMER READINGS AT HIGHER ELEVATIONS. LIGHT WINDS WILL
INHIBIT MIXING AND SLOW THE WARMING IN VALLEY LOCATIONS. JAH
&&
.AVIATION...
KTVL/KTRK - HEAVIEST PRECIP WILL OCCUR AHEAD OF AND ALONG THE FRONT
OVERNIGHT. EXPECT 6 INCHES OF SNOW THOSE LOCATIONS WITH IFR
CIGS/VSBY ROUGHLY 08Z-15Z WITH CONDITIONS IMPROVING AFTER 18Z.
KRNO...BEST CHANCE FOR SNOW WILL BE FOR AN HOUR OR SO CENTERED
AROUND 12Z MON. EXPECT SOME SURFACE GUSTS TO 35KTS AFTER 06Z AND
DIMINISHING BY 14Z. THERE COULD BE A FEW HOURS AROUND 06Z WITH UPPER
WINDS WSW AT 50KTS WHILE SURFACE WINDS WILL BE SW OR MAY BACK TO SSE
AT 15-20KT.
KLOL...LIGHT RAIN WITH MVFR CIGS 00Z-03Z WITH A BREAK AFTER
THAT..THEN SNOW WITH MVFR CIGS/VIS AGAIN AROUND 15Z MON. JAH
&&
&&
.REV WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
NV...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 AM PST
MONDAY FOR NVZ002.
CA...WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 AM PST MONDAY FOR
CAZ071.
WINTER WEATHER ADVISORY FROM 4 PM THIS AFTERNOON TO 7 AM PST
MONDAY FOR CAZ072.
&&
HTTP://WEATHER.GOV/RENOThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
2 winter weather, 2 strong wind. Local standard time, as filed.
The following 24-hour snowfall reports were received:
Echo Peak SNOTEL: 13 inches; and |Soda Springs ski area: 9 inches.
The following 24-hr snowfall reports were received:
Mammoth Mountain Ski Resort (elev. 9000 ft): 14 inches; and |Mammoth Lakes (elev. 7900 ft): 8 inches.
The RAWS sensor at D.L. Bliss State Park recorded a wind gust of 56 kts (64 mph).
Mammoth Airport reported a wind gust of 52 kts (60 mph).
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 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 146287, 146285, 146963, 146964.