A powerful Pacific storm brought widespread winds gusting to 60 mph and in some areas to more than 80 mph across interior Northern California, causing extensive damage and numerous power outages. Rainfall and liquid equivalent amounts ranged from 2 to 3 inches in the northern Central Valley and 4 to 11 inches in the mountains of Shasta County.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 STO wrote it up.
A powerful Pacific storm brought widespread winds gusting to 60 mph and in some areas to more than 80 mph across interior Northern California, causing extensive damage and numerous power outages. Rainfall and liquid equivalent amounts ranged from 2 to 3 inches in the northern Central Valley and 4 to 11 inches in the mountains of Shasta County. Snowfall totals of 3 to 11 feet were reported in the northern Sierra Nevada Mountains, with winds up to and possibly exceeding 100 mph coupled with heavy snow bringing blizzard conditions.
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 Jan 3, 9:00 PM PST, 3 hours earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 900 PM PST THU JAN 3 2008 .DISCUSSION... THE FIRST STORM MOVED THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING BRINGING RAIN AND SNOW AND GUSTY WINDS. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS WERE GENERALLY AROUND A QUARTER OF AN INCH TO AN INCH EXCEPT 1 TO 2 INCHES IN THE COASTAL RANGE AND SHASTA COUNTY WITH LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. SNOW LEVELS WERE AROUND 2000 FEET IN NORTHERN SHASTA COUNTY TO AROUND 4500 FEET IN THE NORTHERN SIERRA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE NEXT STORM WHICH WILL BE MORE POWERFUL AND HAS SPUN UP ON THE SATELLITE IMAGERY TODAY AND IS CURRENTLY CENTERED AROUND 137W AND 44N. THE SOUTHERLY WINDS WILL CONTINUE TO INCREASE OVERNIGHT TONIGHT AS THE SURFACE PRESSURE GRADIENT INCREASES. MFR-SAC GRADIENT IS CURRENTLY AROUND 9MB AND IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE TO AROUND 20MB BY 4AM AND THEN DECREASE TO ABOUT 16MB BY 4 PM FRIDAY. 850MB WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE AROUND 65 KTS AND 700MB WINDS AROUND 90 KTS FRIDAY MORNING. THIS WILL BRING VERY STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS...ESPECIALLY FRIDAY MORNING. A HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 4 PM FRIDAY AFTERNOON TO COVER THE PEAK WINDS. SNOW LEVELS MAY RISE A LITTLE OVERNIGHT INTO TOMORROW MORNING WITH THE WARM AIR ADVECTION AND THEN DROP WITH THE FRONT FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE STRONG WINDS ALONG WITH SNOWFALL WILL CREATE WHITEOUT CONDITIONS AND BLOWING AND DRIFTING SNOW WARRANTING A BLIZZARD WARNING FOR THE MOUNTAINS FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY MORNING. GOOD DYNAMICS AND MOISTURE WITH THIS SYSTEM WILL BRING SIGNIFICANT PRECIPITATION...HEAVY AT TIMES TO INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA FRIDAY. PERIODS OF PRECIPITATION ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND WITH ANOTHER SYSTEM MOVING THROUGH LATE SATURDAY INTO SUNDAY. SNOW LEVELS ARE EXPECTED TO LOWER INTO THE FOOTHILLS OVER THE WEEKEND...WITH THE LOWEST SNOW LEVELS EXPECTED SUNDAY. HSO .EXTENDED DISCUSSION... LATEST GFS RUN KEEPS SHOWERS MONDAY AS SNOW LEVELS GRADUALLY RISE. ON TUESDAY...ANOTHER ORGANIZED FRONTAL SYSTEM WITH MODERATE PRECIPITATION COULD PASS THROUGH THE REGION INTO WED. SNOW LEVELS WILL BE HIGHER RANGING BETWEEN 4500-6500 FT. A HIGH AMPLITUDE RIDGE WILL DEVELOP OVER THE EASTERN PACIFIC AND BRING DRIER CONDITIONS TO THE CWA ON THURSDAY ALONG WITH COLDER AIR. JBB && .AVIATION... TERRIBLE FLYING CONDITIONS SETTING UP FOR THE NEXT DAY...ESPECIALLY FOR SMALL AIRCRAFT. STRONG SLY WINDS WILL INCREASE BETWEEN 08Z AND 12Z TONIGHT IN THE SAC VLY...SUSTAINED WINDS 25-40 KTS WITH GUSTS MAINLY BETWEEN 40 AND 60 KTS. THE STRONGEST WINDS WILL BE PEAKING BETWEEN 12-20Z FRI. LOCAL AIRPORT ADVISORIES ARE IN EFFECT FOR KSCK AND KRDD TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY AT NOON BUT MAY NEED TO BE EXTENDED FOR A COUPLE OF HOURS. CONDITIONS WILL DEGRADE SIGNIFICANTLY BETWEEN 12Z AND 18Z WITH +RA STRONG WINDS...LOW CIGS AND VSBYS IN THE VLY WHILE LIFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL IN THE MTNS. THE STRONG WINDS IN THE VLY WILL BEGIN TO TAPER A LITTLE FRI AFT 21Z BUT DECREASE FURTHER AFT 00Z. STRONG WIND SHEAR IS POSSIBLE AS THE COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH BETWEEN 15Z AND 20Z. && .STO WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... ...HIGH WIND WARNING...10 PM TONIGHT THROUGH 4 PM FRIDAY FOR THE CENTRAL VALLEY...DELTA...FOOTHILLS AND SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY. ...BLIZZARD WARNING...MIDNIGHT TONIGHT THROUGH 4 AM SATURDAY FOR THE MOUNTAINS OF SHASTA COUNTY AND THE COASTAL RANGE SOUTHWARD TO NORTHERN LAKE COUNTY. ...BLIZZARD WARNING...4 AM FRIDAY MORNING THROUGH 4 AM SATURDAY MORNING...FOR WEST SLOPE NORTHERN SIERRA NEVADA AND WESTERN PLUMAS COUNTY/LASSEN PARK AREA. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 700 AM PST THU JAN 3 2008 CAZ013>019-063-064-066>069-041500- 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 THU JAN 3 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR INTERIOR NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY A STRONG PACIFIC FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL MOVE INTO NORTHERN CALIFORNIA LATE TONIGHT BRINGING STRONG WINDS TO MOST AREAS AS WELL AS RAIN AND MOUNTAIN SNOW. OVER A FOOT OF SNOW IS EXPECTED AT THE HIGHEST ELEVATIONS. THE COMBINATION OF WIND AND SNOW WILL BRING WHITE OUT CONDITIONS. * BLIZZARD WARNING...........SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * * HIGH WIND WARNING..........SEE WWUS76 KSTO - NPWSTO FOR DETAILS * .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY THE SERIES OF POWERFUL STORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH THE REGION FRIDAY INTO SUNDAY. THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR HEAVY SNOW IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HEAVY RAIN IN THE VALLEYS. IT APPEARS SNOW LEVELS WILL BE NEAR 5000-6000 FEET FRIDAY...THEN DOWN TO 3500 TO 4500 FEET BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. SEVERAL FEET OF NEW SNOW IS POSSIBLE OVER THE SIERRA CASCADE RANGE COMBINED WITH VERY STRONG WINDS AT TIMES IN EXCESS OF 60 MPH. BLIZZARD CONDITIONS ARE LIKELY AT TIMES BETWEEN FRIDAY AND SUNDAY. SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN ARE POSSIBLE IN THE VALLEY WITH GUSTY SOUTH WINDS BETWEEN FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. LOCALIZED FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE AT THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. * BLIZZARD WARNING...........SEE WWUS46 KSTO - WSWSTO FOR DETAILS * * HIGH WIND WARNING..........SEE WWUS76 KSTO - NPWSTO 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
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SACRAMENTO CA 941 PM PST THU JAN 3 2008 CAZ015>019-064-066-067-041400- NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY-CENTRAL SACRAMENTO VALLEY- SOUTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY-CARQUINEZ STRAIT AND DELTA- NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY-CLEAR LAKE/SOUTHERN LAKE COUNTY- NORTHEAST FOOTHILLS/SACRAMENTO VALLEY-MOTHERLODE- 941 PM PST THU JAN 3 2008 SERIES OF STORMS TO BRING PERIODS OF HEAVY RAINFALL TO THE CENTRAL VALLEY EARLY FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY... A SERIES OF STRONG PACIFIC STORMS ARE FORECAST TO MOVE THROUGH NORTHERN CALIFORNIA OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. PERIODS OF HEAVY RAIN ARE EXPECTED FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY. A HIGH WIND WARNING HAS BEEN ISSUED FOR THE SACRAMENTO AND NORTHERN SAN JOAQUIN VALLEYS ...THE DELTA AND FOOTHILLS REGIONS THROUGH FRIDAY AFTERNOON. THE STRONGEST WINDS ARE EXPECTED BETWEEN 3 AM AND NOON ON FRIDAY. IN ADDITION A SLIGHT CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS IS FORECAST AS EACH OF THE FRONTAL SYSTEMS PASSES THROUGH THE AREA. RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH SUNDAY EVENING COULD ADD UP TO 2 TO 4 INCHES IN THE SACRAMENTO AREA AND 4 INCHES OR MORE ARE POSSIBLE IN THE FAR NORTHERN SACRAMENTO VALLEY...PORTIONS OF FAR WESTERN SOLANO COUNTY AND LAKE COUNTY. 3 TO 7 INCHES EXPECTED IN THE FOOTHILLS WHILE FAVORED SPOTS ESPECIALLY WITH SOUTHERN EXPOSURE COULD REACH UP TO 10 TO 12 INCHES. ALTHOUGH MAIN STEM RIVER FLOODING IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME...MORE LOCALIZED FLOODING OF SMALLER FLOOD PRONE CREEKS IS POSSIBLE AS WELL AS LOCALIZED STREET FLOODING WHERE DRAINAGE SYSTEMS ARE UNABLE TO HANDLE THE PERIODS OF HEAVIER RAIN. IF POSSIBLE...CLEAR STORM DRAINS OF LEAVES AND OTHER DEBRIS BEFORE THE RAINS INCREASE TONIGHT AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE AREAS OF LOCAL STREET FLOODING OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS. RB/KS
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
11 high wind, 5 blizzard, 2 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.
A strong Pacific storm resulted in a new daily rainfall record of 1.21 inches at Modesto on January 5th. This broke the old record of 0.79 inches set in 1995.
The snow level was near 3000 feet with one to two feet of snow falling at the higher elevations. Wind gusts reached 75 to 85 mph causing whiteout conditions for an extended period of time.
The snow level was down to the basin floor with two to four feet of snow falling at the higher elevations. Wind gusts reached 75 to 85 mph causing whiteout conditions for an extended period of time.
The snow level was down to near 3000 feet with one to two feet of snow falling at the higher elevations. Wind gusts reached 75 to 85 mph causing whiteout conditions for an extended period of time.
A 65 mph wind gusts was recorded 18 miles south southeast of Saddle Camp. Numerous buildings were damaged due directly to the wind and/or to flying debris and falling trees and branches. Power was out to many customers for up to a day.
A 73 mph gust was measured at the Lyons Valley RAWS automated weather station, 10 miles northwest of Lakeport. Numerous buildings were damaged due directly to the wind and/or to flying debris and falling trees and branches. Power was out to many customers for up to a day.
High wind was recorded across the area including a 69 mph wind gust at Yuba City, a 66 mph wind gust at Chico airport, and a 61 mph wind gust at Marysville airport. A Yuba County employee was killed along Griffith Avenue just south of North Beale Road in Linda when he was struck by a falling eucalyptus tree branch while clearing roads of debris. There were many power outages due to power poles down from fallen trees and hundreds of customers were without power for up to seven days. Fallen trees and branches and flying debris also damaged cars and buildings. Sutter County Regional Airport had hangar and plane damage.
An 82 mph gust was recorded at the Redding RAWS automated weather station. A 70 mph gust was measured at Redding Airport. A 67 mph gust was recorded at Red Bluff Airport. Numerous buildings were damaged due directly to the wind and/or from flying debris and falling trees and branches.
A powerful Pacific storm brought wind gusts of 65 mph to the Cohasset RAWS automated weather station, which is located 12 miles northwest of Paradise. Numerous buildings were damaged due directly to the wind and/or to flying debris and falling trees and branches. Hundreds of customers were without power for up to seven days.
A 71 mph gust was measured 4 miles west northwest of Elk Grove. A 69 mph wind gust was measured at Sacramento Executive Airport and a 66 mph wind gust was measured at Sacramento International Airport. The State Legislature building had several windows broken and proceedings were forced to be suspended. Many trees were reported down, including an 80 foot oak tree near the interesection of Elm and Hazel in Sacramento. PG&E reported many power poles down throughout the area and thousands of residents and businesses were without power for up to seven days. Several big rigs were reported down by the CHP, including one on I-5 south of River Rd. in Woodland, and another on I-80 east of State Route 113.
A 60 mph gust was measured at Suisun City, at the Travis Air Force Base. A roof was blown off of a building in Rio Vista and numerous other facilities were damaged due directly to the wind or from flying debris and falling trees and branches.
A 60 mph gust was recorded at Stockton Airport. CHP reported an overturned big rig in Stockton on Lower Sacramento Rd. just south of 8 Mile Rd. A 44 mph gust was recorded in Modesto. Numerous homes and business facilities were damaged due ditrectly to the wind and/or by flying debris and falling trees and branches.
A 75 mph wind was reported at the Pike County Lookout RAWS automated weather staion, which is 2 miles southeast of Brush Creek Reservoir. Numerous buildings were damaged due directly to the wind and/or to flying debris and falling trees and branches. Power was out to hundreds of customers for up to seven days.
A 72 mph wind gust was reported at Blue Canyon. Numerous buildings were damaged due directly to the wind and/or to flying debris and falling trees and branches. Hundreds of customers were without power for up to seven days.
A spotter in Nevada City reported a gust to 92 mph on his weather station. He also reported numerous 3 foot diameter white fir and cedar trees down in the vicinity of Banner Mountain and the Maryland Rd. and Idaho Rd. intersection. A 70 mph gust was reported by Read Ranch RAWS automated weather station, located 7 miles northwest of Nevada City. Numerous buildings were damaged due directly to the wind and/or to flying debris and falling trees and branches. Power was out to thousands of customers for up to seven days.
The snow level was down to near 3500 feet with three to five feet of snow falling at the higher elevations. Wind gusts reached 65 to 100 mph causing whiteout conditions for an extended period of time.
The snow level was down to near 4000 feet with three to five feet of snow falling at the higher elevations. Wind gusts reached 65 to 100 mph causing whiteout conditions for an extended period of time.
Heavy rain from a strong Pacific system resulted in a new daily rainfall record of 0.70 inches at the Stockton airport on January 5th. This breaks the old record of 0.69 inches set in 1992.
As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.
| Event | Date | Age | Sex | Where | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| High Wind, Central Sacramento Valley | 2008-01-04 | 57 | Male | Under Tree | Direct |
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, January 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: 79076, 111565, 111566, 111567, 79056, 79058, 79048, 79057, 75854, 79050, 79051, 79053, 79061, 79062, 79060, 111568, 111569, 79075.